Edwyn Barnett is a firefighter at the North Charleston Fire Department. He and his team encounter traumatic events on a weekly basis. They never know what to expect or who might have been severely injured or killed. Barnett knows the severity of his job especially after having to respond to the death of one of his own classmates.
This, along with other factors related to firefighter life, impacts their mental well-being. To address this problem, Dr. Angela Moreland of the Medical University of South Carolina, and her team have created an app that provides mental health resources at no cost. The app has several components including education for families and even therapists on how to deal specifically with firefighter’s cases. Information about the app can be found at the Center for Firefighter Behavioral Health website.
Moreland hopes their program will continue to raise awareness of what firefighter’s go through and also provide a good resource to help combat issues of suicide, drug abuse, and more.