FIRST RESPONDER SUPPORT NETWORK

In 1999, a handful of individuals, which included, Northern California first responders, (police officers, firefighters, 9-1-1 dispatchers, EMS members), clinicians and a chaplain came together to discuss and plan how to help fellow first responders overwhelmed by the debilitating impact of critical incident stress. Among that group were a few individuals who had attended The On-Site Academy in Massachusetts prior to 1999 because they were overwhelmed by the impact of critical incident stress, and they could not find the needed help on the West Coast. Experiencing how deeply their lives were affected and changed from the program at On-Site, they knew that there was a need for a similar program on the West Coast.