“This death affects us all” – Winnipeg Free Press

The suicide of a Winnipeg firefighter – who will be remembered as a devoted and loving husband and father – has sparked calls for support for mental health in Manitoba.

The province's firefighters are rallying for the family of Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Preston Heinbigner, who died April 9.

“When one member gets hurt at a time like this, we all get hurt,” said Tom Bilus, president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg, which represents more than 1,000 active firefighters working in the city. “It's a time to be there for the member and their family.”

WFPS and the union are working together to support Heinbigner's family, city spokesman David Driedger said.

“We are saddened to hear of the passing of one of our WFPS members – our thoughts are with their families and loved ones at this time,” he wrote in an email. Free Click the button. “Our thoughts are with all our WFPS members. This death affects us all.”

Heinbigner is survived by his pregnant wife and their two-year-old son, the organizer of the GoFundMe page wrote.

Heinbigner's family is scheduled to be at the Legislature Wednesday when lawmakers recognize him. Firefighters join them to support mental health improvements for first responders.

David Pankratz, who was a city firefighter for eight years before becoming the NDP MLA for Waverley, will read a statement to honor his colleague.

“This is what Wednesday (family) is all about,” Pankratz said. “As a firefighter, I want us to support the family and make them feel heard.

“There are so many mental health issues in society that need to be talked about more.”

An online fundraiser set up to ease the financial strain on Heinbigner's family had raised nearly $170,000 as of Monday.

“There are so many mental health issues in society that need to be talked about more.”– David Pankratz

The GoFundMe page described Heinbigner as a “special and loving husband, father and friend” who “left a hole in the hearts of all who knew him.”

“Everyone remembers where they were, what they were doing and how they knew the world had lost this wonderful person,” the page said. “Preston lit up every room he walked into and made everyone he came in contact with feel like the most important person in the world.

“His magnetic energy and big smile made him a joy. He was the kindest and most genuine soul. Selfless, thoughtful and supportive are just a few of the words that describe a wonderful man whom the world lost on such a tragic day.”

Flags outside Winnipeg fire stations were flown at half-mast after Heinbigner's death.

Bilus said awareness and the perception that “it's OK to call for help” didn't match the types of calls firefighters were responding to.

“We see a lot of unnatural things,” he said. “When we talk to members, it seems like it's going to have a really negative effect on them.

In addition to fires, they attend violent scenes involving victims of violence, including children, and everything from medical calls to car crashes.

Bilus pointed to positive changes within WFPS, including the introduction of a behavioral health unit in 2021.

It welcomes mandatory counseling sessions once a year to help WFPS members create a safe space to discuss work and their mental health.

“We see a lot of unnatural things … When we talk to the members, it seems like it really affects them negatively.”– Tom Bilus, president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg

When firefighters seek help from medical providers, often the first point of contact is personnel unfamiliar with the firefighting profession, Bilus said.

“When you have someone who is familiar with what we're doing — they're already speaking the language, and you can hit the ground running and get down to business,” he said.

Dryger said WFPS is focused on the health, safety and welfare of its employees.

The service's peer support team and behavioral health unit, which includes a nurse and a clinical psychologist, are on hand to help any employees who need mental health support after Heinbigner's death, Driedger said.

A spokeswoman for Shared Health said the demand for mental health services in Manitoba is growing. Virtual care, staff recruitment and retention are among the efforts to reduce wait times and improve access to services.

According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba has one of the highest suicide rates in Canada (13.9 per 100,000).

In February, the province said it would add nine psychiatrist positions in Winnipeg and Selkirk, as well as some in underserved rural areas, to reduce mental health wait times.

Psychological complaints from WFPS members to the Manitoba Workers' Compensation Board have increased in recent years.

WFPS said 118 complaints were filed by firefighters in 2023, following year-over-year increases in 2021 (135 complaints) and 2022 (139 complaints).

For EMS members, 83 claims were made in 2023, with a total of 75 in 2022 and 101 in 2021.

Between the two branches, there were 931 complaints between 2019 and 2023, resulting in 51,688 lost hours, WFPS said.

“Any injury to a WFPS member, be it psychological or physical, is too much,” Dryger wrote.

She said psychological complaints to the WCB are based on factors such as workplace violence, burnout or other serious incidents.

“Cumulative stress is also a factor for many members responding to high call volume, high acute calls, issues related to COVID-19, and community issues related to mental health and substance use,” Dryger wrote.

The city can't say how many sick days are related to mental health because employees aren't required to report the nature of their illness, he added.

According to a 2021 research paper by Firewell, which supports Canadian firefighters, occupational stress injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or major depressive or panic disorder, occur at a much higher rate in first responders because they are often exposed to critical incidents.

It emphasized the need to develop services that recognize and meet the unique needs of firefighters.

“There is a need for better access to services that recognize that finding the right therapeutic relationship takes time and is variable for different firefighters,” the paper says.

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Chris Kitching
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As a general reporter, Chris covers a little bit of everything for the Free Press.

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