Resiliency training is currently offered to professional firefighters in B.C., but not to volunteer firefighters. The aim of this pilot project is to develop and test a resilience training program for volunteer firefighters, who face similar mental health risks as professional firefighters. The researchers will provide customized resilience training to 100 firefighters, and use pretest and post-test resilience scores to assess the effectiveness of the training. Questionnaires will be provided immediately prior to the four-hour resilience workshop, immediately after, and two months post-training. The project will focus on three volunteer fire rescue services on Vancouver Island.

The researchers note that British Columbia has approximately 14,000 firefighters, 70% of whom are volunteers and do not receive resilience training. This project aims to fill gaps regarding the effectiveness of resilience training on mental health. The researchers suggest the training could form the foundation for resilience education for volunteer firefighters across the province, and could potentially be adapted for other emergency and health care providers.