More First Responders Die from Suicide than Line of Duty Deaths

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - First responders see it all; life and death.

A new mental health study from the Ruderman Family Foundation shows first responders are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty, which is a statistic that's causing change in Wichita.

"We're going to interact with people who are having their worst day, but it's often we don't reflect back that we're having every body's worst day almost every day we show up at work," Stuart Bevis, fire marshal at the Wichita Fire Department said. 

In 2017, at least 103 firefighters and 140 police officers died from suicide, more than the 93 firefighters and 129 police officers who died in the line of duty. 

"The day to day build up of seeing tragedy, just can wear on people over time," said David Johnston, operations manager at Sedgwick County EMS. 

"Those are weights that do start bogging down in one way or the other; physically, mentally, emotionally," said Bevis. 

But, police fire and EMS agencies in Wichita have developed what they call peer support groups and teams to help assist first responders at any time. 

"There used to be a kind of mantra out in emergency services of suck it up, get over it, you need to go on to the next call," Johnston said. "That's not working. People are hurting and we have to help them."

Brooke Hale is a paramedic for Sedgwick County EMS and part of the peer support team.

"It's like a security blanket," Hale said. "Just knowing that if you need help, we can provide that for you. We all run these calls, we all know what it's like. So, just talking to a co-worker often times is all that they might need."

Every first responder is given a brochure about the peer support team, which includes tips, professional resources and peer phone numbers in hopes of not only saving other people's lives on calls, but each other's, too.

"We have to remember that if we can't help ourselves, it's hard to help someone else," Hale said. 

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. It is open 24 hours a day. You can also visit the Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.