Agencies placing emphasis on mental health for first responders
CRANBERRY TWP — For more than 27 years, Jeff Kelly has taken care of others.
The executive director of Cranberry Township EMS, Kelly has spent his days and nights strapping in and speeding to calls, often not knowing what to expect once he arrives. Regardless, his goal is simple — to help people.
It wasn't until 2016 that Kelly realized he wasn't helping the person who perhaps mattered most: himself.
Following a series of trying events, a co-worker approached Kelly and asked if he was feeling OK. Confused, Kelly said he was, but his co-worker wasn't convinced.
“He said, 'Depression is not just about being sad, you're just going through the motions,'” Kelly recalled.
The co-worker said if Kelly didn't reach out for help, he would do so for him.
Kelly's story isn't unique, as first responders of from all agencies must deal with traumatic incidents each day, which can compound over years of service. Because of that, agencies, including those in Butler County, are placing an emphasis on mental health for first responders, making sure resources are available when the call of duty gets to be too much.
This is an excerpt — find out how EMS professionals and agencies are working to understand and handle their grief and stress in Sunday's Butler Eagle.
