GREENSBORO, N.C. — We all know that first responders see and experience some of the most horrendous things in our world.
Those experiences often can lead to several types of mental health issues, that's why the Greensboro Fire Department assembled a peer support group, and Friday we wanted to learn more.
Founded in 2016, the Greensboro Fire Department's peer support group was designed as a safe space for firefighters to decompress and vent work-related or personal issues.
"As firefighters, we deal with situations known as potentially traumatic events. Those events cause major stress in our lives because it's not something most humans would normally see", this is how Captain Justin Price describes the traumas faced on duty.
That includes incidents like the deadly house fire on Glenside Drive in Greensboro, which claimed the lives of two young children.
"We are a resource for our members. So, if they do start to have some issues, they have someone they can talk to so they aren't dealing with things by themselves. We are a bridge to all kinds of resources and professional help. Whatever in their life is beneficial for them", Captain Price said.
These resources include but are not limited to, self-help groups for addiction, marriage, or couples therapy, access to financial advisors, as well as clinical counselors like Amanda Chils.
"When (we as counselors) have the support inside the unit, someone they trust, it makes our job so much easier. It's so much to reach someone when dealing with someone they like, they know, and trust. That's the way we've got a lot of first responders. One recommends the next, and we can help create change", Chils went on to say.