By Ishani Desai
The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — At the drop of a hat, a first responder could recall several details of an incident — the location of the call, the clothing a victim was wearing, a smell, the treatment provided and more.
The incident could have been 20 years ago, but that paramedic or emergency medical technician could still suffer from the trauma of a particular incident, said Sunny Mueller, a licensed clinical professional counselor who has partnered with Hall Ambulance to provide its employees with mental health services.
Hall Ambulance paramedics have access to mental health professionals to help them cope with difficult calls via the employee assistance program. It offers counselors, like Mueller, who are available 24 hours a day, said Jenny Ramirez, the director of human resources at Hall Ambulance.
“The human body, human psyche, isn’t really built for dealing with those types of traumas, over and over and over,” Mueller said. “This is a role that we as humans have created in our society.”
Trauma could impact a first responder in different ways, and at different times. A person could encounter a dire situation and it could still affect them six months later, Ramirez said. Hall Ambulance doesn’t cap how many times its first responders can talk to a counselor, she added.
But talking to a mental health professional is not the only method Hall Ambulance offers, Ramirez said. People such as Mueller can reach out to a first responder and work with them to find other helpful alternatives.
The employee assistance program is also available to families.
Mueller said many paramedics may avoid telling their family about their struggles because they want to protect their families from these heavy incidents. But then the first responder may start to withdraw from their family because they are suffering.
The refusal to share could affect a family member, who needs help to understand their loved one, Mueller said.
“If the incident constantly replays in a person’s mind over a week, then there needs to maybe be some processing,” Mueller added.
She encourages first responders to speak with their spouses. And she encourages spouses to read books about being a first responder and go on a ride-along. These methods may help a loved one understand the stressors of the job.
A stigma around getting help also could deter many first responders from talking to a mental health professional, Mueller said. It comes from them thinking they are invincible once in uniform.
But a uniform doesn’t make your brain impervious to trauma, she added.
However, in the last five years, Mueller has seen an uptick in first responders getting help as more stigma is broken. Mark Corum, the director of media services for Hall Ambulance, agreed and said he has seen more people accessing help. Many used to think of receiving mental health help as a weakness, Corum added.
“They need to have that place ... to get that out,” Mueller said. “It is a wound that is festering.”
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