A focus on suicide prevention in public safety

As we mark Suicide Prevention Awareness month, see what public safety and others are doing to address suicide among first responders. 

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FirstNet Health and Wellness Program

"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community."

~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

Read the white paper (PDF)

Learn about ROG the Dog
Back of policeman, with "POLICE" in white on his back, facing two firefighters.

First Responders are real people with real stories

Hear how they’re transforming and growing from traumatic stress.

Watch our Struggle Well Series

The FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition

We launched the FirstNet Health and Wellness Program (FNHWP) officially in May 2020 . We recognized the need to formalize efforts to support first responder health and wellness through advocacy, identifying available resources and building relationships. So guiding the FNHWP is the FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition (the Coalition), which is made up of more than 2 dozen organizations from public safety, academia, and industry.

 

Helping First Responders make mental health a priority

Bridging the Treatment Gap: Peer support for first responders

July 12, 2023

It is essential to offer opportunities for first responders to connect with peers from outside their department, ensuring they feel comfortable and confident in seeking support.

Firefighter standing next to truck

Compass: The compounding effect of trauma in the fire service

March 20, 2023

Compass is like having a small maintenance dose of medicine. But also having a panic button at the same time. If things get bad, I can hit this panic button.

Ian Parkinson

FirstNet: The power behind San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s public safety response

April 12, 2023

Our deputies and investigators carry phones that are on FirstNet, giving them reliable access to information even when they are outside of their cars.

ResponderStrong™ Mental Health Train the Trainer Workshop Nov. 19th

Medical wellness champions and ambassadors - Join us virtually (PDF) for this highly regarded program being implemented across the nation to bolster resiliency, erode stigma, and decrease stress injury: burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
 

Greg Fuller - Fire Chief, City of Huntington, WV

A firefighter's mental well-being is critical to their ability to perform on a long career

March 20, 2023

The fire service is one of those professions where you are able to make a difference in people's lives – to take really bad situations when people may be suffering and make them better.

Austin Sanders - Director, Compass, City of Huntington

Compass: Prioritizing first responder wellness in the City of Huntington

March 20, 2023

First responders put their lives on the line daily to protect their communities. But the job takes a toll on their physical and mental health.

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One Firefighter's Physical Fitness Journey

The Compass Wellness Program in Huntington, WV, has embedded coaches to help the city's police officers and firefighters with their physical and mental wellness.

Watch
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One Firefighter's Mental Fitness Journey

Sam Roy, a Huntington, WV, firefighter talks about the trauma that he's had to process as part of the job. Hear why he says having the Compass Wellness Program to help first responders with mental health "is a big deal."

Watch
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A Holistic Approach to Wellness in the Fire Service

In Huntington, WV, police officers and first responders have the Compass Wellness Program at their disposal for help with both physical and mental health. Hear how the fire department has integrated this program...

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You are not alone. Shining the light on suicide prevention efforts in public safety.

Suicide prevention awareness

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Hope has a new number: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Each year millions of Americans, including emergency responders and frontline healthcare workers, experience thoughts of suicide.

Read article
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Officer wellness and safety main focus for Chief Landa, as president of the local association of chiefs of police

“This initiative has the potential to change policing across this country. But we have to focus first and foremost on the police officer.”

Watch now
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Those on the front lines of public safety know the potential risks of their profession.

The effects of such a mentally- and physically-demanding job can create lasting mental health issues. Dr. Anna Courie discusses the efforts to help responders tackle stress.

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Given the stress today’s first responders face, supporting their well-being has become even more important.

And mobile applications have become the key to accessing the mental, physical and emotional wellness resources they need, writes Emily Marchetta, Lighthouse Health & Wellness.

Read article

Struggle Well series

First responders in Miami-Dade County sat down with us to share their traumatic experiences and how the Boulder Crest Foundation Struggle Well program helped them cope. Listen to their stories.

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Struggle Well - An Approach to Mental Wellness in Law Enforcement

Watch how the Boulder Crest Struggle Well program brought hope to law enforcement agencies in Miami-Dade County and helped them learn to cope with their unique stressors.

Watch now
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Struggle Well – Bringing the Struggle to the Surface

As officers went through the Boulder Crest Struggle Well training, they were able to talk with their peers about things they’d never discussed before and to better understand how these traumas affect their every day lives.

Watch now
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Struggle Well – On the Path to Wellness

The Struggle Well training helped officers reflect more on their personal and work issues they face daily, and taught them ways to cope in a healthy way.

Watch now
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It’s time to learn how to struggle well

Learn more about the Boulder Crest Struggle Well training that delivers post-traumatic growth-based training to first responders.

Learn more
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Changing the conversation from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth

Boulder Crest is the global leader in the development, delivery, study and scale of post-traumatic growth-based programs.

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First Responders share their Struggle Well experiences

Learn how the program is helping these first responders cope with trauma and stress and bringing balance to their lives.

