by Emily Rose Proctor, SoWal Community Chaplain
For the first twenty years that District Chief Corey Harned served as a firefighter for South Walton Fire District (SWFD), there wasn’t much help for someone who was having a hard time processing a traumatic call. “I just figured it was part of the job, dealing with other people’s tragedies,” Harned said. “Humor or silence at the fire house was usually the way we dealt with serious calls.” Thankfully, things are beginning to change.
Firefighters all around the country are paying more attention to the effects that the repeated exposure to traumatic incidents can have on first responders and their families. A couple of years ago, members of SWFD attended a mental health and safety conference where they learned about the high rates of suicide and cancer among fire and rescue personnel nationwide. SWFD members left convinced that the South Walton Fire District could be a leader in prioritizing the health and safety of their employees and that doing so would help them better serve the community. The South Walton Fire District is responsible for the Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services Transport, Beach Lifeguards, Hazard Mitigation, Public Education and Prevention, and 911 Communication activities for 84 square miles in the southern part of Walton County.
Lt. Steve Newsom chairs the SWFD’s Mental Health Committee and is committed to making sure that our first responders and their families have the psychological support they need to deal with the additional stress that comes with responding to life-threatening emergencies. Currently, the committee is focused on promoting mental health by 1) providing a robust Employee Assistance Program that personnel can utilize to seek confidential assistance for a variety of issues and 2) working with Bay County first responders to develop a Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which includes trained peer supporters and chaplains. “We’re trying to be proactive, rather than just reactive,” Newsom said.
As part of this effort, the South Walton Fire District recently brought three local pastors on board to serve as chaplains: Richard Proctor (Christ the King Episcopal Church), Emily Proctor (SoWal Community Chaplain/Red Bay Presbyterian Church), and Pete Hyde (Community Church of Santa Rosa Beach) to provide spiritual and emotional support to the SWFD’s employees and families. A chaplain can also provide “on scene” comfort and care to non-injured victims, families and bystanders, enabling the first responders to better attend to the critical work of fighting fires, treating injuries, transporting victims, and ensuring the public’s safety. When asked why a full-time pastor of a congregation would take on the additional duties of serving as a volunteer chaplain for SWFD, Fr. Richard Proctor replied, “It is a tangible way for the church to be more present in and serve the community and neighborhood.”
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with members of SWFD’s Dispatch Division which fields 911 calls and coordinates the communications with the responders. Sterling Strickland, SWFD Communications Director, recalled an incident last year where having a chaplain would have been helpful. A mother and daughter were vacationing in South Walton when the mom died unexpectedly, leaving her teenage daughter stranded and obviously very distressed. District Chief Harned stated, “Pediatric deaths can be especially hard on first responders, but you never really know when an incident is going to affect you until it does. After attending the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training in Panama City, the eyes and ears of my heart were opened. The most important message I learned was ‘It’s OK not to be OK.’”
This is an important message for everyone in South Walton to hear.
Author: SWal Life
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