First Responders face trauma as part of the job. Firefighters, Law Enforcement officers, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and other emergency personnel may regularly encounter fatal accidents, medical emergencies, child injuries, violence, disasters, line-of-duty deaths, and other deeply distressing situations.
Repeated exposure to traumatic events can take a toll on mental health over time. For many first responders, peer support is one of the most trusted and accessible ways to begin addressing stress, trauma, and PTSD.
Yet there is an important group that can sometimes be overlooked: the peer supporters themselves.



