Today, we completed our first Emergency Services Clinicians’ Academy in Charleston and prepared 22 new clinicians to take their place in a program to serve all First Responders in our State. They were joined by another five clinicians from our Lowcountry Team already working in the program. All these participants will become resources along with the eighteen clinicians serving our Lowcountry Teams.
This was an especially exciting program as we brought together our friends from the Fire Service, EMS, 911, and Law Enforcement as presenters to give the participants an opportunity to learn about all our emergency services. Special thanks to the City of North Charleston and the City of Charleston Fire Departments, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center for providing support and their facilities for the class.
On Day One, the clinicians were provided information about the history of first responder behavioral health care, listened to firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement members, and 911 telecommunicators speak about their own difficulties, both on the job and in their personal lives. They were given tours of North Charleston Fire Department Station 2, and the City of Charleston old Central Station for Engines 102 and 103 to provide them a contrast of a new facility and one of the oldest working firehouses in the United States. Both visits demonstrated the pride and historical value of the places our firefighters call their homes at work. They visited the Charleston 9 Memorial Park where they learned of the tragedy that started our movement back in 2007 as we paid our respects to our heroes. Then, we were on to the Consolidated 911 Center where they toured the facility and learned about our 911 Center from a presentation provided by our own Michelle Brown.
Day Two was loaded with activity as we spent the day at the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office Training Center. The clinicians were presented a static display of the Sheriff’s Offices special teams to include S.W.A.T., the K-9 program, the Bomb Squad, the Marine Units, the Traffic and Motor Squad and the Command Post. The highlight of the day was the opportunity to be armed and enter the “shoot room” to experience clearing a structure and be confronted by bad guys, or not, in a shooting situation. This was an eye-opener for all as our clinicians experienced first-hand what our law enforcement officers face on a regular basis.
As a part of this program, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health is opening eight additional First Responder Support Team offices around the State just like the one we have had in Charleston since 2007 to serve all First Responders. All of these new offices will be available to our Lowcountry Firefighter, EMS, and 911 Telecommunicator Teams and the other organizations in South Carolina such as the South Carolina First Responder Support and Assistance Team (F.A.S.T), Support One, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (L.E.A.P.), the South Carolina Public Safety Chaplains’ Association, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office Peer Team and many other local communities and agencies that provide peer-based teams around South Carolina.
Thanks to all who contributed to this program to include the Charleston, North Charleston, and Pine Ridge Fire Departments, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center, South Carolina L.E.A.P., and the Charleston Mental Health Center’s First Responder Support Team. Special thanks to our brother, Guy Van Horn and his people at the Sheriff’s Office for giving us an unbelievable day. And, certainly last, but not least, thank you to Allison Farrell of SCDMH and their clinician participants for being a part of this program. We are looking forward to continuing to grow together.
