The Charlotte Fire Department is joining the U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame and its community partners on Saturday for the fourth-annual mental health awareness walk.
To improve mental wellness within, Charlotte Fire has developed an internal behavioral health program.
Led by Andrew Starnes, battalion chief for Charlotte Fire, the peer-to-peer support program has made a significant impact in the lives of those within the department.
"Peer-to-peer is someone to talk with that understands you and has empathy, not sympathy," Starnes said. "Our peers are someone who can relate to what you're going through because they have experiential relevance in that particular area. Whether it is a firefighter talking to a firefighter, an inspector talking to an inspector, or a dispatcher talking to a dispatcher, our team is very diverse because we have all different divisions serving on the team."