I've worked as an operational fire fighter since 2007, it was after attending an incident, combined with some issues at home, that affected me.
As a bloke and being in the job I was in, I always felt I had to be in control and couldn't talk to anyone in the job about how I was feeling.
When going to work I felt I was putting on a mask. What I didn't see was my work and my home life was slipping away from me.
I saw an Our Blue Light charity event and thought that looks like a good challenge. During the event, I got speaking to others like myself and I saw that I wasn't alone. As a realisation had hit, and coupled with incidents I've attended involving suicides, and also a number of colleagues who had already taken their own lives, I knew more needed to be done. As I spoke more about my own issues, I found more spoke about theirs.
This is why I got involved in Our Blue Light, to help others who may not realise they are not alone, or others that need someone to talk to. It doesn't make us weak to say I'm not OK, it's the strongest thing we'll ever do.
Wayne’s Email:
Wayne.norris@ourbluelight.com
Our Blue Light Website:
https://www.ourbluelight.com/
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Snatch
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E.T.