Dublin firefighter urges men to break silence on mental health after sharing own struggles

A firefighter who struggled with his mental health after he was attacked while on duty has urged other men to speak up if they need help.

Dublin Fire Brigade sub-officer Jonathon Forbes revealed he developed post-traumatic stress disorder after he was struck with a glass bottle while responding to a call early on in his career.

The Dubliner said speaking to other members about how he felt was instrumental in helping him recover and return to the frontline.

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The traumatic attack is one of the main reasons Jonathon helped set up Frontline Mo-Bros - which is a group of emergency service personnel working together to raise funds for the charity Movember.

The initiative is an annual month-long fundraiser that is held in November where participants grow out their moustaches to raise awareness and donations for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer along with mental health.

Speaking about the time he was attacked, Jonathon, who has 22 years of experience in the organisation, told the Irish Mirror: “I got injured on the job back in 2006 and I struggled with PTSD.

“I was on a call and I got assaulted. I was struck in the face with a bottle while I was in the truck.

“I ended up with 35 stitches going across my face, a broken nose, chipped teeth, concussion and PTSD.”

Jonathon said the terrifying incident meant he was out of work for six months and left him with both physical and mental scars.

He added: “I was thinking that my career was over ... but luckily enough I had a great crew around me.

“I had great peer support from the other firefighters and I was able to come back.”

Jonathon said working for an emergency service such as fire brigade can have an impact on your mental health especially after a particularly tough call and encouraged members to speak up if they need to help.

Jonathon added: “The bravado of men don’t cry, men don’t talk - that’s old school.

"We’ve gone past that now. If you need help, if you need support, you have to tell people, you have to talk.

“Help is there. The one thing about Irish men is we’re not great at asking for help. We’re not proactive, we wait for something to go wrong before we do something about it.”

It comes as statistics also show firefighters are at a much greater risk of developing cancers compared to the general public while one man dies from suicide every 60 seconds globally.

Funds raised for Movember are funnelled into mental health support services and research for battling cancer.

Frontline Mo-Bros has members from the Fire Brigade, the National Ambulance Service, the Gardai, the Defence Forces, and voluntary services such as the Civil Defence.

Since the Frontline Mo-Bros formed 10 years ago, they have collectively raised more than €400,000 and hope this number climbs to €500,000 by the end of this month.

Jonathon added: “Getting over €90,000 this year will be a big ask. It's a target so we’ll push the boat a little bit this year and if we make it great but if we don’t we’ll hit it next year.”

He joked the worst moustaches are often the ones that draw the most attention and declared he has had every style over the years.

Jonathon explained: “The worst ones make the most money because they become the talking point and it’s all about creating awareness for the charity.

“Somebody who is fresh-faced for 11 months of the year and then all of a sudden has a moustache instantly people are going to ask and that creates conversation.

“Mine is getting there. I think I’ve grown every style - some better than others and every one of them I’ve been slagged over.”

He revealed some of the events the Frontline Mo-Bros have taken part in to raise funds over the years include scaling a ladder to the equivalent height of Mount Everest, running a marathon in their firefighting gear, and climbing Ireland’s four highest peaks in a 24-hour period.

In addition each year, they also invite members of the public to an open day in Phibsborough Fire Station in Dublin.

This year the event will take place at the station on Sunday, November 17 between 11 am and 3 pm.

Each agency will be represented and there will be demonstrations on how to do CPR and how to help somebody if they’re choking.

Members of the public will also get a chance to have an up close look at Dublin Fire Brigade’s trucks while also admiring vintage ones from Japan and the US.

The Garda horse and dog unit will also be represented along with members of the army bomb disposal team.

There will also be actors dressed as characters from Star Wars and Marvel movies who will be wandering about.

Jonathon added: “You could be walking through looking at a fire engine and then Captain America or Darth Vader will be behind you.

“For the kids, it really is a great day out. Whatever you’re into you’ll find something that you enjoy.”

Donations can be made to Frontline Mo-Bros online at https://ie.movember.com/team/2234417 or in person at the open day.

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