Jul 6, 2026 · 23 min · 10 segments
# Episode 36 - A Better Way to Bundle Benefits In a conversation with Ryan Donovan, Senior Director at Sourcewell, explore how cooperative purchasing helps California fire and EMS agencies access…
What a, what a great segue into the next question I have, which is, uh, you know, in the fire service, we spend a lot of time talking about physical safety.
Why do you believe behavioral health and overall wellness deserve the same level of attention from fire service leaders?
I would say fire service in general has made tremendous progress in physical safety and physical health, and that must continue.
But behavioral health risks are just as real and often less visible than physical risks.
And from my opinion, from-- and from a leadership perspective, behavioral health must be treated just like any other operational risk, something we plan for, something that's invested in and actively managed.
When we don't, the impact shows up as burnout, injuries, turnover, reduced performance.
I think, you know, fire chiefs, uh, across the nation as well as our labor partners, you know, have recognized this over the last ten or 15 years and have invested in, uh, this space.
And as you say, you know, it's incredibly critical, especially when we think about, you know, firefighter suicide and PTSD and burnout and stress, which are increasingly part of the conversation that we're having.
In your role, what trends are you seeing, and what do you think or where do you think fire departments are making progress or still struggling?
struggling?I would say that there is greater openness and awareness today than there was even 5 or 10 years ago, or definitely 20 years ago.
Conversations around PTSD, burnout, suicide, resiliency, they're happening much more frequently.
I see departments are investing in peer support, counseling access, and structured wellness programs.
But at the same time, there's still inconsistency in access and inconsistency in utilization.
Not all departments have the same resources, and stigma around mental health can still limit engagement.
The next phase is ensuring that those resources are consistently available and actively used.
What a, what a great segue into the next question I have, which is, uh, you know, in the fire service, we spend a lot of time talking about physical safety.
Why do you believe behavioral health and overall wellness deserve the same level of attention from fire service leaders?
I would say fire service in general has made tremendous progress in physical safety and physical health, and that must continue.
But behavioral health risks are just as real and often less visible than physical risks.
And from my opinion, from-- and from a leadership perspective, behavioral health must be treated just like any other operational risk, something we plan for, something that's invested in and actively managed.
When we don't, the impact shows up as burnout, injuries, turnover, reduced performance.
I think, you know, fire chiefs, uh, across the nation as well as our labor partners, you know, have recognized this over the last ten or 15 years and have invested in, uh, this space.
And as you say, you know, it's incredibly critical, especially when we think about, you know, firefighter suicide and PTSD and burnout and stress, which are increasingly part of the conversation that we're having.
In your role, what trends are you seeing, and what do you think or where do you think fire departments are making progress or still struggling?
struggling?I would say that there is greater openness and awareness today than there was even 5 or 10 years ago, or definitely 20 years ago.
Conversations around PTSD, burnout, suicide, resiliency, they're happening much more frequently.
I see departments are investing in peer support, counseling access, and structured wellness programs.
But at the same time, there's still inconsistency in access and inconsistency in utilization.
Not all departments have the same resources, and stigma around mental health can still limit engagement.
The next phase is ensuring that those resources are consistently available and actively used.
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