Mental health still a priority two years after Fort Mac fire
Firefighters, students among those who continue to feel after-effects, experts say
FORT MCMURRAY Two years after a wildfire forced tens of thousands of people to flee Fort McMurray, residents are still coping with emotional and mental fallout.
It is something health experts anticipated, Dr. Sandra Corbett, Alberta Health Services’ north zone medical director, said in advance of the disaster’s second anniversary Thursday.
“We certainly know from previous work that people would continue to have mental health problems for a number of years,” Corbett said.
Between March 2017 and January 2018, Alberta Health Services recorded nearly 15,000 contacts related to mental health in the region. That’s down from the slightly more than 29,000 contacts immediately after the wildfire between May 10, 2016, and March 2017.
Before the fire, AHS usually recorded about 1,000 mental healthrelated contacts annually for the entire Wood Buffalo region, which includes Fort McMurray.
For firefighters who battled the flames, mental health remains top of mind. Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo fire Chief Jody Butz said the number of firefighters needing time off for mental health issues has dropped “considerably.”
He still thinks about the issue, though. Working as a first responder means facing situations on the job that few people will see. Since the wildfire, the fire department has improved training and increased resources, such as creating an internal peer Critical Incident Stress Management team.
“Mental health will always be there, but it won’t be wildfire-specific,” Butz said. “It’s just a part of our business, but we’re in a much better place two years later.”
Acknowledging that not everybody is in the same place in the recovery process is a key aspect of mental-health related conversations.
The municipality’s two school districts are still investing in supports for students and staff. Estimates are at least 1,000 students in the public and Catholic school systems lost homes in the wildfire.
Before the 2016-17 school year started, both districts hired more full-time counsellors and mental health workers. Staff were trained to identify students who were having the most trouble coping from the summer, and to look after their own mental health.
Shannon Noble, the Fort McMurray Public School District assistant superintendent of inclusive education, said the second year has been more stable than the first year post-wildfire, but she has noticed the anxiety level in the children remains high.
“There’s a lot of positive happening in the schools … Morale and vibe is positive,” Noble said. “But we can’t forget about them and pretend it’s all being fixed.”
Triggers for those suffering from fire-related post-traumatic stress disorder can vary. Sometimes it is as simple as seeing burnt trees or smelling smoke. The anniversary date also can bring back distressing memories.
Getting help early is always better, AHS’s Corbett said.
“We are aware that it is still going to be an issue for people in the coming years and we will work to provide resources for the residents,” she said.