Oneonta fire chief seeks first responder supports

Yahoo

09-04-2025

Improving the mental health of first responders requires a multi-faceted approach, including addressing workplace culture, building individual resilience and ensuring access to mental health resources.
Oneonta Fire Chief Brian Knapp is working on a plan, inspired by a recent report on the mental health challenges facing first responders, to bring new support systems to local firefighters.
Knapp made his initial pitch to the city's Community Wellness Committee on March 25, saying that in dealing with some of the critical community issues the committee is charged with addressing, such as homeless and drug addiction, it's police, fire and EMS workers who are the face of the city — the ones who are on the front lines handling these issues.
"If we want to solve these issues citywide," Knapp said to The Daily Star April 3, "we need to make our first responders as healthy as possible, so that they're able to handle all of these community issues."
The city's Budget Review Committee intends to meet with Knapp during its May meeting to discuss city spending for the fire department.
The mental health needs report
The report, New York State First Responder Mental Health Needs Assessment, was conducted by The Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives and Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz and issued in February.
First responders are "at significant risk for burnout and for developing mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety," the report stated. "The mental well-being of first responders deserves attention, especially given their critical role in maintaining public safety and providing emergency assistance."
More than 6,000 first responders responded, included police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, dispatchers and emergency management, at both the career and volunteer levels with varying years of service.
Knapp said that while he made the firefighters under his command aware of the survey — which was one of many requests the department has received — he's unsure if anyone local participated since it was anonymous.
Key findings
Knapp complied a list of key findings in the report on the challenge for fire and EMS, and other list for police.
On the fire side, 64% of EMS and 58% of firefighters reported that traumatic events — accidents, medical emergencies, fatalities — are significant stressors.
Risk of injury on the job, shift work and overtime were all cited as practical job stressors. Time away from family and friends and the public perception of the profession were cited as social stressors.
More than half reported mental health impacts including burnout, anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.
Lack of access to mental health care was identified by 81% of EMS and 71% of firefighters as a barrier. The stigma surrounding seeking mental health care was ranked high as a key barrier, as were the worry about being perceived as unreliable by peers and confidentially concerns.
Logistical barriers to care included time constraints, scheduling conflicts, cost and lack of employer support.
Knapp said that people have different ways of processing trauma and dealing with stress, so it's not always apparent when someone is struggling.
"Unless you see a significant change in behavior, it's hard to determine how someone's dealing with it," Knapp said. "We all deal with traumas and emotions a little bit differently, but based on this data, it's a bigger issue than we probably thought it was."
Proposed solutions
The recommended solutions to support first responders' well-being came from the survey respondents themselves, Knapp said, "what the people in the career said would be beneficial."
The proposed solutions Knapp would like to see implemented locally include having culturally competent clinicians on retainer, improving access to fitness equipment and reducing the stigma around mental health treatment overall.
Knapp attend the Fire and Emergency Services Health, Wellness, and Safety Symposium in Utica from March 7-9, hosted by state Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Speakers discussed the lack of culturally competent clinicians, which are counselors who understand the unique lifestyle, experiences and trauma of first responders and can tailoring care to meet their needs.
"A normal person would have maybe two to three major life-altering experiences that would affect them in their lifetime," Knapp said, "whereas a first responder could have three in a shift, or a month."
Having access to a person who can connect with first responders, either through training or experience as a first responder, would beneficial.
Knapp said that he asked each crew if creating a workout area and making an hour of exercise while on duty mandatory, and they were supportive of the idea.
"If you have nothing, then you have no support," he said, "If you put something into place with 60% buy-in, or 80% buy-in, you're at least protecting those people."
State initiatives
New York state is working on some initiatives to help with the overall issue of first responder mental health.
A news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul's office from Feb. 5, upon the release of the mental health needs report, touted new initiatives "to protect and support New York's first responders, including launching a first responder counseling scholarship program to create a sustainable pipeline of mental health professionals uniquely equipped to support the responder community."
"Understanding the extreme stress and cumulative trauma our first responders typically experience on the job is a critical starting point for us to address burnout and other negative impacts they encounter," state Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said in a statement. "This survey and the subsequent focus group discussions have provided us with critical information to advise our efforts to support the mental health needs of the first responder community and their families."