When a firefighter is exhibiting signs of a dangerous level of job stress and refuses to seek help voluntarily, you have a responsibility to:

• A. Tell other firefighters about their coworker's condition
• B. Refer individual to organization employee assistance program
• C. Document the situation and place in the personnel file
• D. Wait until the firefighter requests help

Answer: (B)

When a firefighter is showing signs of dangerous job stress and refuses to seek help, the proper action is to refer them to the organization's employee assistance program. The EAP provides confidential, professional support—counseling, stress management resources, and referrals—without forcing disclosure to the entire crew. It follows established procedures to get the person help while respecting privacy, which helps reduce risk and supports long-term safety and well-being. Waiting for them to ask for help delays intervention and can miss warning signs, and sharing details with others or taking actions like adding it to a personnel file without a formal, supportive process can undermine trust and fail to provide actual support. The referral to EAP is the appropriate, structured path to connect them with needed resources.