The job creates conditions that make substance use easy to slide into — and hard to recognize when it's happening.
Shift work disrupts sleep. Disrupted sleep depletes the capacity to regulate stress, emotion, and impulse. Critical incident exposure accumulates quietly over years. The culture has historically normalized alcohol as a way to decompress — after a hard call, after a rough run, after the shift that stuck with you. None of that makes addiction inevitable, but it does make the risk landscape different for firefighters than for most professions.
Research consistently shows that first responders have higher rates of alcohol use disorder, prescription medication misuse, and problematic substance use than the general population. That's not a moral failure of the profession — it's a predictable outcome of chronic occupational stress without adequate recovery mechanisms.
The most dangerous part isn't the use itself. It's the length of time most members wait before seeking help. On average, people in high-performing, high-accountability professions like fire service wait years longer than the general population before reaching out. The reasons are understandable — fear of losing their job, fear of what their crew will think, a deeply ingrained belief that needing help is weakness. None of those fears are irrational. But they are manageable, and they are worth confronting before the alternative gets worse.
This page is here for whenever you're ready. If you're not ready yet, save it. Send it to someone who might need it. Come back to it. There's no timeline on this.
Confidentiality matters and it's protected. The EAP, Connection to Care, and most treatment programs operate under strict confidentiality. Reaching out for help through these channels does not trigger any reporting to the department or the union. Your job is not at risk for asking for support.
These aren't a checklist for judgment — they're patterns worth recognizing in yourself or someone you care about. The earlier they're identified, the more options are available.
In yourself
- Drinking or using more than you intended to, more often than you planned
- Using alcohol or substances to fall asleep, decompress, or feel normal
- Thinking about your next drink or use during the shift
- Hiding how much you're using from your partner, crew, or family
- Increasing tolerance — needing more to feel the same effect
- Feeling irritable, anxious, or physically unwell when you don't use
- Calling in sick more often — especially the day after heavy use
- Promising yourself you'll cut back, and not being able to
- Isolating from people you used to spend time with
In a colleague
- Smell of alcohol during shift or at shift change
- Significant changes in behaviour, mood, or performance
- Increasing absenteeism or a pattern of sick calls after days off
- Withdrawal from the crew — less engaged, less present
- Physical changes: weight loss, deteriorating appearance, shaking hands
- Making errors or poor decisions that are out of character
- Defensive or aggressive when the subject of drinking comes up
- Financial stress that seems out of proportion to their situation
If you're worried about a colleague — you don't have to have all the answers before you say something. A direct, private conversation rooted in genuine care is almost always better than silence. "I've noticed you seem off lately and I'm worried about you" is enough of a start. The peer support team can also help you figure out how to approach it.
Resources available to you directly through the department and your union benefits — at no cost.
Employee & Family Assistance Program (EAP)
Confidential counselling support provided through Brown Crawshaw (BCI Consulting) at no cost to you or your family. Available for concerns including substance use, stress, relationships, and more. Calls and emails returned within 24 hours. Appointments available within 2–3 days with Masters-level counsellors.
1-800-668-2055 · 604-683-3255 info@bciconsulting.ca browncrawshaw.com ↗CIRM / Peer Support Team
Your fellow firefighters trained in Critical Incident Response Management. They've been there. A conversation with a peer who understands the culture — without judgment, without paperwork, without any formal process — is often the first step that makes the next one possible.
Connection to Care
Free, anonymous, and confidential phone support for BC municipal workers. Registered Clinical Counsellors available Monday to Friday, 8AM–10PM. Can help navigate substance use concerns and connect you to the right resources.
778-247-2273 (CARE)Fraser Health — Mental Health & Substance Use
Fraser Health's mental health and substance use services hub — covering assessment, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery programs across the Fraser region. Includes both walk-in and referral-based options.
VCH — Mental Health & Substance Use
Vancouver Coastal Health's substance use services — assessment, treatment, withdrawal management, and community-based recovery support across the VCH region.
Your extended health benefit covers $4,000/year in mental health and counselling. This includes registered clinical counsellors and psychologists who work with addiction and substance use. You don't need a referral to access it. Use it — it's yours.
