Our first responders make lots of sacrifices to protect the rest of us and this can take a toll on them, as well as their families. In a 2016 behavioral health study, roughly three-fourths of the surveyed peace officers reported having experienced a traumatic event, but less than half reported it to their agency. Even more troubling is that about half of the officers reported personally knowing a peer who changed after experiencing a traumatic event and about half reported knowing an officer who committed suicide.First responders are trained to deal with very stressful, emotional and life-threatening situations. The culture is natural to internalize mental and emotional stress. Removing the stigma encourages them to be proactive within the workplace and reach out to peers to improve th
