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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firefighters and police officers are more likely to die by suicide than on the job.
The issue has gone beyond the police and firefighters. According to the CDC report, EMS providers are 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Researchers have found that telecommunications workers for dispatch centers often experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, but specific research for that group is described as “delayed” in the aforementioned report.
Colorado Springs police and firefighters are working to end the stigma surrounding discussing mental health and suicidal concerns within their agencies.
“It’s okay not to be safe,” said Sgt. Jason Newton with CSPD. “For too long we’ve had this stigma around mental health, and we’ve been unable to address it. Hopefully now the culture is trying to make that change. “
Newton says, there are a variety of support options that are free for CSPD officers.
“We have officers doing yoga, meditation, mindfulness training or counseling… We have a good source of funding through grants, so it’s all free for our officers and their families.” Explains new counseling resources for officer families starting next week.
Newton hopes sharing his story will help other officers.
“I will share my story of how counseling has benefited me as a supervisor. It has helped me in my career, it has helped me and my husband through some very difficult times in our lives,” he said. “It makes you more connected to a community member. If they’ve been through a tragedy and you’ve been through a tragedy yourself, you can connect a little deeper and it helps us be better police officers.”
Colorado Springs firefighters are working for greater mental health awareness. Some firefighters have a peer support program where they are trained by a department psychologist to learn how to spot warning signs in others and be a good listener.
John Giacoma is one of CSFD’s peer supporters. As a veteran of early combat in the military, he knows that scary scenes can have an impact.
“The shooting, the stabbing, the cardiac arrest, the rescues that don’t go the way we want them to, they can trigger those more urgent thoughts or nightmares that we run into,” he said.
He encourages you not to be afraid to ask if someone is having suicidal thoughts if it’s something you suspect.
Be brave and don’t be afraid to ask the question… If that’s something they’re really thinking about or have a plan, or if their mind is on it, then it’s something we have to take differently. with steps,” said Giacoma.
If you or someone you know is a first responder seeking mental health resources, you can text BADGE 741741 for free and confidentially. Click here For more information.
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