On Saturday 10 September 2022, 600 Firefighters and other emergency service personnel are ‘stepping up’ to fight depression, PTSI (Post Traumatic Stress Injury) and suicide.
For the 7th year running, the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb is raising money for our Lifeline services. Through their work, firefighters and other emergency service personnel are acutely aware that mental health has emerged as the underlying crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the last two years, the climb has been virtual. But, this year the 600 firefighters and other emergency service personnel participating in the 2022 Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb will once again climb the 28 floors of Crown Metropol Hotel in Melbourne in real life, fully laden down with 25kgs of breathing apparatus and ‘emergency turnout gear’. Their aim? To raise $600,000 for mental health.
This money will improve support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issues – like depression, PTSI and suicide, especially for those within the emergency service and defence communities.
A third of all funds raised will go to Uniting Lifeline Melbourne to ensure that staff and volunteers can cover the phones during peak periods on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. For these are the times when people can often feel at their most vulnerable and turn to Lifeline.
This year, the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb team have also invited friends and supporters of the emergency service community to join them “virtually” to climb a “Million Steps For Mental Health” together.
Virtual supporters are being asked to climb at least 3,139 steps over the course of 31 days, starting Wednesday 10 August and finishing Friday 10 September.
Why 3,139? This is sadly the number of Australians who lost their lives to suicide in 2020.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your back steps, some stairs at the local park or even a milk crate in the lounge room, we are asking you to “step up” and get involved too by climbing 3,139 steps for Mental Health.
