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Why is it so hard for first responders to come forward and ask for help when they need it?

It is ok for first responders to come forward and ask for help when they need it. There is a stigma that asking for help makes them weak, but this isn't true. There are many places where they can get the help they need and they should not be afraid to reach out.
 
Transcript: "Why is it so hard for First Responders to come forward and ask for help when they need it? Amazing, amazing question. And this is a question that needs to put out more to the community. It is okay to come forward and ask for help. There's this old stereotype that you know if you come forward and if you're having issues at work, if something's bothering you, you know you've lost the edge. You're weak, you're not supposed to show emotion. In law enforcement, we wear the body armor to protect us from external forces. Well, we also put up a shield to protect us from the trauma that we see the negativity that just the, the horrible stuff in the world. The problem is a lot of times that body armor will come off, but that shield never comes off. You keep everything inside because you don't want to show that you're having a tough time with that call. You were just on or you're going through a tough time in your marriage or your family or your friends, or just personal and it's okay not to be okay. And we need to let our first responder Community know that it's okay to say something you want to talk to your brothers and sisters seek out. What's the peer support group that your agency has if they don't have one reach out to another agency to see if they can refer you to somebody. There's a lot of places out there here on any question. There's a lot of great places that they can provide support. So that's what we're all about is breaking down that stigma breaking down that wall of First Responders. Can't ask for help. You can it is okay, it doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you any less of an officer so my brothers and sisters out there. It's okay. Ask how people who need it."
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Donald Soranno

Investigations Subject Matter Expert
Why is it so hard for First Responders to come forward and ask for help when they need it? Amazing, amazing question. And this is a question that needs to put out more to the community. It is okay to come forward and ask for help. There's this old stereotype that you know if you come forward and if you're having issues at work, if something's bothering you, you know you've lost the edge. You're weak, you're not supposed to show emotion. In law enforcement, we wear the body armor to protect us from external forces. Well, we also put up a shield to protect us from the trauma that we see the negativity that just the, the horrible stuff in the world. The problem is a lot of times that body armor will come off, but that shield never comes off. You keep everything inside because you don't want to show that you're having a tough time with that call. You were just on or you're going through a tough time in your marriage or your family or your friends, or just personal and it's okay not to be okay. And we need to let our first responder Community know that it's okay to say something you want to talk to your brothers and sisters seek out. What's the peer support group that your agency has if they don't have one reach out to another agency to see if they can refer you to somebody. There's a lot of places out there here on any question. There's a lot of great places that they can provide support. So that's what we're all about is breaking down that stigma breaking down that wall of First Responders. Can't ask for help. You can it is okay, it doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you any less of an officer so my brothers and sisters out there. It's okay. Ask how people who need it.