A bill in the state Senate would allow first responders to get some compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. HB 2501 requires employers to pay proven claims of PTSD (or, as the bill calls it, post-traumatic stress injury, PTSI), under workman’s compensation laws and regulations. Mesa Fire Captain Bryan Jeffries, president of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona, has been a firefighter and paramedic for almost 25 years. He said PTSD has been ignored or pushed aside for too long – even in his own profession. “Sometimes, as responders, we’re our own worst enemies,” he said. “We have this macho profession and this macho culture. Historically, we’ve had a viewpoint: ‘Suck it up, buttercup.’ The reality is, these are serious issues. If left unchecked and left untreated, they could lead to much more serious issues.