Core Argument - The first responder culture, particularly within fire departments, fosters a "macho" or "suck it up" mentality that discourages emotional expression and help-seeking, leading to a higher suicide rate among firefighters than deaths in the line of duty [8][9][12] - The origins of this culture can be traced back to industrial stoicism and institutionalized in police and fire departments, promoting a code of silence that exacerbates mental health issues [13][14][15] - Chronic suppression of emotion can lead to various health problems, including depression, PTSD, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease [16] - The code of silence can also enable bullying, shaming, and humiliation within the ranks, further contributing to the mental health crisis [17][18][19] Supporting Evidence & Statistics - Firefighters are three times more likely to die by suicide than to be killed in the line of duty [9] - The speaker lost three friends to suicide during their time in the fire department [9] - More first responders die by suicide than are killed in the line of duty every year [8] Proposed Solutions & Call to Action - The industry needs to acknowledge the humanity of first responders and create a culture that supports emotional expression and mental health [25] - The industry should consider adding a promise to serve and protect each other into the oath of office for police and fire departments [24] - The "warrior's grip" could be a symbol of renewed commitment to brotherhood and mutual support within the first responder community [24][25][26]

Robotics being used already in certain market segmentsInsanely cool use case here:Chubby♨️ (@kimmonismus):Footage of trials using robot dogs for firefighting in Sichuan, China, has been released.This is one of the best use case ive seen so far. All the effort is worth it.We should quickly adopt this in the West as well. https://t.co/a5Ja5eV7qo ...