Fatal fires, traffic fatalities, child deaths, shootings: They may not happen every day in Denton, but most Denton firefighters have seen far too many such calls throughout their careers. You will have to process a lot.
For those outside the scene, it may be difficult to imagine how first responders can maintain composure in situations like this.
As several firefighter-paramedics can attest, when things get dire, your only option is to rely on the muscle memory of your training. It’s like you’re on autopilot.
In many agencies, first responders leave the scene of an incident and immediately move on to the next call.
Often, doubts start to creep in until you get home at night and you start thinking about what you could have done differently and what you should have done differently. And for some first responders, that thought is never voiced.
Firefighter Craig Bentley said sensations like the smell of burning and people screaming were the most impactful. “They carry it around with them and have nightmares and fantasies about it,” Bentley said.
The historical attitude was to just suck it up. As a result, too many first responders are no longer able to rely on a bottle to bury their fears.
Hilary Brundidge, a licensed professional counselor who runs a private practice in Denton with primarily first responder clients, said everyone has their own metaphorical anxiety cup. Each time a stressful call occurs, the cup gets filled a little bit more. It fills up more and more until it overflows.
Brundidge said continued exposure to trauma can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder if first responders don’t have healthy coping and processing strategies.
“I often heard phrases like, ‘That wasn’t the worst call,'” Brundidge said. “[First responders] They will say that breaking out wasn’t the worst decision, which suggests this cumulative effect. They may have come because they started experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD after this house fire six weeks ago. But what we discovered was that that was just the tip of the iceberg. ”
If left untreated, these symptoms of PTSD can severely impact their daily lives and potentially force first responders into early retirement, Brundidge said.
empty the cup
Especially in recent years, the Denton Fire Department has worked collaboratively to break down mental health barriers for firefighters.
Brundidge said many government agencies are now focusing more on mental health care for first responders.
But while other agencies are improving their reactive support, Brundidge said the Denton Fire Department is unique in that it is a pioneer in preventative and proactive care.
Denton firefighter Craig Bentley shares his story about his struggle with mental health at New Peer Support Night. Bentley leads the Denton Fire Department’s peer support team.
Brooke Colombo/DRC
At the center of those efforts is Craig Bentley. He leads the fire department’s peer support team.
Bentley knows firsthand how the job can negatively impact a person’s mental health.
“I always start the conversation with, ‘I’ve been here almost 17 years and I’m an alcoholic and I’ve been sober for 600 days,'” Bentley said.
Bentley’s breaking point was around 2019. It started after he was the lead medic who responded to the shooting death of Denton Police Officer Urban Rodriguez.
Six months later, Bentley was reminded of just how dangerous emergency response can be when he sustained a severe shoulder injury during a water rescue mission.
After 14 surgeries, Bentley was unable to resume regular duties. At that time, he sought certification in Critical Incident Stress Management through the International Association of Firefighters.
“I can’t do anything for the community anymore,” Bentley said. “But I can definitely help my brothers out there. It gives me another purpose.”
Bentley provides peer support not only to the Denton Fire Department, but to any agency, organization, or hospital that requests assistance.
For example, Bentley visited Pilot Point paramedics and Medical City Denton emergency hospital staff after responding to a call that resulted in the death of a 3-month-old infant. Pediatric calls are especially tough, he says.
Brundidge said first responders are “quick fixers.” So when a patient dies, it’s not uncommon for first responders to blame themselves.
“First of all, this is not a blame game,” Bentley said.
The goal is to get first responders to talk about what they experienced as soon as possible.
“Once they can talk about it and process it off their chest, they tend to stop thinking about it for years into their careers,” Bentley said. “We want to take the ‘what-ifs’ out of this situation.”
Bentley explains the critical incident stress management process to the group. It starts with the facts. What did they see? What did they hear? what did they do? They walk you through everyone’s role in navigating and responding to a call.
They then talk about the sights, sounds, and other sensations experienced by first responders. Bentley said this is most often triggered when first responders encounter a traumatic stimulus, such as passing through an intersection where they previously responded to a traffic fatality.
