Mental health for first responders cannot be forgotten

The conversations I had with the victims and first responders in the wake of last week’s shooting in Parkland still haunt me. My heart breaks for those who were gunned down by this mad man. It is a loss that will torment the families for the rest of their lives. It will torment all those who witnessed this horrific tragedy.

I traveled to Broward County last week and met with first responders who were on the scene, including the Coral Springs Parkland Fire Chief Frank Babinec. They spoke candidly about their experiences. In some cases, there were kids pulling out kids.

It’s been my biggest priority to ensure first responders have access to mental health care because they are on the front line of defense. Lives were saved in Parkland because of these brave men and women, but who are on the front lines for them?

After seeking help for the demons haunting him during his 30-year career, Steve LaDue, a Tampa firefighter, took his own life in September of last year. He sought help, but because Florida’s workers’ compensation system does not cover mental health unless accompanied by a physical injury, his claim was denied and he was required to pay for the treatment he already had received. Steve LaDue is now part of the sad statistics that plague this profession.

A 2015 Florida State University study found that 15.5 percent of firefighters reported having made at least one suicide attempt during their time in fire service, compared to approximately 2 percent of the U.S. adult population. Forty-six percent of firefighters reported having thought about suicide, compared to approximately 5 percent of the U.S. adult population. These are shocking percentages. For our first responders, treatment is literally a matter of life and death.

As we discuss increasing mental health care treatment, we can’t overlook the very real needs our first responders have as they struggle to deal with the immense psychological and emotional toll of their job. First responders witness horrific crimes and encounter dangerous conditions because it is their job. They work each day to make sure we don’t end up as another sad statistic. Last year, four states, including Texas, approved measures that increase access to mental health benefits for first responders, with three of those states doing it through the workers’ compensation system. This year I want to add Florida to that list.

We continue to hear horrific stories about loss of life, and the impact on our first responders, that reverberate throughout our communities in Florida: Orlando police officer Gerry Realin, who removed bodies after the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016; and David Dangerfield, a battalion chief for Indian River County who committed suicide in October 2016 after a 27-year career. What stories will we hear from our first responder community after Parkland? How many more cries for help will we need to hear before Florida acts?

Our first responders serve us every day without hesitation or questioning our politics. They don’t care who you voted for in the last election, only about helping you, your family, and their community during critical and vulnerable times. We’ve seen this time and time again, and now with the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I fully support increased mental health screening, counseling, and training, but it would be shameful if our first responders were forgotten about in this conversation. First responders show up for us. It’s time Florida shows up for them.

Jimmy Patronis is Florida’s chief financial officer and state fire marshal.