First responders are called that because they are typically the first people on the scene or treating victims of a car accident, house fire, violent assault, or other traumatic events. Firefighters, police, and medical personnel are all typically among the first to respond when something devastating or tragic happens. The traumatic event not only affects the victims but also those responding to it. Trauma in first responders can lead to issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other disorders. Depression and PTSD affect an estimated 30% of first responders in the US – compared to 20% of the general population. And while approximately 3.7% of Americans have contemplated suicide, that rate jumps to 37% for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Further, 0.5% of Americans attempt suicide versus 6.6% of fire and EMS professionals. Please reach out to peer support if you or a colleague need help and guidance. #itsokaytonotbeokay #yourenotalone #ptsdawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness (fb)

A lot of people have been asking about the family from last nights house fire we responded to. From what we can gather there have been assistance efforts formed and info can be found on the Hereford zone community page or reach out to Kara Price to help this family. Also, some pages for assistance were tagged in the comments of our post about the incident. (fb)