Hotshot Wellness was founded in 2021 by current and former federal hotshot wildland firefighters who recognized an urgent need for better physical, mental, and emotional conditions within the wildland firefighting community.

We understand the escalating challenges faced by wildland firefighters as fire seasons grow longer and more severe. Insufficient federal support has contributed to rising mental health struggles, higher risks of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and troubling rates of suicide and suicidal ideation.

In response, we are committed to advancing their health and well-being through targeted education, impactful programs, and scholarships designed to provide meaningful support.

In partnership with the Adaptive Mind Project, we are proud to host our first peer support group leader training this winter at the Siskiyou Field Institute in Medford, Oregon.

We have successfully secured funding for high-quality evidence based training delivery and lodging for participants this year, and are now asking for your help with two highly impactful categories of funding that we are still needing some help with.

Participant travel costs to Siskiyou Field Institute
Meals for the participants while they are at the training.

All of the participants are volunteering their valuable time to receive this training in order to safely and successfully found a national ecosystem of peer support groups built by wildland firefighters, for wildland firefighters.

Peer support is a well studied concept that is consistently found to be highly impactful in mitigating the trauma experienced on the job in populations similar to wildland firefighters. Unfortunately, peer support resources are severely lacking among the wildland fire community, especially during the off season

These participants have raised their hands to be leaders in stepping up to fill this unmet need in our community, and anything you can do to help empower them in their effort is greatly appreciated.

We are recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Oregon.

Warming Fires

Wildland Firefighter Peer Support by Hotshot Wellness