By Nancy Hicks
Lincoln Star Journal
OMAHA, Neb. — A teenager hangs himself in his bedroom and the first responder, who has a child the same age, has to cut the teen dow
A new volunteer firefighter helps with CPR on an 18-month baby found in a backyard pool. The baby dies. The volunteer has several cousins that age.
A young boy falls into a grain bin of soybean meal. Volunteer emergency responders dig him out and clean the meal out of his nose and mouth so they can give mouth-to-mouth.
These are the people Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop wants to help. He wants to make sure they get the counseling they need for the post-traumatic stress that can be result from these kinds of incidents.
On Thursday, senators gave 37-0 first-round approval to his bill (LB780), which would provide workers compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder for police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, both volunteer and paid.
Worried about the potential future cost, senators decided to make this a trial run. The measure will sunset after three years, although future legislation could continue it.
The Legislature’s fiscal office estimated providing the mental health care would cost less than $8,000 a year, but a number of business groups and the Nebraska League of Municipalities opposed the bill, fearing it would open the door to greater coverage of mental health issues and greater costs.
If a police officer gets a paper cut in this state, he or she can get medical care. But if a cop has to shoot someone or watch a partner get shot and die, he or she cannot get care, said Sen. Abbie Cornett, a retired police officer.
Sometimes people can deal with a traumatic incident by debriefing. But sometimes they can’t get an image from a car accident or that of a child at the bottom of a pool out of their heads, Lathrop said.
The issue is really not about money, said Cornett of Bellevue.
“The debate is about whether you recognize mental illness as an illness, as an injury.
“If you are injured at work, you should be treated.”
Copyright 2010 Lincoln Journal Star