First Responders, PTSD, and Mental Health Resources

First responders, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical personnel, play a crucial role in our society. They rush to the scenes of accidents, fires, medical emergencies, and disasters to protect and save lives. However, the very nature of their work exposes them to traumatic and stressful situations daily, often leading to mental health challenges, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In this article, we will explore the impact of PTSD on first responders and highlight the importance of mental health resources in providing them with the support they need to cope with the demands of their challenging profession.

The Silent Struggle: PTSD Among First Responders

First responders are often regarded as heroes, and rightly so, for their selfless dedication to public safety. Yet, behind the scenes, many of them silently struggle with the psychological toll of their work. PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop in individuals who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events. For first responders, these events can include everything from responding to violent crimes, witnessing fatal accidents, or battling life-threatening fires.

The prevalence of PTSD among first responders is alarmingly high. According to research conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions, including PTSD and depression. These conditions can significantly impact their personal lives, job performance, and overall well-being.

The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

Despite the increasing awareness of mental health issues, there remains a significant stigma surrounding mental health challenges in the first responder community. Many first responders fear that acknowledging their mental health struggles could jeopardize their careers or damage their reputations. As a result, they often suffer in silence, avoiding seeking help when they need it the most.

However, the consequences of untreated PTSD and mental health issues can be severe. It can lead to self-destructive behaviors, substance abuse, strained relationships, and in the worst cases, even suicide. Recognizing the importance of addressing these issues is essential for the well-being of first responders and the communities they serve.

Mental Health Resources for First Responders

Fortunately, there is a growing recognition of the need to provide first responders with the mental health support they deserve. Many organizations, both public and private, have taken steps to develop specialized resources and programs tailored to the unique needs of first responders.

1.     Peer Support Programs: These programs train experienced first responders to provide emotional support and guidance to their colleagues.

2.     Counseling and Therapy Services: Access to confidential counseling and therapy services is crucial for first responders.

3.     Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): EAPs offer a wide range of services, including counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals to specialized mental health providers. They provide a safe and confidential avenue for seeking help.

4.     Training and Education: Mental health awareness training is becoming more common in first responder organizations. Training programs aim to educate personnel about the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions and how to support themselves and their colleagues.

5.     Legislation and Policy Changes: Some states and regions have implemented legislation to ensure that first responders receive adequate mental health coverage and support.

Conclusion

First responders are the backbone of our communities, putting their lives on the line every day to protect and save others. It is our collective responsibility to ensure they receive the mental health support they need to cope with the challenges of their profession. PTSD and other mental health conditions should not be viewed as signs of weakness but as natural responses to the extraordinary stressors they face. By offering resources, reducing stigma, and fostering a culture of mental health awareness, we can support our first responders in their efforts to protect and serve, ultimately saving those who save us.

For information about resources available to first responders, contact Monica Coleman at (405) 657-1422 or mcoleman@omag.org.Top of Form 

OMAG In Action (Volume 7)

OMAG's Police Liability Update (August 2023)

OMAG In Action (Volume 6)

Put Your City Council Agenda to Work for You

Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes – sections 301 and following, require you to post notice of time, date, and location of a city council or town board of trustees meeting, along with the meeting’s agenda in public view for a regular or special meeting. Beyond meeting the letter of the law, a smartly constructed agenda will aid in the goal of holding a professional business meeting by use of a robust consent agenda, removal of administrative items from the agenda, and following the “4 Rule” best practice for municipal meetings.

A robust consent agenda contains items that are routine and can be acted on with one motion and one vote.  Any individual member of the governing board can request that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate individual consideration.  Additionally, any item(s) that “smell” like they are administrative should go on the Consent Agenda. 

The “4 Rule” is the four things that should appear on an agenda:

✓  The Future

✓  Policy/Culture

✓  Monitoring Results

✓  Decisions that exceed the authority delegated

The Future of the organization is infrequently on the agenda. At least several times a year the future should be on the agenda. This allows discussion by the governing board to give staff guidance, and to have policymakers updated on the progress of ongoing or upcoming projects or initiatives

Policy/Culture shouldn't take much time, as our cities and towns are mature organizations. Any action related to policy decisions, or the culture of the organization, should be to make small incremental adjustments designed to fine-tune existing policies.

Effective reporting or monitoring results is a result of the governing body directing staff on the frequency, content, and format of reporting. We recommend the governing body instruct staff on reporting requirements, or in monitoring results, in the form of a resolution contained in a Resolution Book. This not only informs current policymakers and staff but also future staff and future governing board members on the reporting requirements.

Authority should be pushed down as far as it can go, and information pulled up as high as it will come. Delegation of authority frees up policymakers to focus their time on the things that only they can do. Consider delegation of authority in the form of spending limits, budget controls, and authority to sign documents and make operational decisions within the boundaries of the annual budget, city charter, and state law.  Monitoring results and delegation of authority go hand in hand.  Don’t delegate additional authority with sufficient reporting requirements.

A smartly constructed agenda not only informs the public on items the governing board will discuss and/or act on, but it will also additionally aid the elected officials in understanding their role, focus their time on their work and not administrative work, and over time produce better outcomes.

Pump Station Property Coverage

OMAG staff has worked hard over the last few years to ensure that our members have adequate property coverage.  We utilize in-house appraisal software for buildings and have an ongoing appraisal partnership with HCA for professional appraisals on plants and buildings.

Over the last couple of years, we have seen an increase in pump station claims typically due to lightning.  While lightning is the most prevalent peril, pump stations can be susceptible to flood, wind, and ice.  We understand that if a pump station sustains a loss, it can have a significant impact on the city.  This is why it is so important to make sure you have adequate coverage.

