California Offers Safe Space For Firefighters To Work Through Stress And Trauma

Fighting fires has been compared to the military in another way — the stress that soldiers go through. In fact, a report by the International Association of Firefighters found that firefighters experience PTSD at rates similar to what's seen in combat veterans. The Ruderman Family Foundation has identified another startling trend: Last year, more firefighters died by suicide than in the line of duty.

So fire officials are trying new ways to alleviate the stress of overworked firefighters and change the culture.