STORIES FROM OUR FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY
Fortem Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that supports the mental fitness and wellbeing of first responder families. Every day, more than 300,000 first responders keep our communities safe. They are backed up by their families: partners, children and parents. All of them hold vital and challenging roles. We help them to be well, and stay well, through mental fitness, support services and wellbeing activities. These are their stories.
I’ve been a police officer my whole working life, and I used to think I wasn’t qualified for anything else
I’ve been a police officer for over 35 years: virtually my whole working life. My wife, my kids and my friends don’t know me as anything else. It defines me,
Behind the Scenes of Fortem’s New Video Series
In the countdown to Christmas, the Bega Valley Fortem office was converted into a makeshift film studio, giving four excited first responder families the chance to experience first-hand just how
Kids share the honest realities of life in a First Responder Family
Fortem’s work with first responder families puts every family member’s experience at the forefront of first responder wellbeing. As part of our commitment to acknowledge the impact families carry because
NEW in Fortem’s Resource Library: Identity and Career Transition
Fortem’s latest resource for first responders is a practical guide for those who are undertaking a career transition. Identity is our sense of who we are, our place in the
How to take care of yourself if media images and stories are affecting you
The media images of first responders at the scene of a tragic incident can be difficult for first responders and their families to see. If the images and stories you’re
John Bale: “It’s important we see first responders as the humans they are”
They’re the people we hold up on a pedestal as brave, strong and unbreakable. We like to think of them as different from us: superheroes who run into situations that
A Christmas message from Fortem’s Family Ambassador
Children and family members of Emergency Service workers, My name is Piper Johnson and I have recently been offered the position as Fortem Australia’s first Family Ambassador. I am 12
Two years of virtual wellbeing activities: How Fortem has helped first responder families in lockdown
With more than half of Australia’s population in extended lockdowns at various times during 2020-21, we reflect on the significant impact that Fortem’s virtual wellbeing activities have made on the wellbeing
“Loved seeing my family together and happy” – A wellbeing activity that ends the year on a positive note
‘Twas three weeks before Christmas and the weather was grizzly and cold. Of course, that did not stop all the children and parents enjoying a fun-filled day of waterslides and
A year of Fortem Playgroup creates strong connection for first responder families
The importance of social connection as a parent cannot be overestimated. Amid shifts and stress, parents in the first responder community need regular peer catch-ups in order to maintain their
Marine Rescue: A Life Raft for the Sapphire Coast Community
At Fortem, we know that connection and helping others are at the core of wellbeing – for individuals, and for communities. Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are an integral part of
Join the waitlist for our practical Job Preparation Workshops
The first round of Fortem’s Job Preparation Workshops for first responders transitioning out of service was so successful that we’re coming back with more. Fortem Transition Engagement Officer Anthony Ferro
