In late August, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2717 (HB 2717), giving the state’s 911 operators free, unlimited therapy in hopes of reducing the effect of traumatic calls on their health. With September being National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, it is important for us to discuss ways in which mental health and suicide awareness are being represented.
It is no secret that mental health comes with a stigma. Countless men and women have been expected to conceal their emotions, regardless of the situation. When they do, they are labeled as “soft” or even “crazy,” so most choose to suffer in silence. When working a job that more than likely consists of hearing traumatic stories and events, keeping emotions inside can take a tremendous toll on mental health.
In a recently published study from the Journal of Safety Research, it was found that “first responders made up 1% of all suicides from 2015-2017,” and when categorized, public safety telecommunicators made up the last 2%. The highest statistic came from law enforcement officers with 58%, followed by firefighters at 21% and EMS providers at 18%.
Hopefully with more mental health awareness thanks to bills like in Arizona, more of the people who help us can receive help themselves and not feel uncomfortable or weak.
HB 2717 allows us as citizens to take a step back and realize how tough these jobs can be for those who are not necessarily directly connected to a traumatic incident. Rich Filipow, a retired police lieutenant for the Fairfield Police Department in New Jersey, said that in his 25 years of work, “there were cases and images that stay[ed] with [him].” He added that even after being retired for six years, he still can’t leave them behind.
Even though 911 operators are not there to see the event, they are the ones who stay on the phone with the victims who are actually experiencing it at that moment. Every word they say, every word they type and essentially every move they make affects the situation. We must also remember that after the call ends, there is almost never a way to know whether the person suffering could be saved. This can result in extreme stress and guilt, and in most cases, post-traumatic stress disorder.
Filipow believes that these new services in Arizona could “prevent stress and issues from building up” in these dispatchers. During his time as an officer, he noted that “after several traumatic events, all officers involved…were required to attend a debriefing session with a counseling group.” Following this consultation, “officers could seek one-on-one sessions if they desired.” But the stigma around seeking emotional assistance can often still prevent this.
Those who work in these public safety careers are expected to be strong, to be the ones who fix the problems, not have them. Hopefully with more mental health awareness thanks to bills like in Arizona, more of the people who help us can receive help themselves and not feel uncomfortable or weak.
I commend Gov. Hobbs for taking a step in the right direction in helping dispatchers. After all, we trust these people with our lives, but who is looking out for theirs?
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Alex Green, Pexels