Finally they talk about their feelings. What did first responders learn from the call? How are they feeling?
Brundidge says this is especially effective when done in a group setting. In some cases, first responders are so focused on their specific role that they don’t observe what else is happening on the scene. For example, Brundidge said paramedics may blame themselves for focusing too much on one victim and too much on another. However, if you talk to your peers about it, you may find out that your peers have already treated the victim, which may reduce your feelings of guilt and anxiety.
It is essentially a mindfulness exercise.
With so many events outside of first responders’ control, Brundidge said it’s important to move away from the “what if” mindset and focus on what they can control. By practicing mindfulness, or paying conscious attention to sensations within and around you, first responders can distance themselves from anxiety.
It’s about creating neural pathways in the brain that allow first responders to stop anxious thoughts when they’re racing and focus on what they currently have control over.
It’s about building neural pathways in the brain so that when first responders find their thoughts swirling, they can stop anxious thoughts and focus on what they currently have control over. .
“When you hang up the phone, your brain’s natural tendency is to think about what’s going to happen to the patient, or to go back and think about whether you made the right decision,” Brundidge says. “Your brain will start thinking, ‘What am I in control of right now?'” We’re trying to rewire our brains to maintain the present. By doing so, we can take care of ourselves and our fellow men and women. ”
Bentley saw the rewiring in action when he returned to follow up with emergency responders a few days after the CISM session.
“They’re kind of piecing things together because they heard everyone else talking about it,” he said. “It changes their perspective on what happened.”
If the problem still persists later, you can come to Bentley to discuss it. If needed, we can also refer you to resources and counselors like Mr. Brundidge, who has been working with the department since late 2022.
But it’s also important that firefighters feel comfortable relying on their colleagues and having access to those resources. Bentley said breaking the stigma has to start with leadership.
Brundidge said the Denton Fire Department is ahead of the curve in terms of reducing vulnerabilities.
“Other departments have been very open in saying, ‘If you’re having trouble, let us know and we’ll help you,'” Brundidge said. “That’s great because it hasn’t always been that way. But what Denton is doing is making sure that new hires are made aware of these things as part of their training. [adverse mental effects]. They are laying the foundation for more success in dealing with trauma. ”
One way the department does that is by building a peer support network with each new hire.
When a new recruit joins the Denton Fire Department, helping them build a family on the job is a top priority.
New recruits are not immediately assigned to a specific station. As they move from station to station, it can be more difficult to establish fragile relationships at first.
To alleviate this problem, the department hosts a new employee peer support night immediately after hire. A new class of firefighters and their loved ones gather for dinner. This is an opportunity for them to get to know each other, for families to connect, and to start building a support system.
“The group you’re hired with is the core group you talk to until you leave,” Bentley said.
At a recent peer support night in January, Bentley spoke candidly about his own experiences with mental health and substance abuse, encouraging newcomers to open up about each other and themselves.
A rookie firefighter holds a child during the Denton Fire Department’s rookie peer support night in January. Families of firefighters attended not only to support their loved ones, but also to connect with other families.
Brooke Colombo/DRC
Some new employees didn’t have a peer support team in their previous department. He had never attended CISM before, but the dinner exposed them to the idea that they were welcome to share their struggles here.
Most of the newcomers who attended January’s Peer Support Night were parents of young children, who happily chased each other around the fire station before finally settling into their parents’ arms and snacking on bread sticks. I stuffed my mouth with a handful and fortunately didn’t notice the serious discussion going on around me.
Bentley said it’s all about kids being able to enjoy their firefighter parents and fire department relatives. The children exemplify why it is so important to look after each other’s mental health in the fire department. When first responders take care of themselves and each other, they take care of their communities and families.
“The No. 1 goal is for players to come in healthy and leave healthy,” Bentley said. “We can prepare them mentally and physically so they can leave the department, retire happily, play with their grandchildren, enjoy their retirement, and avoid 30 years of trauma. I want to do that.”
