Fire Service Psychology

Dr. Kristen Wheldon is the Board Chair and Founder of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between psychology and the fire service. She is currently the Chair of the Police and Public Safety Section of Division 18 (Psychologists in Public Safety) for the American Psychological Association (2025–2027). Dr. Wheldon is a licensed psychologist with experience in correctional settings, military and law enforcement environments, and the court system. She served as Director of Behavioral Health for the Los Angeles Fire Department, where she provided psychological services, managed peer support programs, led critical incident response teams, and supervised doctoral psychology students. Dr. Wheldon also contributed to the Executive Fire Officer Program for the U.S. Fire Administration and serves on the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard for Emergency Responder Occupational Health and Wellness Committee. Previously, she was a member of the Public Safety Sector Council for the National Occupational Research Agenda at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.