Garland, Grapevine firefighters part of mental health support at Florida condo collapse

Firefighters from the Garland and Grapevine Fire Departments were recently dispatched to Surfside, Florida to provide mental support to other firefighters and frontline workers in the collapse of the condominium.

“What we’re doing is we make ourselves available as firefighters because we speak the same language,” said Captain JD Schulgen of the Garland Fire Department.

Captain Schulgen and Lt. Matt Brawner of the Garland Fire Department and Josh Santiago, a paramedic with the Grapevine Fire Department, were on site for six days last week as part of the International Association of Firefighters Peer Support Program. Members are urged to provide support and share information on local mental health resources during major crises, including contact information for therapists and counselors, Schulgen told The Dallas Morning News.

The association called on around a dozen firefighters from across the country to travel to Florida, Santiago said.

Schulgen said he and others in the group offered help in El Paso after the 2019 Walmart shooting, in Midland after the 2019 shooting, and in Charleston, South Carolina after a local firefighter killed himself.

One of the most valuable aspects of the program, he said, is that first responders in great need can have someone to talk to who understands the difficulties and trauma that are unique to the job.

The program also breaks down barriers associated with access to mental health care, said Schuldren, who has been in the profession for more than three decades and comes from a family of firefighters. In the past, conversations about mental health have been more stigmatized – although first responders regularly experience and experience significant stress and tragedy, he said.

“The worst day of [peoples’] Life is when you usually show up. You will be in this business for 20, 30, 40 years, and it is challenging and can affect your family. Well, it’s okay not to be okay, ”said Schulgen. “There are resources and people out there who can help you master this.”

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