If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Earlier this year, Gov Tony Evers signed a bill allowing first responders to file for workers' compensation to seek treatment for mental … [Read more...]
PTSD Month Emphasizes Focus on First Responders’ Personal Trauma
Sharon L. Cohen Co-author of Disaster Mental Health Community Planning The month of June is designated as a time to spotlight the causes and effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. The need for this focus is now even more important for first responders because of … [Read more...]
By Kev Kurdoghlian, The Signal The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will discuss Tuesday a strategy to address workplace trauma in the L.A. County Fire Department. A motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger states there is “an immediate need to identify and … [Read more...]
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A 28-year-old Orlando man is accused of stealing an ambulance from the Orange County Fire Rescue. According to the fire rescue, Jermaine Reece-Frith was arrested and now faces charges of grand theft, leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving and petit … [Read more...]
A crazed man suspected of being high on opioids reached through the window of an ambulance stopped in traffic to try to continue attacking a paramedic — causing the frightened EMT to jump out of the vehicle and bolt away, shocking video shows. The two-minute clip, shot late … [Read more...]
DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) – South Davis Metro firefighter Mike Shafer knew he had to do something to open up a dialogue. An eight-year veteran in the fire service, Shafer and his fellow fireman often had to rely on each other to deal with the trauma and mental health effects … [Read more...]
‘Are You Okay?’ Firefighters and Psychological Rehab
Rehabilitation: the action of restoring someone to health or normal life… I was sitting on the curb by the ambulance entrance to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I must have been holding my head in my hands. An ED nurse just coming on duty asked me: “Are you … [Read more...]
This week’s murder of a firefighter and the suicide of the shooter, a fellow firefighter, has put a spotlight on the mental health of first responders. They’re brave, strong, and dedicated to helping others, but those attributes also keep some firefighters from seeking help … [Read more...]
NEW YORK - Under a new pilot program, city EMTs who are answering a 911 call regarding a mental health emergency will be accompanied by social workers, instead of police. The Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, or “B-HEARD,” aims to reduce potentially … [Read more...]
An off-duty Los Angeles County firefighter fatally shot a fellow firefighter and wounded another at their fire station Tuesday before barricading himself at his home nearby, where a fire erupted and he was later found dead. A 44-year-old fire specialist died and a 54-year-old … [Read more...]