Missouri first responders undergo special training to cope with job-related trauma

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – An invisible cloak of protection that shields our society is weaved by those who serve as the first line of defense from disaster, however big or small.

Whether it’s a deadly collision, an apartment building fire, or a violent crime scene, a community’s law enforcement, fire crews, and EMTs are the ones who respond to the most traumatic scenes in everyday life as an expected part of the job.

Those experiences have an impact.

While the National Institutes of Health report the highest estimate of post-traumatic stress disorder among the general public is 12%, the rate among EMTs/paramedics is estimated to be as high as 22%, and the rate among law enforcement officers is as high as 32%.

A 2023 report from the Journal of Safety Research found that between 2015 and 2017, first responders accounted for 1% of all reported suicides.

“First responders, specifically LEOs, FFs, and EMS, are almost always first on the scene of an incident or natural disaster, ensuring the safety of the public,” the report noted. “The work that these responders do on a day-to-day basis [is] inherently dangerous due to the physical nature of the activities and the environmental exposures that are often encountered.”

In Missouri, a program funded through a grant from the state’s Department of Public Safety provides free training to first responders on how to support and maintain their mental, and emotional health amid those on-the-job stressors.

It’s called Critical Incident Stress Management training (CISM), and in Missouri, it’s offered by the Warrior’s Rest Foundation, an organization aimed at helping first responders cope and process the unique challenges they face.

Teresa Torsiello-Miller took part in one of the organization’s 3-day seminars which started Tuesday in Jefferson City. She’s been in the fire service for a decade, and currently serves with the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District.

“I’ve come across several traumatic calls in my 10 years, probably more than the average person,” Torsiello-Miller said. “Kind of goes hand in hand with being a first responder.”

Torsiello-Miller added, however, she recently gained a new perspective when her son was born.

“For me, personally, being a mom now, the children affect me the most, but I do have a soft spot for the older generation, because I can relate to like my grandpa and my Mima, and it just affects everyone differently,” Torsiello-Miller said.

Part of the CISM training, instructor Gary Isbell said, involves recalibrating an agency’s culture to place a more robust focus on the mental and emotional well-being of each member.

First responders are trained to be on the lookout for certain behavioral signs of increased stress, depression, changes in moods or habits, etc.

“What this does for us is this gives us the basis to recognize, recognize those issues, gives us the tools to deal with those issues, and gives us an outlet to pass those people on to more advanced care,” said Joseph LaPlant, Fire Chief, Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District.

Isbell said there is an implicit pressure on first responders to perform their job flawlessly and maintain a professional and stoic demeanor, even in the face of catastrophe.

“They expect us to be right 100% of the time they expect us to be courteous every time,” Isbell said. “It’s not just if you want to be, … that’s the standard you have to do. And so we almost become non-human to people.”

Isbell said the more communities can normalize the conversations surrounding trauma and mental health, the safer we’ll ultimately make those communities.

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