When support conversations aren't enough, structured treatment is the next step. These programs have experience with first responders and understand the culture.
IAFF Recovery Centre
The International Association of Fire Fighters' dedicated recovery centre — built specifically for fire service members. Treatment referrals, recovery resources, and peer support from members who've been through it. This is the most fire service-specific resource available anywhere.
BCPFFA Mental Health & Addiction Treatment
BCPFFA's dedicated resource page for addiction treatment programs available to BC firefighters — including treatment centres with first responder experience and guidance on navigating coverage.
Homewood Health
One of Canada's leading mental health and addiction treatment providers, with extensive experience working with first responders. Inpatient and outpatient programs available. Often covered partially or fully through extended health benefits — check your Pacific Blue Cross plan.
Loon Lake Resilience Program
An evidence-based residential resiliency program for BC fire service personnel and their families, run by the BC Burn Fund. Addresses cumulative occupational stress, compassion fatigue, and substance use as part of a broader resiliency framework. NWFRS funds up to 4 placements per year — the cost is covered.
Addiction Services BC
Provincial directory of addiction treatment and recovery services across BC. Search by location and service type — detox, residential treatment, outpatient counselling, and withdrawal management.
HealthLink BC — Addiction Help
Call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse or health service navigator who can help you find local addiction treatment and recovery services in BC, at any hour.
8-1-1 (24/7)Safe Call Now
A 24/7 confidential crisis referral line run by and for public safety professionals — law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and corrections. Staffed by first responders who have lived experience with addiction and mental health challenges. Accepts calls from Canada.
1-206-459-3020 (24/7)BC Crisis Line Network
Provincial network of crisis lines for mental health and substance use emergencies. Available 24/7 — for when things are acute and you need to talk to someone right now, not in 24 hours.
1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE)Toward the Heart
BC's harm reduction services hub — practical, non-judgmental information and resources for people who use substances. Includes overdose prevention, naloxone access, and connection to local services. No requirement to be in recovery to use this resource.
Alcoholics Anonymous
The most widely available peer support program for alcohol use disorder worldwide. Free, confidential, and available in most communities — meetings in-person and online. Works for a lot of people; not the only option, but worth knowing about.
SMART Recovery
A science-based, non-12-step alternative to AA/NA. Focuses on building motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts and behaviours, and building a balanced life. Free meetings in-person and online. A good option for members who want a secular, evidence-based peer support model.
BC Alcohol & Drug Information & Referral Service
Provincial phone line for substance use navigation — can connect you to the right local treatment, counselling, or support service anywhere in BC. Free and available 7 days a week.
1-800-663-1441 (7 days/week)Watching a colleague or family member struggle with substance use is its own kind of weight. Here's what you actually have control over — and where to find support for yourself.
You can't want recovery for someone more than they want it for themselves.
That doesn't mean you do nothing — it means you protect yourself from taking on responsibility that isn't yours to carry. There are things you can do that genuinely help, and things that feel like helping but don't.
What helps: A direct, private, non-judgmental conversation. Specific observations rather than accusations ("I noticed you seemed really off after the last set" rather than "you have a drinking problem"). Sharing a resource without pressure. Letting them know you're not going anywhere. Talking to a peer support member about how to approach it.
What doesn't help: Covering for missed shifts or performance issues indefinitely — it removes the natural pressure that often motivates people to seek help. Confronting someone publicly or in front of the crew. Ultimatums without support to back them up. Waiting until something catastrophic happens.
If you're a family member struggling with someone else's substance use, Al-Anon exists specifically for this — it's free, it's confidential, and it works.
Al-Anon Family Groups
Support for family members and friends of people with alcohol use disorder. Free, confidential, peer-led meetings available in-person and online across Canada. You don't have to be living with the person to attend.
Nar-Anon Family Groups
The equivalent of Al-Anon for families and friends affected by someone else's drug use. Peer support groups focused on helping those who care about someone with a substance use disorder find their footing.
IAFF Recovery Centre — Family Resources
Resources specifically for the families of fire service members dealing with substance use and addiction. Understanding what's happening, how to help without enabling, and how to take care of yourself in the process.