In order for first responders to be able to take care of the communities they serve, they must also take care of themselves.
This was a recurring theme during Monday’s Santa Barbara County First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Conference.
“No matter who we serve, we always stand by them in their worst moments, and now we’re talking about standing by each other in their worst moments,” Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon said.
The 66th Annual First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Conference was held Monday, bringing together approximately 200 first responders, emergency medical services personnel, therapists and peer support leaders from across the county.
“We want to make sure you have the education, tools and resources to help your colleagues,” said Wellness Conference founder Sean Thomas.
The Council of First Responders and county officials co-sponsored the two-day meeting at 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. Share mental health wellness strategies and highlight the importance of peer support in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara Firefighter Sam Dudley said the conference was critical to the first responder profession, pointing to studies that show more firefighters die by suicide each year than die on the scene.
“Approximately 250 first responders die in the line of duty each year,” he said. “It’s not because we have bad equipment or bad training. It’s because we don’t take care of ourselves.”
This year, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s approach to health is changing to prioritize peer support and utilize a proactive approach rather than a reactive one, said firefighter and paramedic Egan de los Cabos.
A large group of first responders, therapists and even several therapy dogs heard from local first responders like de los Cabos about when they know when it’s time to seek mental health help.
For de los Cabos, that time has come since he and his young son were hit by a car while off-duty in 2013.
De los Cabos and his 3-year-old son were sitting on a viewing platform in front of El Rancho Market in Solvang when a driver sped into the parking lot, knocking de los Cabos to the ground and pinning his son under the car.
He and his son were initially left with cuts and bruises, but then he began noticing body aches and skin problems that weren’t there before the accident.
Something has changed mentally as well.
“During this time, I was never suicidal, but let me tell you, I saw a glimpse of a very dark place. I knew what it was like to not want to suffer anymore,” he said.
De los Cabos said he has completed “thousands of hours” worth of training on the job over his career, but when it comes to mental health wellness, he has zero training hours.
After the accident, he visited a therapist, who gave him advice he disagreed with, branded the therapy a joke, and urged him never to return.
She didn’t try treatment again until years after the accident, when her son fell off a bar stool at her parents’ home and De Los Cabos began “crying inconsolably.”
“I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn’t control it,” de los Cabos said. “So I found a therapist, paid in cash, and burned the receipts. I didn’t want anyone to know.”
He said he was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder but did not tell anyone at work about the visit.
De Los Cabos is currently the founder of First Wellness Health, where she works as a trauma-informed health coach.
By sharing his story, he emphasized the need for first responders to have the tools to strengthen healthy habits and mental health.
He says he noticed positive changes by incorporating stress management and exercise.
“I got my life back,” he said.
Cherry-Lynn Lee, a police officer and public safety scientist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, shared a similar message in her presentation about how being a first responder changes individuals and their families.
She also encouraged people to develop a relationship with a therapist before they need help.
“Everyone is entitled to help, regardless of their status,” she said.
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