Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious issue and it’s in our backyard says Barrhead Fire Chief John Whittaker.
Whittaker made his comments to county council following his quarterly report Nov. 7 after reeve Doug Drozd invited him to give his personal opinion on a resolution related to specialized clinical counselling and therapy for distressed emergency first responders. While council made no decision on Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMD&C) Resolution 12-17F — a resolution sponsored by the County of St. Paul, county CAO Debbie Oyarzun said it will be one of 20 discussed at the AAMD&C convention this week.
“Through our unit of authority [the town] we have a program called the Emergency Family Assistance Program (EFAP) that is for our full and part time members who are dealing with stress,” Whittaker said, noting it allows the department to call in PTSD and PTSI counsellors.
People say it is a disorder but Whittaker said he doesn’t think it is.
“It is the body’s normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Some of the stuff that we see on our Monday to Friday is very stressful. Whether it is a physical, mental or total life-loss, it is difficult. Having done this for 22 years, I’ve seen a lot of good people that we’ve lost because of this sort of thing and back in the day, when I first started, we used to head to the legion or talk about it at the back of the hall. Sometimes that works, sometimes not.
“Losing a person because of something they’re dealing with that even just talking about can treat, and making sure we can keep our volunteers longer, it’s peanuts to pay when you consider the cost of having to replace them,” Whittaker said, noting the province had initially offered a handful of training programs last year that led to a conference in Jasper and his department sent five members.
“The course being offered at the conference was worth $1,600 per person and we got our people trained for free. We were actually complimented at the conference with respect to how we are dealing with not only training our people but providing them with the supports they need when something traumatic happens,” Whittaker said.
On a question from Drozd regarding what Whittaker felt about the initiative, the fire chief said it was a good idea.
“There are already people in the government that we can deal with but this is just a way to formalize the program,” Whittaker said, noting it was similar to the crisis counseling program available through schools.
“I honestly don’t think Alberta Health Services (AHS) has a clue when it comes to mental health. I hear time and time again, when people with PTSD injuries go to them and say they are having problems, they (AHS) will look at you like a deer caught in your headlights. They just don’t know how to handle it.”
In the department, Whittaker said there are a number of people qualified to help firefighters and other first responders deal with PTSD.
“In addition to a lieutenant, our deputy fire chief, a captain and an administrative assistant who are all signed off on this particular training, we have former deputy Les Goertz, our member at large,” he said, noting other departments in the area have called Barrhead for assistance on this issue.
Whittaker said he can definitely see the benefit.
“You have to be able to relate to it though. A councillor cannot relate to a firefighter and vice versa, a firefighter cannot relate to the stresses a councillor endures. To have this outside task force is a great idea but sometimes talking within your own group is just as valuable,” he said, adding PTSD injuries are serious and the department has invested resources to combat it.
Ripple Connection Support Centre director Darcy Lockhart agreed, noting it is an issue that has been ignored for too long.
“Anything that can help with this is a good idea. It’s not something you can put in the past or ignore. It stays with you,” she said, adding it is past time people take notice of the scope of the problem.
With emergency first responders, Lockhart said, it is difficult to imagine what sorts of things stay with them.
“Imagine going to a car accident and finding dead children inside the vehicle. What would that do to your soul? There is a very famous saying that I got from a gentleman who talks about grief and loss on a monthly basis in Edmonton, Dr. Alan Wolfelt, and he’s quoting Helen Keller — ‘the only way to get from here to there is through’ and I think that’s very apt. For some people, the journey is a bit longer than for others but really, that’s the only way to do it,” she said.
