ORLANDO FIREFIGHTERS
PEER SUPPORT 

Our goal is to provide support and wellness to our fellow firefighters and their families though the process of listening, referral and support.

The Peer Team member’s role is one of support and allowing the Professional Provider to facilitate the peer’s reactions to a critical incident, job related stress or personal crisis.

OUR MISSION

FIRE & EMS HELPLINE
1-888-731-3473

Monthly 
Newsletter
to remind you to keep your mental health
a priority

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Cumulative Trauma

Situations that first responders are generally faced with are inherently challenging, complex, and dangerous. They are typically the first to arrive on the scene of events involving injuries and loss of life, are confronted with circumstances where their lives are seriously threatened, and likely need to provide emotional as well as physical support to traumatized survivors.

First responders have many vulnerabilities because of their constant exposure to death and destruction. There are other risk factors for them and others who are experiencing cumulative stress that put them at higher risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those vulnerable to PTSD are individuals who have experienced prior trauma, are exposed to trauma as children, are female, experienced a high level of physical and psychological hyper-arousal in the period immediately following a traumatic event, had dissociative symptoms and psychic numbing at the time of a traumatic event, presented with depressive symptoms in the initial weeks after the traumatic event, and had Acute Stress Disorder.

First responders must continue to respond despite their level of disturbance, even after concerted effort is put in where they may have “failed” or achieved “unsuccessful” results. This cycle is repeated over many years of service. Some even witness their friends and colleagues being hurt or killed after working in similar ways and situations that they personally do.

Stress varies from person to person. All the symptoms related to stress carry the connotation of unreasonable demands being placed on the individual psychologically, emotionally, and/or physiologically. Stressors can be physical, emotional or both.

Physical and emotional stress often elicit physiological responses that are mediated through the autonomic nervous system. Stress is present in individuals in two major ways through momentary stress and cumulative stress. Momentary stress appears regularly in everyday life.

The prolonged accumulation of momentary stress leads to an increase in long-term cumulative stress and impact on overall health. It is now widely accepted in the scientific and medical communities that chronic stress can have a detrimental effect on mental and physical well-being.

For first responders or any individual that is experiencing cumulative stress, if left untreated, the level of psychological distress can destroy relationships, ruin personal health, and deprive a person of living a fulfilling life.

Michelle P. Maidenberg Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R, CGP
Psychology Today

“The Expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it, is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water and not get wet.”

Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Post Traumatic Growth
Where do we go from here?

Posttraumatic Growth is a positive psychological transformation that can happen after trauma. The science of PTG demonstrates that when we’re forced to reflect on our lives and make sense of the destruction caused by trauma, our struggles can become a catalyst for change.

Trauma does not have to be the end of the road, rather it can be the path to a new beginning!

What is the difference between PTSD and PTG?
PTSD and PTG can both arise from psychological struggle with a highly stressful or traumatic event. PTSD is a diagnosis marked by the experience of multiple trauma-related symptoms, to include re-experiencing the trauma (intrusive thoughts, memories, flashbacks, or nightmares), avoidance behaviors (avoiding people and situations that remind us of trauma), cognitive distortions (loss of memory, counterproductive ideas about life and what happened, persistent negative mood), and increased arousal (irritability, aggressive behavior, hypervigilance, startling easily, sleep problems).

Posttraumatic growth is a process whereby we transform our struggle into a new path, and an outcome where we experience positive changes because of the struggle in the aftermath of trauma. Some people experience symptoms of PTSD and posttraumatic growth at the same time.

24/7
Resources

SHIFT LEAD
Tony Ramos 305-282-0061
BJ Shanks 407-808-9471
Jason Hooper 407-949-2514
Tyler Gaddy 407-446-6362
Mike Oubre 407-462-2128
Kyle Bolton 407-579-5260
Leon Poke Jr. 407-766-3716

A Shift Peers

SHIFT LEAD
Jimmy Reyes 407-399-3708
Brian Stilwell 863-409-3101
Lori McDonald  407-383-2642
Jeff Orrange 407-902-5544
Colleen Walsh 407-947-2912
Terra Hutcheson 813-478-2329
Kyle Dupont 407-760-0979

B Shift Peers

SHIFT LEAD
Curt Searcy 407-463-7361
Nickolas Tuten 407-493-7026
Tim Capps 407-716-1786
Andre Smith 407-535-3663
Ed Maerkl 321-446-0840
Pat Kelly 321-303-7772
Freddie Poke 407-860-0444
Steven Negedly 386-795-4820

C Shift Peers

Lead
Izzy Pellot 407-690-3258
Jade Chisholm 904-610-8570

Civilian Paramedic Peers

Dale Reynolds 321-229-2091
Rick Jeffery 407-222-0924
Joe McCluan 321-438-5321
Pat Martin 407-920-8341
Eli Dejesus 407-402-5248
Jimmy Madriaga 407-929-2702
Ray Cordero 407-383-0973
Geoff Corah 321-303-1095
Ken Rinaldi 321-436-7944

Retiree Peers

Lead
Jennifer Fayson 407-470-9176
Felicia Jones 702-354-1393

Communications Peers

Orlando FD Chaplain
Lonnie Crawford 407-312-5312

Reedy Creek FD Chaplain
Rick Spence 407-595-4579

Arnold Palmer Hospital Chaplain
John Rowe 407-462-1255

Chaplains

Click on the specific resource you need below

Self Assessments and Tips

A Behavioral Health Access Program, or a BHAP for short, is a comprehensive and operationalized plan which clearly specifies the mental health services first responders and their families may need, where those services are available within their communities, and levels and standards of care that are expected from these services. Its purpose is to ensure education, support, assessment, and intervention for members who may be affected by behavioral health issues. The BHAP has been recognized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as a best practice and is becoming a world standard of behavioral healthcare for first responders.

BHAP toolkit NOW AVAILABLE

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