KENNY'SÂ STORY
After 9/11, I knew there was more in life I wanted to do. I knew I needed to be in a position to help and make a change in others' lives. The Fire Service came calling. I wanted to feel that brotherhood. I wanted to earn that badge. I wanted to be a fireman. I knew it would not be an easy life. I knew it would keep me gone on weekends, nights, and holidays. I knew the sacrifice was great and what you saw, did, and what you were a part of would affect you emotionally, mentally, and physically for life.
I know and work with some of the most talented men and women in the world. There is something special that happens when people are working in a job that can kill them and you’ve got to trust the skill and guts of the folks to your left and right to get everyone through it. It builds a love for one another that you just can’t explain.
What the Virginia Fire Officer's Academy Class of 2023-3 had to Say
I feel this class was a great new perspective on mental health. I took an extreme amount away from it. I also now know what I need to watch for in myself and in the others I work with.Â
Great presentation, this is a topic that is raw and needs to continue in the fire service, Kenny's personal stories were moving, and impactful and helped draw attention to the problems being faced.
Great course, mental health in the fire service isn't talked about like it should Operation Yellow Tape is definitely on track to lift that stigma.
IT'S NOT EASY
"From your first day on the job until your very last, as a first responder, you will experience situations that most in this life never will. Some calls will hang on the walls of our minds and hearts forever, reminding us of the pain felt by so many. This could add up over a ten-to-thirty-year career leaving us mentally and physically exhausted. It is past time to take care of yourself and each other."
DON'T DO WHAT I DID
"Whatever your problem is, don't be like me and let it set idle for 10 years and let it affect your family, your friends, and your health. Do something about it NOW."
Learn how Kenny can help your Team.
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