1st Responder Suicides

“And yet another……… I’ve said it before and will say it again…..So long as we, as a society, as emergency services organizations keep doing what we’re doing, it’s my opinion that 1st responder deaths by suicide will continue. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. We continually say “we are here for you, you are not alone, just reach out” but those who choose suicide didn’t reach out. Many of the sufferers I have networked with have also said they didn’t reach out. I didn’t reach out. Regardless of whether it was because of stigma or something else, the point is they didn’t reach out. Instead of standing on the shore watching someone drown in a pond of water and saying to them “we are here for you, you are not alone, just reach out” perhaps its time that we proactively reach in. As rescuers we eventually go into that water to make the rescue. Why do we not do the same thing when someone is drowning from PTSD/Depression/Anxiety?? I ask a very simple question……so just how is what we are currently doing working ….it’s not!

Rob Leathen
Rob Leathen
Leathen Educational Services

When We Recover Loudly, We Keep Others From Dying Quietly