LIMA — The Bath Township Fire Department, located at 1787 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, will host a free program for first responders called Peer Support on Sept. 12 and 13 to teach the participants how to recognize and respond to first responders’ mental health emergencies.
The class will be presented by the International Association of Firefighters and the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association. It is designed to help first responders navigate the stresses they face on the job, including incidents involving children, violence, inherent dangers of firefighting and other potentially traumatic events.
Peer Support training is delivered by master instructors and gives participants the necessary knowledge and skills to provide support to their peers, have a basic understanding of common behavioral health issues affecting first responders and build or enhance their peer support programs. The course serves as a bridge to community resources and behavioral health treatment when indicated.
“I’m excited to bring this important class to Allen County and northwest Ohio,” said Bath Township Fire Chief and OFCA President Joseph Kitchen. “With suicide rates soaring among first responders nationally, this class is more important than ever.”
The course is delivered free to participants through a federal grant received by the OFCA from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is open to firefighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement officers and dispatchers. For more information on the course, contact Kitchen at 419-221-0550.
