CINCINNATI — Being a first responder can take its toll, both physically and mentally. However, one local fire department is making it a priority to focus on the mental well-being of its firefighters.
what you should Know
- Firefighters and other first responders take on a heavy mental burden
- At the Montgomery Fire Department, they make mental health a priority—the city hired a therapy dog and they make sure to debrief after tough runs
- Jason Bryce, a fire lieutenant, found that contrast therapy also helped him take care of his mental health
- Contrast Studios is Ohio’s first Cold Contrast Therapy Sauna Club
Jason Brice has been with the Montgomery Fire Department for 12 years and was recently promoted to lieutenant.
Brice helps a fire truck back to the fire station. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)
“I miss the runs,” Bryce said. “I don’t miss getting up every night and calling.”
But while his day-to-day looks a little different, he’s still called on for bigger runs, which can take a mental toll.
Brice performs equipment checks on all trucks at the station. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)
“It’s a little bit different for me because I have two young girls,” he said. “So what really drives me are the pediatric runs.”
Bryce said he and his crews do a good job debriefing after tough runs.
“A lot of firefighters end up realizing they can either do this or they can’t,” he said. “So if you get past that point, then it’s about finding healthy alternatives so you can deal with it.”
And the city of Montgomery even invested in a therapy dog to help.
The City of Montgomery recently acquired a therapy dog to assist first responders, residents and city employees. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)
But there’s another way that’s helping Bryce cope, and it’s something called contrast therapy
You start in the sauna for about 20 minutes to get your heart rate up and start working up a little sweat. Then you go ahead and spend anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes in cool cold water.
Patrick Coyne co-owns Contrast Studios, the first of its kind in the state.
Patrick Coyne is one of the co-owners of Contrast Studios. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)
“I literally Googled contrast training or cold baths in Cincinnati, nothing,” Coyne said. “Cold baths and saunas in Ohio, nothing. A contrast in the Midwest, one in Chicago. So I, being a businessman myself, partnered with Chris and we started the business.”
The Cold Sauna Immersion Method is a science-backed therapy that helps boost metabolism, regulate stress, aid sleep, and more. It’s something Coyne has seen himself and with clients.
“Seeing that you actually really add value to people’s lives is the whole reason I started doing it because I had stopped my anxiety medication because of contrast,” Coyne said. “So that was a big reason for me. So the fact that I can give that, now we have 350 members, is a dream come true.”
Contrast Studios will open two more locations in Cincinnati this summer and hopes to expand across the state. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)
And for Bryce, he saw those impacts right away.
“My stress was high and then look, four minutes later it’s zero and three,” Bryce said of his time from the sauna to the cold plunge.
He’s grateful for a local business that has changed the way he’s been able to perform as a firefighter and as a father, and hopes other first responders will take advantage of it.
“It would be extremely helpful for anyone in the public safety environment dealing with stress because you feel better after almost every time,” Bryce said. the day, but it’s just a nice calm, a light flow of energy.
In an effort to care for the mental health of its residents, the City of Montgomery is hosting its second Mental Health and Wellness Fair from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on April 6 at the Twin Lakes Davies Center at 9840 Montgomery Road. Click here for a list of vendors.
Contrast Studios is already expanding, opening two more locations in Cincinnati this summer with hopes of expanding statewide soon.
