Most in the general public realize the great sacrifices that firefighters make in order to keep them safe from the hazards of fire. But, those who do not get enough recognition are the spouses. Unless one is in this role one can only imagine the sacrifices that they too make.

Dealing With The Dangers

The spouse has to face the fact when their partner walks out the door to go do their jobs that they are going to be facing some serious danger. This is something that a lot of spouses have come to grips with. They may have done this when they married their spouse. Or discussed this when the decision was made for them to become a firefighter.

The Interference With Family Life

A great struggle for many firefighter spouses is PTSD which is very common. That partially comes with how the job interferes with family life. Firefighters work long shifts and long stretches occur where they are not at home. It means that much of the daily family life is missed. For example, the care of the children, or enjoying milestones that the children have met. This is difficult on the spouse as it is the firefighter. Often the spouse at home feels like they are the only parent.

The Relationship

On top of the additional responsibilities that the spouse at home has it can interfere with their relationship. The spouse has to deal with their frustrations on their own as they know that their partner cannot do anything to change the situation.

Most spouses work through all the issues and learn to adapt. Provided they are supportive of the firefighter. It doesn’t make it any easier but just having some recognition is important. Which is something that they really don’t get. The general public can change this just by recognizing the sacrifices that these spouses are making.