Mental Health Monthly: Mid-Level Fire Service Leadership and Mental Health Insights

Mental Health Monthly: Mid-Level Fire Service Leadership and Mental Health Insights

 

In this episode of Mental Health Monthly, retired Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Daniel DeYear shares 45 years of frontline and leadership experience. He addresses the evolving culture of mental health in the fire service, from his firsthand involvement in the 1985 Delta Flight 191 crash response to shaping proactive mental wellness programs, Chief DeYear highlights the shifting mindset required at every leadership level, from rookie company officers to battalion and deputy chiefs. DeYear underlines the critical role mid-level leaders play in genuinely serving and investing in their crews’ mental and emotional well-being, not just their firefighting skills. With thoughtful stories about camaraderie, generational gaps, and the challenge of equipping leaders to handle behavioral health, he stresses mental health as a continuous journey, not a checklist. DeYear calls for breaking rank barriers, fostering authentic human connection, and making mental wellness a core part of firehouse culture. He also offers advice for fire service personnel eager to improve support systems.

 

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