Redwood City – There’s a catch that comes with wearing a uniform many consider a badge of honor.
“There are stressors from waking up in the middle of the night, going from dead sound asleep to potentially the worst thing the you’ve ever seen in your life in a couple of minutes,” said Mark Lorenzen, chief of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. “That weighs on your psyche as well as your physical health.”
To help ease the burden, first responders gathered in the Board of Supervisors Chambers this morning to highlight mental health challenges faced by their professions and discuss the services available to them.
“We need to support the people who support our communities,” said David Canepa, president of the Board of Supervisors. “They routinely face extremely stressful situations and put themselves in harm’s way to help us. What we can all do is show our continued support for our first responders and the mental health challenges they face.”
Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution that “affirms the importance of focusing on the mental health and well-being of all first responders and advocates for policies and practices that prioritize mental health resources and support systems.”
“For all that our first responders go through in their line of work – their mental health and well-being is so important, day in and day out,” said Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, who co-sponsored the resolution. “And this proactive support and their continuous improvement for all personnel is critical.”
First responders – firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics – consistently experience rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and thoughts of suicide at rates higher than the general population.
“We respond to calls and we get unfortunately invited into people’s lives at their worst moments,” Lorenzen said. “You see a lot of tragic things: deaths, deaths related to children, you see the trauma. You’re a witness to that.”
Recognizing these unique pressures, the Board’s resolution underscores the importance of:
- Providing accessible, confidential mental health resources tailored to the needs of first responders.
- Reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges in first responder professions through education and awareness campaigns.
- Encouraging open communication between first responders and their supervisors about mental health concerns without fear of repercussions.
- Implementing comprehensive training programs to equip first responders with tools to manage stress, trauma and mental health challenges effectively.
Lorenzen said he has witnessed a shift during his career toward acknowledging the toll witnessing traumas can take on first responders. Menlo Park fire employees, he said, are increasingly utilizing the services of a trauma-trained mental health specialist.
“It’s a nice way to share with our community that we’re just like you. We have the same issues and it’s ok to talk about mental health,” he said. “The more we talk about it among ourselves, the less of a stigma it becomes.”
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org