Dr. Anna Courie
Updated: December 6, 2021
viewpoint
Viewpoint: First responder mental health
By Dr. Anna Courie
Not many people can understand or empathize with the things first responders encounter during an emergency or even on a daily basis. Public safety service comes with great personal sacrifice, and first responders silently carry the burden. Trauma can be difficult to discuss with others. First responders are dedicated to protecting others and often put themselves at the bottom of the priority list.
Oct. 28 marked National First Responders Day, an opportunity to honor the service and sacrifices made by the women and men of our public safety community. At the same time, National First Responders Day helps shed light on the challenges Massachusetts’ first responders face.
People don’t call 9-1-1 because they’re having a good day. And those experiences, those images stay rooted in the mind and take a toll. Compared to the general population, first responders experience higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress, burnout, and anxiety. And in law enforcement, the life expectancy is more than 20 years shorter than the average American male. Stress can be a protective factor in the face of life-threatening events, but too many first responders go on to internalize and ignore traumatic experiences.
These staggering statistics are just a few of the reasons why AT&T established the FirstNet Health & Wellness Coalition. This effort brings together more than two dozen member organizations to represent more than 1.3 million first responders, and its priorities were developed from the input of more than 350 first responders.
FirstNet, AT&T’s public safety nationwide network created for first responders, works closely with the women and men on the front lines and recognizes the need for a diverse array of services, tools and resources.
The coalition led to us enlisting some furry friends for help. Through the FirstNet Response Operations Group, we launched the ROG the Dog animal-assisted therapy initiative earlier this year. More than 30 therapy animals are stationed across the country, with one based outside of Worcester, specifically trained to support the health and well-being of first responders. To date, more than 2,500 first responders in the field have interacted with ROG the Dog. Interacting with animals can improve coping and recovery, enhance morale, decrease stress, and reduce the effects of PTSD and emotional distress.
Resources exist to improve coping and recovery, enhance morale, decrease stress, and reduce emotional distress. For chiefs, administrators and agency heads, it is never too late to institute departmental initiatives and trainings to support the health and wellness.
Raising awareness and highlighting the challenges are critical steps toward changing the stigma around first responder mental health. Seeking help and creating an open environment to encourage conversation can increase resiliency, help build better working environments, safer departments, and healthier individuals.
Dr. Anna Courie is the director of responder wellness for the FirstNet Program at AT&T.
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