Alabama Trains Fire Recruits to Prepare for Mental Health Emergencies

Two Calera, Alabama firefighters pause during a battle against a residential house fire on April 27, 2016. / Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

By Tammy Leytham

First responders often face a fight to survive, not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Those on the front lines will now get additional help with peer support counseling training, according to a press release from the International Association of Fire Fighters.

With funding from the Alabama Department of Mental Health and support from the Professional Fire Fighters of Alabama and the Alabama Fire College, Alabama will be one of the first states to include the training in its fire recruit school training.

“Adding behavioral health and peer support counseling training into the recruit curriculum is groundbreaking work,” General President Edward Kelly said in the release. 

Firefighters in Alabama will be trained to recognize signs and symptoms that someone needs behavioral health aid, and will be equipped to counsel someone in crisis, Kelly said. 

Research indicates many first responders are more susceptible to developing a behavioral health condition or substance use disorder compared to their counterparts, according to a press release from the Alabama Department of Mental Health. Understanding this and advocating for mental health care of first responders is vital.  

PFFA President Dave Harer said adding more counselors allows the Alabama First Responder Peer Support Program to better provide behavioral health assistance, including help with substance abuse, critical intervention and referrals.

The program connects any firefighter struggling with personal, emotional, or professional challenges to a certified peer support member, according to the Department of Mental Health release.

Inspired by IAFF Peer Support Training received in 2018, Hoover Local 4035 member Toby Rigsby and Pelham Local 5049 member Jim Terrell began working with the Alabama Fire College on the program’s infrastructure, like centralizing dispatch and creating a website with resources.

“The funding from the state’s Department of Mental Health has enabled us to develop, organize and expand the peer support program more efficiently,” Rigsby said in the IAFF release. “Now, all firefighters in the state will have increased access to counselors who truly understand what it is like to be a firefighter and the challenges we face.”

More than 120 PFFA members have trained in peer support, the release stated. Peer support providers who already have some training will get first access to the curriculum. Those providers will then deliver it to fire recruits.

The plan is to place a peer support regional director in each of the state’s 10 regions. Those directors will manage a team of counselors that can respond to behavioral health situations at a moment’s notice.

Learn more about the Alabama First Responder Peer Support Program here.