While first responders give support and help to those affected by crime, disaster, and health issues, those responders often get into situations they themselves need to process mentally and emotionally.
Tuesday, the Rhode Island State Association of Firefighters became the first professional state organization in New England to train firefighters on how to assist their peers in crisis.
Sixty firefighters based statewide are now undergoing the seven-month, volunteer-run training to learn how to help peers with issues ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to substance abuse, gambling, and financial stress – and how to network with counselors and other clinicians in the fields of mental health. Scott Robinson, a 17-year veteran of the Cranston Fire Department, told Eyewitness News anchor Mike Montecalvo last fall about his own struggles following the response to The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick. He was motivated to design a behavioral health and wellness program to assist other firefighters in getting help.