Igniting strength BEFORE the storm-
a PROACTIVE approach to First Responder mental wellness
OPERATION CAMPFIRE
How often do agencies find themselves scrambling for a resource when someone is in crisis? We are good at crisis, aren’t we, but are we equally as good at preventing it when it comes to MENTAL WELLNESS under our Leadership?
Assist organizations, unmask the stigma of Mental Wellness issues within our First Responder Community. We are excited to introduce to you, an in-agency program developed to address the known components that contribute to a deterioration of Mental Health before crisis occurs. A major component will be unmasking the stigma of Mental Wellness and identifying those that may need immediate help and guiding them on a path to recovery with appropriate resources.
Our Mission:
“We never prepared our people for the emotional baggage that we carried with us for so long. We just never talked about it; we were usually told to suck it up or find another job. It still really angers me when people equate mental health with weakness. Seriously? Firefighters, police officers, military–there is nothing weak about us. I was a little lost for a while, maybe a little broke, but I was far from weak. It takes more courage to look the stigma and your own pride and ego in the face and say I’m done, I am taking my life back. That’s courage. ”
