Team formed to help local safety forces members deal with trauma
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Feb. 14, 2025) – Area first responders are getting some extra support.
Tuscarawas County now has a Critical Incident Stress Management Team to help local law enforcement, firefighters, and others who face traumatic situations on the job. ADAMHS Board Executive Director Natalie Bollon says the Tusky Valley charter bus tragedy highlighted the need for more outreach to those who serve and protect our community, who are at higher risk of suicide attempts and completions.
“And so what we wanted to do because it is working in other communities is we wanted to develop teams using an evidence-based curriculum, so when our first responders or our community members go through a traumatic experience, we know what to do to help them get through and get to the other side.”
In addition to the ADAMHS Board, the response team includes representatives from Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Agency, the Dover Fire Department, and a couple of local churches. Members underwent three days of intensive training on how to support those in need.
“This is not a clinical intervention, though. This isn’t counseling. The goal of this is just to give them an opportunity to speak about what happened and lessen that burden so they’re not carrying it forward. We will not come unless we’re invited by whoever is in charge of the scene.”
Deputy EMA Director Chase Buckley says they can provide a variety of services depending on the circumstances including pre-incident education and crisis management briefings.
“And up to 12 hours after an incident, we can do what’s called a ‘diffusing,’ which is really just processing what happened and the event and what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling that way. And then even a little further out, we can go even more in-depth if needed with a de-briefing where we go into exactly what happened and how people have responded to it.”
Members were sworn in by Sheriff Orvis Campbell Thursday morning as special deputies.
“Some of them work for agencies that may not cover them, say, if they were driving to an incident and got hurt in a crash. They will be covered by Workers Compensation as special deputies by the county.”
The program is being funded with grant money the ADAMHS Board received from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The group plans to meet with area police and fire chiefs in the coming days to promote its services.