Making sure firefighters are prepared for any emergency involves physical fitness — and also mental health.
Dyer Fire Chief Joe Martin told State Treasurer Daniel Elliott last week that firefighters get to exercise an hour per shift, to make sure they're ready for the most demanding situations. But getting them to take care of their mental health has historically been harder.
"Mental health has always been a blasé topic in society, and it shouldn't be, right? Ours became deafening for people's lives, like damning for people's lives because we never got the help," Martin told the treasurer.
A big help in getting the process started has been peer support teams. Martin said firefighters are often more likely to discuss their experiences with each other.
"When we see bad stuff, we don't want to talk to the clergy," Martin noted. "We don't want to talk to a mental health professional."
He said 911 dispatchers are now also included in debriefs, noting that their portion of emergency response also takes an emotional toll. "The worst thing you hear on the scene is the family's blood-curdling scream, when they find out things or they know things," Martin told Elliott. "It's not the stuff and the things. It's that."
Treasurer Elliott says boosting mental health services for dispatchers is a priority for the Statewide 911 Board. He notes that dispatchers don't always get the same closure that firefighters do, even when the outcome is good.
"Grandma stopped breathing, but she's breathing again. And she made it, and everything's great. They don't know that. All they know is 'Hey, grandma wasn't breathing.' [Firefighters] showed up. The call was ended," Elliott said.
Dyer firefighters say they try to maintain a positive relationship with the Lake County dispatch center, and a tour is included in the training for new recruits.
