WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a pair of Democratic lawmakers are pushing a bill to bring more support for firefighters.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
“Too many first responders who are running into danger for everyone all over the country are having to deal with, you know, responding to trauma and then going back and doing their job,” said Jillian Crane, President and CEO of the First Responders Children’s Foundation. The FRCF serves the kids of public service personnel nationwide.
However, a 2018 report from the Ruderman Family Foundation showed 92% of firefighters will not ask for mental health help due to stigma.
“But peer support specialists could be another area where they can learn from each other. And again, these would be trained professionals who have been through …