Sunrise Fire Chief Says FRSST Program Is A Way To Help First Responders With PTSD & Mental Health

In a follow-up to a story yesterday on KRMS News, the lake area fire industry now has an operational First Responder Stress Support Team.

Sunrise Beach Chief Joe Laplant says such a program has really become a necessity over the past 20 years.

“One of the biggest thing that were running into in the fire service, and actually all emergency services nowadays….is a rise in PTSD, Divorce, Suicide, Drug Abuse, Alcohol….you know, it’s just climbing throughout the country. And it really took center stage during 9/11, you know…when we lost 343 firefighters at the World Trade Center.”

The First Responder Stress Support Team, according to Chief Laplant, will provide a big boost to the lake area, generally, being the most effective if utilized within 24-48 hours of an incident and a local first responder needing the service.

A number of lake area districts worked in conjunction with each other to make formation of the local stress support team possible.