(WSVN) - In an emergency, the first number to call is 911, but when first responders need help, where do they turn? 7’s Heather Walker shows how help is just a phone call away in today’s 7 Spotlight.
First responders are always ready to step in and help during an emergency, but sometimes they need help.
Kathryn Stucker, Hero4Hero: “Because you’re supposed to be the impenetrable. You know, I’m the one who’s going to save the day and all of that.”
First responders are exposed to high-stress events that can affect them mentally. Many don’t ask for help for fear of losing their jobs.
Greg Myer, United Way of Broward County: “And when you have so much of your life and livelihood connected to your employment, you know, that makes it really hard to reach out for help.”
That fear is what led to the creation of the Hero4Hero helpline, a free and confidential service for first responders and their families.
It’s run by 211 Broward, but takes calls from across the state.
The phone lines are staffed by current and former first responders.
Billie Morgan, 211 Broward: “You’re going to get somebody who is emphatic, who understands, who is ready to talk about the tough stuff.”
Kathryn Tucker is an active firefighter and a peer support specialist with Hero4Hero.
She says, while some callers need immediate help, others just need someone who can understand the demands of the job.
Kathryn Stucker: “If you want just to talk to someone because you had a really hard shift, and you’re just angry at your engineer, and you need someone to talk to on the drive home, we can do that.”
While most callers are just looking for a sympathetic ear, more serious cases are sent to a mental health expert with the United Way of Broward.
Greg Myer: “I can connect them with whatever it is that they’re looking for, as far as mental health counselor, if they need a social worker, if they need a substance abuse treatment center.”
Former Military Police Officer Greg Myer now serves as a mental health specialist. He says his background allows him to better relate to the people who call for help.
Greg Myer: “So I also have that kind of peer approach to the situation, right? I’m not coming at them as, you know, whatever the stigma is of what a counselor should look like.”
Because the service is confidential, callers never have to share their names, and their employers are never notified.
Hero4Hero launched just two years ago. It has already received more than 24,000 calls and become a trustworthy source for first responders.
Billie Morgan: “We have seen that there is a voice out there saying, ‘This has been needed, where has it been?’ So that’s the beauty of this.”
When a first responder is facing a personal emergency, getting the help they need is just a phone call away.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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