For military firefighters with PTSD, the difficulty of proving that their condition is the result of their service can be devastating. The VA will sometimes deny or underrate disability claims for posttraumatic stress disorder when broadly based on the veteran’s firefighting occupation.
If you’re a firefighter denied your rightful VA compensation, our accredited veterans’ attorneys can step in at any stage and help you get your claim back on track. We can provide the VA with the necessary supporting evidence that verifies your PTSD stressor, and prepare a strong nexus statement to demonstrate that the PTSD diagnosis and stressor event are supported by medical evidence.
In this post, we discuss challenges unique to military firefighters when filing a PTSD disability claim. Know what it takes to meet the VA’s in-service stressor requirements and how to contest a denial successfully.
Military Firefighters with PTSD May Be from Any Branch of the U.S Armed Forces
Each U.S. service branch is represented by firefighters trained in fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical response, including:
- U.S. Airforce Fire Protection – 3E7X1
- U.S. Army Firefighter – 12M
- U.S. Marine Corps: 7051, Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Specialist
- U.S. Navy Damage Controlman (DC)
- U.S. Coast Guard Damage Controlman (DC)
Firefighter services are crucial on military bases, aircraft, airfields, ships, ports, and submarines. Often the first responders in emergencies, fire suppression teams protect infrastructures, equipment, fellow soldiers, and civilians from the devastation of fires and explosions.
In addition to the implicit threats of military service, firefighters are continually exposed to potential traumatic stressors such as:
- Responding to a multi-ton aircraft full of jet fuel that ignited and exploded on a runway
- Pulling soldiers or bodies from crushed or burning buildings, aircraft, or ships
- Battling flames, toxic smoke and gases
- Responding to hazardous materials spills
- Fighting shipboard fire in the tight quarters of a submarine
Read more about PTSD and firefighters stationed specifically on submarines.
Firefighters engage in sudden, out-of-control situations, often in catastrophic or hostile settings. They are trained to run toward hellish situations where loss of composure would compromise everyone. They must act without pause and cope with traumatic incidents that require immediate action.
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Helping Military Firefighters with PTSD Prove the Stressor
Veterans who served as firefighters must show the VA that it is at least as likely as not that their PTSD was incurred in or caused by their active military service.
Your claim may lack sufficient evidence that an in-service stressor event caused your PTSD. In this case, the VA may deny service connection on the grounds that it’s less likely than not that your posttraumatic stress disorder was service-related.
This happens for many reasons, including:
- Veteran firefighters often can’t recall the exact day or event in which the stressor(s) occurred that triggered PTSD symptoms.
- In cases of non-combat PTSD, it can be difficult for veterans to revisit their time in service and recognize the evidence that would challenge a denial and prove service connection.
- Although the VA has a duty to assist the vet in getting their records, the VA may ultimately notify the veteran that they are now responsible for providing the necessary evidence. However, if the VA says the veteran’s service records don’t support the claimed stressor event, the veteran may not realize other ways to corroborate their claim.
Take Note! Even when proof of traumatic incidents is absent from your record, further credible evidence is often obtainable that can substantiate the military activities that took place and that are consistent with the date and location of your service and claimed stressor event. - Firefighters often claim a single stressor or traumatic event when, in reality, several episodes have affected the veteran, leading to the development of PTSD.
- During a C&P exam, veterans may be reluctant to discuss such traumatic events after they occur. They often prefer to carry their struggles alone. It is vital to be prepared for your C&P with notes and examples of your symptoms without holding back and, on the other hand, without embellishing the facts. Our dedicated legal team prepares veterans with insights and guidance to navigate this and other essential benchmarks in their fight for fair ratings and compensation.
- Veteran firefighters may develop PTSD symptoms months or years after the in-service stressor event, known as “delayed onset of PTSD.”
We can help you in all of these circumstances.
Evidence of PTSD Stressors in Firefighters’ Claims
Getting the evidence the VA needs to approve service connection can be challenging. An experienced PTSD appeals lawyer can help you research and prepare a compelling case while saving time and stress. We can help you assemble your facts and demonstrate that your PTSD is related to your active service as a firefighter, often to one or more specific stressor events you experienced.
Service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder requires the following:
- Medical evidence diagnosing the condition;
- A nexus (link) established by medical evidence between current symptoms and an in-service stressor and
- Combat status OR credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor occurred.
Proving nexus can be complex, especially when the traumatic event is often undocumented and seemingly unprovable. We understand what it takes to corroborate PTSD stressors to the VA and strategies that can increase your PTSD rating.
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Statistics on Military Firefighters with PTSD
Studies specifically on military firefighters and their elevated risk of PTSD are scarce, but we have credible conclusions based on the available data.
- A 2022 study found that the prevalence of PTSD was greater for nonmilitary firefighters than for all occupations of military personnel together.
The prevalence of PTSD was 57% for firefighters and 37.8% for military personnel.
The study used the DSM-5 definition of “traumatic event” as experiencing, witnessing, or being confronted with at least one occasion of severe injury, threatened death, or sexual violence. The study, therefore, adds to the literature implicating that veterans who serve in the military as firefighters are at an even greater risk of exposure to PTSD stressors. - According to a 2023 study of post-traumatic stress disorder in firefighters, repeat episodes and long-term exposure to intense stressors make firefighters one of the most vulnerable occupations at risk for PTSD.
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Making the Case for Military Firefighters with PTSD
Does your military occupational specialty (MOS) state that you served in fire protection during your active military service? This can certainly influence the nature and severity of exposure to traumatic events.
Our primary goal in all veterans’ claims is to ensure that PTSD is acknowledged swiftly and that reliable pathways to VA disability benefits and healthcare are available without delay.
If you are a veteran of any branch of the U.S. Military with a PTSD claim against the VA, contact Marc Whitehead & Associates for a free consultation. We will help you verify the stressor, establish a nexus, and communicate the extent of your disability to the VA, ensuring your case is properly developed and presented.
Our accredited veterans claim lawyers help vets across the U.S. get their rightful benefit payments approved in the shortest time possible. We can significantly ease the burden and increase your chances of receiving the VA disability benefits you deserve.
Read more about military jobs with high rates of PTSD.
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