BOYLE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — The average person will experience one to three traumatic events in their lifetime. For some first responders, they can experience that same amount in a single shift.
That's why the Junction City Fire Department in Boyle County is hosting a community training this week to open up the conversation about mental health and PTSD.
"I've been doing this for 25 years now, and I'm just now seeing the issues with PTSD," said Lt. David Stevens.
A longtime firefighter, Lt. Stevens has experienced his fair share of trauma on the job.
"I have flashbacks, nightmares, hard to sleep," he said. "You know, I go by houses and I'm like, been there, been there, been there."
But earlier this year, one of his department's own - firefighter Jim Harris - died in the line of duty.
"I was first on scene, started CPR, we worked CPR for quite awhile," Lt. Stevens said. "We transported him to the hospital, and he died. So that impacted the department here at Junction."
Stevens told LEX 18 he knew he needed to get help, both for himself and his department of about 15.
That's where Danville Counseling Center and Danville Counseling Training Center stepped in.
"It's not shameful to ask for help, or you're less than," said Sonya Kirkpatrick, a counselor and co-founder of the Danville Counseling Training Center. "Or you can't handle the job or do the job."
As a paramedic, she has first-hand knowledge of what it's like to be on the front lines of emergencies. The center's co-founder, Jessica Wigginton, grew up surrounded by first responders as well. Wigginton is also the founder of the Danville Counseling Center.
The women used that knowledge to develop training courses for fellow counselors about working with first responders. They want rural departments, which don't always have the same resources and support as metropolitan departments, to benefit from that training, too.
"It's all about what mental health injury looks like, what acute stress, PTSD, depression, anxiety is," said Wigginton. "It talks about the suicide rate among first responders, which is abnormally high."
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, roughly one in three first responders will develop PTSD in their lifetime. For the general population, that rate falls to one in five.
Lt. Stevens says he's sought counseling for help dealing with his tough emotions. He also hopes this week's training will help fellow first responders understand what he now does after decades on the job.
"It's okay to seek help," he said. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."
The training is happening Thursday, April 20th at 6 p.m. at the Junction City Fire Department. It's focused on first responders and their spouses but will be open to the public.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988. The hotline is available 24/7.
