Episode 38: First Responders’ Mental Health: What Makes Them Special?

First responders operate in a difficult environment. In fact, most civilians have no idea the stressors of their daily work. One thing has become clear: These important jobs can quickly take a toll on the mental health of a city’s police, fire, EMS, animal control, and code enforcement personnel.

How can city officials ensure that first responders have the resources they need to stay healthy? The first step is to understand what they go through. The next is to provide them with tools to deal with it. 

The Texas Police Chiefs Association's Officer Safety Committee and the TML Risk Pool created two such tools, which are our Resilience Strategies for First Responders and Moving Right of Bang: Critical Incident Early Intervention Strategies Workshops. Both are provided under the banner of TPCA’s VINCIBLE training program.  

Rick Randall is the primary trainer for the workshops, which emphasize survival strategies for a healthy public safety career and a long and enjoyable retirement. Rick, a retired Austin senior police chaplain and trainer who became an expert over the course of his career, is CEO of the Randall Group 911.

In this STP episode, host Scott Houston visits with Rick about the specifics of first responder mental health and ways city management can support them.

Further Information

• TML Risk Pool Training Calendar (look for Resilience Strategies for first Responders and Moving Right of Bang: Critical Incident Early Intervention Strategies)
• Texas Police Chiefs Association VINCIBLE Training Program