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Mental Health Resources Are Now Available for Pennsylvania'a Firefighters, EMS

HARRISBURG, Pa (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - The Wolf administration is providing new online mental wellness resurces for Pennsylvania's firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.

State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego made the announcement on Wednesday and said "More and more of our first responders are affected by the invisible wounds of traumatic experiences they have been through as part of their jobs.


"Some time ago, many in our profession were hesitant to seek professional help to achieve mental wellness for a variety of reasons.  We now know the potentially devastating effects of this hesitation.  Governor Wolf has made addressing mental health needs a priority in the state with his Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters campaign."

Left untreated, mental health problems can lead to serious problems including the risk of suicide. According to a 2015 study, it was found that 46 percent of firefighters have suicidal thoughts.

"Continuing to ignore the mental health of first responders is simply not an option," Trego said.  "The costs are too great."

Through the Public Health Foundation website, Firefighters and EMS personnel can access free training courses and other resources geared toward mental wellness. 

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