VIDEO: Firefighters and paramedics are often the first to arrive at scenes most people never witness — fatal fires, serious crashes and medical emergencies involving children. News 6 has reported extensively on the toll those experiences can take on first responders. Now, Orange County leaders are offering a new resource to protect their mental health.
The issue was brought into sharp focus after a deadly house fire in Palm Bay that killed a 10-year-old boy — a call firefighters involved say they will never forget. “From a boots-on-the-ground first responder aspect of it, it’s very, very difficult for them to want to do their job — and unfortunately, they just weren’t able to do that,” said John Ringleb, who spoke about the impact such calls can have on crews. For Orange County Fire Rescue Division Chief of Operations Kimberly Buffkin, processing trauma is part of the job — both in the moment and long after the call ends.
“It saddens me,” Buffkin said. “I honestly understand that we see a lot of things that your typical general public is not exposed to. So it’s a lot to process. It’s a lot for our workforce to deal with on a daily basis.”
According to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders, the suicide rate for firefighters is 18 per 100,000, compared to 13 per 100,000 for the general public — a disparity that has prompted departments and governments nationwide to reassess how they support first responders.
In response, Orange County commissioners approved a contract worth up to $600,000 with Central Florida Psychological Consultants to provide behavioral health evaluations for firefighters and paramedics. County leaders say the goal is to reduce stigma around asking for help and to identify stress, trauma and burnout before they escalate into a crisis.
