Deeper Problem When Life Savers Commit Suicide

First Responders Should Never Be Last Lives Saved
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 9, 2017

We can talk all we want about "suicide awareness" but when we're talking about men and women, valuing the lives of others so much, they are willing to die for strangers, dying by choice should never happen.

That is the point to all of this, or at least it should be. Whenever you read statistics about civilians committing suicide, it is vital to consider that those who serve the rest of us, are just as human as the rest of us. Now try to imagine those humans ready to face the day knowing it could be their last one on their job, and on this earth.

None of this is new.

"For many first responders, post-traumatic stress disorder is becoming part of the job." 

"Becoming part of the job" is what this article implies. The trouble is, when you look at the research on the link, it is clear, PTSD has been part of the job for a very long time.

In the wake of suicide: Developing guidelines for suicide postvention in fire service

Because of the nature of the job, many of the 1.1 million firefighters in the United States are routinely exposed to high levels of traumatic and occupational stress (Beaton and Murphy, 1993; Haynes and Stein, 2014; Kimbrel et al., 2011), both of which are associated with mental health problems such as PTSD, alcohol use, and depression (e.g., Byrne and Espnes, 2008; Corneil, Beaton, Murphy, Johnson, and Pike, 1999; Kimbrel et al., 2011; Murphy, Beaton, Pike, and Johnson, 1999; North et al., 2002; Tak, Driscoll, Bernard, and West, 2007). Of most relevance to the current project is that these disorders are associated with increased risk for suicide (e.g., Cougle, Keough, Riccardi, and Sachs-Ericsson, 2009; Kessler, Borges, and Walters, 1999; Nock et al., 2009). Thus, the stresses of the job and frequency of these high-risk disorders among emergency responders has led to the rising concern about suicide in fire service (Armstrong, 2014; Dill and Lowe, 2012; Finney et al., 2015; Gliha, 2010; Miller, 2015; Peluso, 2010).

Shouldn't we be asking why they are not taken care of after all these years? We depend on them being there when we need them. When exactly do we show up when they need us?

First Responders, Families Fight For PTSD Coverage Under Workers Comp

WFSU By KATE PAYNE • 12 HOURS AGO

Credit Ariel Dovas via flickr

First responders run towards crashes, emergencies and catastrophes, not away from them. And for some, their experiences are leading to post traumatic stress disorder. But in Florida, first responders who develop PTSD on the job don’t get compensated, unless they have a physical injury as well. Now there are efforts at the statehouse to change that. A note to listeners, the following story includes frank discussion of death and suicide. 
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