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Connecting you when and where it matters most

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Articles


Additional news

Global Medical Response transforming emergency response with FirstNet

Lessons learned after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lessons learned from the FirstNet® Health and Wellness Coalition

FirstNet and O2X collaborate to promote healthy hearts among first responders

Suicide prevention awareness critical for public safety – especially during the holiday season

Responding to the problem of suicide in public safety

Expanding our support for first responder health and wellness 

Mental health apps, FirstNet® App Catalog an invaluable resource for first responder mental health

'Man's Best Friend' comes to FirstNet with launch of animal assisted therapy program

Three secrets about post-traumatic stress

The importance of the chief's health

7 things first responders can teach you about holiday resilience

How first responders can avoid common mistakes as you set 2021 goals

A commitment to addressing first responder needs

Officer health in the black law enforcement community

Finding balance: How women first responders manage stressors of work, family and career

Safety & Wellness apps

  • Better App

    Better is a powerful mental health app that gives you all the information you need for a better life and better sleep.

    Learn more

  • Better Stop Suicide

    We’ve designed this app to simply help you press your own stop button should suicidal thoughts come to you.

    Learn more

  • Cordico

    Cordico is the world leader in wellness technology for high-stress professions, providing trusted, confidential, 24/7 proactive and preventive wellness support for those serving in the most demanding and critical roles.

    Learn more

  • Lighthouse Health and Wellness

    Lighthouse Health & Wellness was designed to provide our first responders, public safety agencies and those that support them anonymous access to existing health and wellness programs.

    Learn more

  • O2X Human Performance

    The O2X Human Performance app encourages users to make healthy choices daily.

    Learn more

  • Responder Rel8

    First responder peer-to-peer chat app.

    Learn more

  • VALOR Officer Safety

    The VALOR Officer Safety App is today’s law enforcement officers’ tool for success.

    Learn more


 

Animal-assisted therapy

Close-up of ROG the Dog (full-sized white poodle breed), with black Therapy Dog vest/harness, staring to the left.

ROG the Dog, the FirstNet therapy dog

Animal-assisted therapy for first responders:

  • Has a positive impact on mental and physical health
  • Improves coping and recovery from critical events
  • Enhances morale in departments
  • Decreases emotional distress and anxiety
  • Reduces the negative impacts from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS)

Resources

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Downloadable resources

RESOURCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

All Clear Foundation

Helping others is second nature. Ensure you do the same for yourself.

RESOURCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

All Clear Foundation

Helping others is second nature. Ensure you do the same for yourself.

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Making mindfulness a part of your everyday operation

“Responders have a direct line to what is happening in the community. We don’t get the call because people are having a great time.”

Read article
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Global Medical Response transforming emergency response with FirstNet

New technologies expand GMR's capabilities to better serve paramedics and first responders across the country

Read article
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Addressing the unique stressors facing corrections officers

… studies show that correctional officers face some of the same physical and mental health issues as others in public safety.

Read article
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Lessons learned after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic dramatically changed the way the world functioned. People had to find new ways to adapt to changing situation.

Read article
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Lessons learned from the FirstNet® Health and Wellness Coalition

There is a mental health crisis facing our nation’s first responder community.

Read article
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FirstNet and O2X collaborate to promote healthy hearts among first responders

Eat, Sweat, and Thrive your way to optimal heart health.

Read article
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Suicide prevention awareness critical for public safety – especially during the holiday season

One of our driving visions of FirstNet Health and Wellness is that caring is a critical component to building the FirstNet community.

Read article
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Responding to the problem of suicide in public safety

First responders are at a higher risk for suicide than the general population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read article
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Expanding our support for first responder health and wellness

First Net has announced another collaboration with The Quell Foundation, which provides more resources to help first responders who struggle with mental health.

Read article
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Mental health apps, FirstNet® App Catalog an invaluable resource for first responder mental health

mHealth is the evolutionary progress of traditional desktop or telephone healthcare services to the realm of mobile, handheld, and wearable technologies.

Read article
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'Man's Best Friend' comes to FirstNet with launch of animal assisted therapy program

To support public safety on the front lines, FirstNet®, Built with AT&T* is introducing "ROG the Dog" animal assisted therapy.

Read article
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Three secrets about post-traumatic stress

Stress is a normal response. In fact, the stress response can be a protective factor in the face of life-threatening events.

Read article

ResponderStrong™ Mental Health Train the Trainer Workshop Nov. 19th

Medical wellness champions and ambassadors - Join us virtually (PDF) for this highly regarded program being implemented across the nation to bolster resiliency, erode stigma, and decrease stress injury: burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
 

ResponderStrong™ Mental Health Train the Trainer Workshop Nov. 19th

Medical wellness champions and ambassadors - Join us virtually (PDF) for this highly regarded program being implemented across the nation to bolster resiliency, erode stigma, and decrease stress injury: burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
 

RESOURCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

All Clear Foundation

Helping others is second nature. Ensure you do the same for yourself.