EMS, Fire, and Police are necessary for the health and safety of our communities. Join Jennifer Russell, active duty paramedic/firefighter, department administrator, and instructor, as she interviews other active duty public service members and officials. The mission is to understand better the medical, fire, and police services, the challenges they are tackling, and what can be done to ensure our departments and teams are healthy and strong into the future.
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EMS, Fire, and Police are necessary for the health and safety of our communities. Join Jennifer Russell, active duty paramedic/firefighter, department administrator, and instructor, as she interviews other active duty public service members and officials. The mission is to understand better the medical, fire, and police services, the challenges they are tackling, and what can be done to ensure our departments and teams are healthy and strong into the future.
Benjamin Vernon: Survival and Administrative Betrayal
A Duty To Act
52 minutes 23 seconds
1 year ago
Benjamin Vernon: Survival and Administrative Betrayal
In this conversation, Jennifer interviews Benjamin Vernon, a captain with the San Diego Fire Department, about his experience with administrative betrayal. Benjamin shares the story of a traumatic incident in 2015 where he and his partner were attacked by a bystander while responding to a medical call. They discuss the concept of arriving in the middle of a call and the importance of being aware of the dynamics and tensions already present. Benjamin reflects on the impact of compassion fatigue and the need for first responders to reconnect with their purpose and maintain a compassionate mindset. They also touch on the importance of having a clear and universal code for calling for help in emergency situations. In this part of the conversation, Benjamin Vernon discusses the importance of mental health and seeking professional help. He shares his personal journey of seeking therapy and the positive impact it had on his recovery. He also highlights the need for departments to prioritize mental health and create robust mental health programs. Benjamin emphasizes the importance of sleep in maintaining overall health and wellness, and the challenges faced by shift workers in getting adequate sleep. He also discusses the impact of the incident on his department and the steps they took to improve mental health support. The conversation touches on the limitations of informal peer support and the need for professional help in certain situations. In this conversation, Benjamin Vernon discusses the aftermath of the stabbing incident and the impact it had on him and his crew. He talks about the silence and lack of communication within the crew, as they were all focused on the stabbing incident. Benjamin also shares his concern for his captain and his crew members who did not seek mental health help. He highlights the importance of mental health support and the stigma that still exists within the fire department. Benjamin discusses the concept of administrative betrayal and how it can contribute to the decline of mental health. He emphasizes the need for more education and training on mental health at every rank in the department.
A Duty To Act
EMS, Fire, and Police are necessary for the health and safety of our communities. Join Jennifer Russell, active duty paramedic/firefighter, department administrator, and instructor, as she interviews other active duty public service members and officials. The mission is to understand better the medical, fire, and police services, the challenges they are tackling, and what can be done to ensure our departments and teams are healthy and strong into the future.
