ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio –– Firefighters put themselves in danger each call response. Their physical well-being is at the forefront of daily work, but the state of their mental health and wellness, however, may not be a typical firehouse conversation.
A national initiative hopes to ignite those talks, and the Athens County emergency response community is part of it.
Firefighters, EMS personnel, police officers, mental health advocates, and community members are invited to the 2025 Firefighter Safety Stand Down for a day of panel discussions, networking, and resourcing Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St.
The nationwide event aims to break stigma and provide tools, insights, and wellness strategies among emergency responders, who are invited to “breathe, heal, and reconnect,” event organizer Julie Phelps told the Independent via email.
Phelps has been a behavioral health specialist for 13 years, and a firefighter for nine. She currently works for United Healthcare as a community health worker for United Healthcare, and is a Firefighter 1 at the Richland Area Fire Department in Athens.
“For too long, [emergency responders have] been told to suck it up—that being tough means staying silent. But that mindset doesn’t protect us. It wears us down. It isolates us. And ultimately, it hurts our mental health,” Phelps said.
Phelps said she’s sought therapy herself to cope with things she’s seen on the job.
According to the National Fallen Firefighters Association, suicide among firefighters is on the rise; the U.S. Fire Administration reports that more firefighters die from suicide each year than in the line of duty.
“No one should have to choose between their well-being and their career,” Phelps said.
Connecting honestly within the emergency response community, communicating her mental health needs and finding an encouraging workplace has proven to Phelps that “change is possible when leadership leads with compassion” and when “we start talking.”
“This Stand Down is an extension of that belief — and of my lived experience,” Phelps said.
The Firefighter Safety Stand Down schedule includes keynote speaker Cinnamon Reinhold, a talk from firefighter Scott McManus, panel discussions, yoga, therapy dog meet-and-greet, and door prizes.
Organizers extend an invitation to community members, too. Meeting first responders with “empathy, awareness, and human connection” is important, Phelps said.
She believes understanding what impacts the people who respond to crises is crucial because then those so moved can “advocate for the funding and resources that make mental health care possible — for firefighters and first responders without fear of repercussions, like being taken off duty, for seeking help.”
“When community members step up, stigma breaks down—and healing becomes a shared mission,” she said.
Phelps hopes to see up to 300 attendees at Saturday’s Firefighter Safety Stand Down. “But truly, if this event helps even one person, it’s a success,” she said.
The event is free and lunch will be provided.
