Smoke pours out of a two-storey house in the centre of the photo. Firefighters stand in the foreground wearing helmets and protective coats. Much of the photograph is highlighted in red from the emergency lights on fire trucks.

Psychological injuries forced paramedics and firefighters in Winnipeg off their jobs for thousands of hours last year, straining already understaffed essential services. And the fallout is also leading to burnout in on-the-job members, their respective unions and a Canadian expert say.