SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — As Central Florida crews continue to help with the search and rescue in Surfside, the work is taking a heavy toll on them.
What You Need To Know
- Seminole firefighters have been in Surfside to assist with search at collapsed condo
- Lt. Tripp Hansen said the work has been difficult physically and mentally
- State leaders asked President Biden for mental-health resources for first responders
- People working at the site need to keep mental health concerns in mind, experts say
For a week now, Lt. Tripp Hansen and firefighters from Seminole County have been helping in the search for survivors in Surfside.
“It’s a lot of hard, back-breaking work, long hours," Hansen said. "We’re working 12-hour shifts, 12 a.m. to 12 p.m.”
But he said the mental demands are just as grueling as the physical.
“It does take a mental toll, you know, when you first came here you’re seeing something we obviously have not seen of this magnitude in one single area,” he said.
That’s why State Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis made the request of President Joe Biden when he visited with him on site.
“The need for mental-health resources for our first responders here on site…we’ve got to look out for their well-being,” Patronis said.
He specifically requested resources from the president to assist in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms in these first responders.
“One of the things that’s greatly lacking in our funding, is mental-health funding,” Peer Support Specialist and Police and Fire Chaplain Michael Saxe said.
He has offered peer and religious support to first responders for more than 20 years.
After he suffered from PTSD as well in his own law enforcement career when he was involved in a bad car accident and responded to the 9/11 terror attack at the World Trade Center in New York.
The men and women helping the search and rescue efforts in Surfside need to be aware of how they’re doing when they return, he said.
“They need to be aware of…’Am I sleeping properly? Am I eating properly? Am I working out? Am I starting to remove myself from social situations?…Am I awake at night? Am I having nightmares?’ " Saxe said.
Hansen said they know how important mental health is in this job, and while they’re focused on their mission, he said they encourage everyone to take care of themselves, too.
“Mental health is a real aspect of the job, and realizing it’s okay to not be okay, and to speak out about it and reach out for help,” Hansen said.
The Seminole County Fire Department has already reached out to them and talked about debriefing and checking in with everyone when they get back, he added.