LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – Mental health issues are becoming one of the top workplace hazards for emergency medical personnel, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, and state and local agencies are working to meet the growing need for mental health support for emergency personnel.
Laredo firefighters are fully equipped to respond to car accidents, fires and medical emergencies. They face the most dire incidents every day. The Laredo Fire Department has more than 400 emergency responders, and the stress and images from these calls can stay with them long after the incident.
“Every unit, every ambulance, every fire engine, they get different calls at different times. We get hundreds of calls every day,” said Hernan Martinez with the Laredo Fire Department.
So who do they turn to when the going gets tough?
“The first thing that helps is being able to communicate with the crew,” Martinez explained.
Martinez added that the fire department provides immediate support to personnel responding to major incidents. “We like to have debriefings, we like to get together to talk about calls,” he said.
But sometimes a quick check-in just isn't enough.
“It's very hard to go home and talk to your spouse and your family because number one, they weren't there and number two, they're not in the job so it's hard to vent,” Martinez said.
To support its firefighters, the Laredo Fire Department has launched a mental health and wellness initiative.
“We have a peer support group that they can contact, it's completely private, one-on-one support. We also get support from outside the city and we contract with mental health professionals,” Martinez said.
To help firefighters and Laredo Police Department personnel de-stress, the fire department is providing access to a renovated gym where they can find information about the Peer Support Team. Available 24/7, the team is made up of fellow firefighters who understand how challenging the job can be.
According to the Institute of Health, more than 80% of emergency medical personnel have experienced a traumatic event in the workplace, and the Laredo Fire Department aims to use available support to help its personnel continue to provide life-saving assistance to the community.
An estimated 400,000 emergency responders in the United States exhibit at least some symptoms of PTSD, highlighting the importance of ongoing mental health support.
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