Being a first responder is a high-stress occupation. When your job requires you to save people and property under threat of danger on a regular basis, it can take a mental toll.
There is no room for error as a first responder. People are literally depending on your expertise, skill and courage under the most stress-filled conditions. What effect does such a sustained level of high-stress trauma have on the mental and emotional stability of first responders over time?
Joining the Exchange to discuss this rarely discussed, but important, issue are two guests:
Bob Arnsmeier is the Training Coordinator for Peer Support Southern Oregon.
Holly Migas is a chaplain and the Executive Director of Responder Life.
BIOS
Holly Migas is a native Oregonian, chaplain, and the Executive Director of Responder Life. For more than 20 years, she has supported first responders, wildland fire crews, law enforcement, and other high-stress professions. Her experience includes serving with the FBI, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Through her leadership at Responder Life, Holly is working to expand peer support, mental health resources, and resilience training across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Beyond her professional work, she values family, faith, and helping others find hope and resilience.
Bob Arnsmeier is the Training coordinator for the Peer Support Team in Southern Oregon, an Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) program. The team has 15 volunteer members offering support to firefighters who seek help dealing with the mental health consequences of their job. It is a completely individualized, voluntary process. It started in 2020 ( the same year as Almeda, a fire season that was a catalyst for the creation of the program) and has continued to grow beyond Oregon.
Recruitment of peer support team members is basically word of mouth. Someone's experience or personal story might make them a good candidate able to related to fire fighters seeking help. That being said, the peer support team members are there to listen, not to talk about their experience but to support other firefighters.