First thing you want to do is look at your most recent OMAG property schedule and make sure that all your pump stations are covered. Next, you want to make sure that there is adequate coverage for each pump station.  After reviewing your schedule, if you notice any pump stations that are not scheduled or ones that appear to be underinsured, please contact the OMAG Underwriting Department. We will make sure that your pump stations get added and limits are adequate as soon as you contact us.

We know that insurance is one of many things that our members have to keep track of so please let us help you.  If you feel that an in-person visit is needed to discuss pump stations or any other coverages, please contact our Insurance Services Department.  They have vast knowledge of our coverages and are more than happy to come visit with you!

Neighbor helping Neighbor

Have you ever borrowed something from a neighbor? Do you share something with a friend or family member?

 Have you thought of sharing with your neighboring town? What if, several municipalities were to get together and share in the purchase of a sewer jetter? An interlocal agreement could be reached between multiple entities.

 For example, 4 municipalities agree to purchase a jetter, with each taking advantage of the OMAG Sanitary Sewer Equipment Grant. A new single axle 400-gallon jetter is around $65,000. This breaks down to $16,250 for each of the 4 Municipalities. After the approval for an OMAG Sanitary Sewer Equipment matching grant up to 10k your cost is now $8,125, much more achievable than going alone.

 Indoor location for winter storage/Maintenance/Repair costs/Emergency’s/Weekly rotating schedule all can be worked out with and interlocal agreement, which OMAG can assist in creating.

  A good question to ask yourself. In a year how much would you be able to clean and improve your system? During the week of use, 8,000 to 10,000 linear feet of line could be cleaned, and over time that number will increase. In year you could clean 96,000 linear feet of sewer line on a 4-week rotation. You also could take part of your scheduled week and use it for preventive maintenance such as root treating known areas.

 Without a jetter you are unable to clean lines or maintain them. You must rely on others to assist when you have a SSO or backup. Without maintenance and cleaning your system slowly continues to build up debris in the lines.

 There are over 500 towns with a population less than 5,000 people, this is a way for you to team up with other towns to become better stewards of your wastewater system asset.

 It is only through sharing and working together can this be achieved with many small municipalities.  Don’t discount this or other similar ideas to provide you with a cost-effective way to care for your sanitary sewer system.

Safety News: Hearing Protection

Approximately 22 million American workers suffer from some sort of hearing loss. Once you lose, even partial, hearing you can’t get it back. To help prevent hearing damage to workers on the job, you need to take steps to assess noise levels in the work environment, and institute administrative, engineering, and PPE (personal protective equipment) practices for your municipality.

Administrative Controls:

First, determine what work areas or types of work create unacceptable noise levels. Areas like rooms with loud machines or workers using mowers, weed eaters, and jackhammers. Most everybody has a smartphone nowadays; some apps can be downloaded onto a phone that gives very accurate decibel readings. Any work area or job where a worker is exposed to 85 decibels or more in 8 hours must have a Hearing Conservation plan. Second, the workers need to be advised of these hearing hazards and trained on how to protect themselves from the hazards. Third, signs need to be placed in hearing hazard work areas and on equipment reminding workers to take precautions, like wearing appropriate hearing protection. Finally, employers must provide hearing protection and any required engineering controls. Employers can also seek assistance in determining if employees have hearing issues by having them tested. Many of our Oklahoma Career Techs have mobile hearing testing units they can bring to your municipality.

Engineering Controls:

Noisy work environments may need to have special sound-reducing wall and floor materials installed, or doors to dampen sound. Signs must be placed in obvious areas to warn of hearing hazard conditions.

PPE (personal protective equipment):

Workers required to wear PPE in the form of earplugs or earmuffs must be supplied with this equipment at no cost to themselves. This PPE must be readily accessible and come in several different types (disposable earplugs, re-useable earplugs, and earmuffs); individuals have different tastes and comfort levels. Employees need to be trained about how to use and maintain the pipe. Supervisors are responsible for making sure workers are properly using their PPE and following safety procedures when working in high-noise rooms or with high-noise equipment.

A worker’s compensation claim for hearing loss can be very expensive, and other dangers to workers and co-workers alike can increase the risk of injury or damage to equipment. At least do the basics – determine where high noise situations are, provide controls, and provide PPE, and supervise its use, to protect your workers.

BodyCam and DashCam Cloud Services Might Be Worth the Cost

Police departments are hesitant to spend thousands of dollars a year to use Axon or Watchguard’s cloud services to store their data. The services are pricey and police departments often find they can build their own solutions on-site for less, even just storing bodycam videos on removable hard drives or an extra PC. 

OMAG wants departments to reconsider the cloud. These services are hosted online in always-on top-tier data centers around the country and protected from threats like hackers and tornadoes. 

The cloud storage allows an officer to dock their bodycam and the video is automatically uploaded without any manual steps. From there, the cloud software reminds the officer to flag and retain video that may have been part of an incident, while alerting supervisors about officers that need to flag their videos. Videos not related to an incident are automatically expired and deleted, saving storage space. When the time comes to redact, edit, or share a video, there are built-in tools that make this process easier for a Chief or PIO. Most importantly, these systems are redundantly backed up in the cloud and protected against crashes or tornadoes, stored according to CJIS compliance requirements, and secure from hackers and viruses. Plus, you’re upgraded automatically by the vendor, so you never have to upgrade servers again. 

All of this is audited and logged so that each video adheres to chain of custody and follows federal and State standards. 

Dashcam and bodycam is digital evidence. Much like physical evidence must be properly cared for, digital evidence needs its own “locker” and to adhere to chain of custody and auditing requirements. On-site, these systems are more complex to manage, if you even have the right software. While you might save money, you won’t save time, and you may not be compliant either.

OMAG's Police Liability Update (May 2023)