Participation of firefighters in interventions to mental disorders as support to medical teams: a review of the literature

Abstract

Fire service role in supporting medical teams during emergency interventions requiring specialized equipment or additional staff support is important. The purpose of the narrative review is to analyze how firefighting units collaborate with medical teams during interventions related to mental and behavioral disorders. The review also considers the psychological challenges faced by firefighters as a result of repeated exposure to stress. A narrative literature review has been conducted by using resources available in PubMed, Google Scholar and ResearchGate databases, covering publications from 2020-2024. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles, guidelines, recommendations and expert papers pertinent to the topic under analysis. The material selection process was based upon the PRISMA protocol. Twelve publications, divided into two groups, were included in the review, viz.: studies on the psychological effects of chronic stress in firefighters and analyses of joint interventions by firefighters and medical teams in cases of behavioral disorders. The results indicate an important role of firefighters in providing technical support. Cooperation between firefighters and medical teams plays a key role in an effective management of interventions in case of mental and behavioral disorders.