ORLANDO, Fla. – Firefighters and paramedics often find themselves as the first responders to harrowing scenes that many never encounter — from fatal fires and severe car accidents to critical medical emergencies involving children.
News 6 has delved deeply into how such experiences can profoundly affect these first responders. Now, officials in Orange County are introducing a new initiative aimed at safeguarding their mental well-being.
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The necessity of this resource was underscored following a tragic house fire in Palm Bay, which claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy — an incident that has left a lasting impression on the firefighters who responded.
“For those on the front lines, being a first responder is incredibly challenging, particularly when they are unable to change the outcome,” remarked John Ringleb, highlighting the emotional toll such calls can exert on emergency crews.
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For Orange County Fire Rescue Division Chief of Operations Kimberly Buffkin, processing trauma is part of the job — both in the moment and long after the call ends.
“It saddens me,” Buffkin said. “I honestly understand that we see a lot of things that your typical general public is not exposed to. So it’s a lot to process. It’s a lot for our workforce to deal with on a daily basis.”
According to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders, the suicide rate for firefighters is 18 per 100,000, compared to 13 per 100,000 for the general public — a disparity that has prompted departments and governments nationwide to reassess how they support first responders.
In response, Orange County commissioners approved a contract worth up to $600,000 with Central Florida Psychological Consultants to provide behavioral health evaluations for firefighters and paramedics.
County leaders say the goal is to reduce stigma around asking for help and to identify stress, trauma and burnout before they escalate into a crisis.
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“Many years ago, it was, ‘You just have to deal with it, swallow it, put it to the back of your mind and deal with the next call,’” Buffkin said. “And we do have to do that because we have a job to do. However, at the end of the day, it is rough to deal with. So the stigma is slowly — we’re slowly working on improving that.”
The evaluations are designed to support firefighters throughout their careers, particularly after difficult or traumatic incidents.
The effort also aligns with a new Florida law that formally recognizes mental health and suicide prevention as a core part of firefighter safety. The law emphasizes best practices, peer support and early intervention statewide.
The Orange County contract runs through 2026, with the option to extend it for an additional year.
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