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Main photo: Huntsville Lake of Bays firefighters (back from left) Josh Vaisanen, Jacob Hehir, Brandon Bennett; (middle, standing, from left) Mandi Hargrave, Kevin Purcell; (front from left) Paul Bionda, Tyler Pearce, Chief Rob Collins, and Ryan Elbe are some of the department’s members participating in the Movember challenge (supplied)<\/em><\/p>\n Just over a dozen firefighters with the Huntsville\/Lake of Bays Fire Department are participating in Movember this year to raise awareness and funds for men\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n “In terms of mental health and the fire service not a lot of people know that some of the statistics are kind of scary around first responders,” said Chief Rob Collins. “First responders are 10 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population and the other scary stat is that suicide has actually overtaken traumatic injuries in terms of how firefighters are dying. It used to be that we would go into a fire and get burned or suffer from smoke inhalation or injured somehow but that\u2019s now taken a back seat to mental health. I think a lot of people don\u2019t realize that. It\u2019s something the fire service has been working hard on over the last few years: making sure we\u2019re addressing that as a significant mechanism of injury for firefighters.”<\/p>\n The team has a goal to raise $2,500 and is part of the Great Canadian Fire Challenge, which has 230 firefighter teams raising funds for the cause. The team currently sits in 16th place for the amount of funds raised so far.<\/p>\n “Being a part of a global community of Mo bros and Mo sisters, bringing awareness to mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer is something I feel we all need to take part in,” said Geoff Alan, a firefighter with station 30 who has supported the cause in the past but will be growing his first Mo ‘stache this year. “I have had friends and family experience struggles with mental health and it\u2019s a growing concern that many continue to struggle with. I have also had friends both inside the fire department and outside struggle and battle cancer. Bringing awareness to these issues has never been more important. More and more people are struggling with mental health this year, not only struggling with existing contributing factors, but additional issues brought on by COVID-19. We need to ensure we continue to bring awareness to the issues being faced by many and raise funds to help.”<\/p>\n Anyone can sign up for Movember and either grow a moustache as a conversation starter for men\u2019s mental and physical health or run or walk 60 km to represent the 60 men lost to suicide each hour around the globe, or do both.<\/p>\n “I wanted to join as a Mo sister to help raise awareness for men\u2019s mental health,” said Mandi Hargrave, a firefighter with station 3, who will be running 60 km in the month of November. “Women are more prone to talk and share when something is bothering them but men tend to keep quiet. Being one of a few female firefighters on our department, I think it\u2019s important to support the men I work beside, the men in my family, and my male friends and encourage conversations around such an important topic.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t