Fire Departments and EMS in Santa Rosa County will observe the Fifth Annual “We Remember” Night, sponsored by the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, Friday, May 17, 2019, at 9 p.m.
The event will be demonstrated by pulling fire apparatus and ambulances onto the apron in front of their stations while activating emergency lights for one minute to remember brothers and sisters in the fire and EMS service who have taken their own lives.
The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance is dedicated to providing resources to promote mental health and prevent suicide among first responders.
In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed legislation providing for treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among first responders, and providing education in mental health awareness, prevention, mitigation and treatment.
Over the past year, the Santa Rosa County Firefighters’ Association has worked aggressively to develop training for all first responders and establish a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team to respond to impacted agencies and provide peer support and counseling to responders affected by traumatic incidents in an effort to prevent debilitating stress.