WINNIPEG — Firefighters, paramedics and police officers see and hear things most of us never will, like a traumatic scene that can often lead to post traumatic stress disorder.
On Monday, the province is set to announce new legislation that will make it easier for emergency personnel to get help faster.
Chad Swayze, a 14-year veteran with the Winnipeg Fire Department was diagnosed with PTSD after a explosion at a window manufacturing plant in 2012.
“That’s when the tank on the other side of the roll up door exploded,” Swayze recalled being thrown more than 10 feet into the air.
“I remember grabbing my mic and relaying a mayday,” Swayze said.
The immediate scars were obvious, he suffered from whiplash, a concussion and problems with his hearing but Swayze had no idea it would affect him in other ways.
He was soon diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. He recalls the moment he knew something was wrong.
“I’m going to a gas call,” Swayze said. “I’d sit in the truck and cry because I couldn’t, I froze, I couldn’t do my job which scared me.”
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A diagnoses that’s becoming more prevalent with firefighters, paramedics and police.
Come Monday the province will introduce changes to the worker compensation laws, so emergency personnel, including corrections staff and nurses living with PTSD are presumed to have been impacted by the mental illness as a direct result of their jobs, making it easier to get compensation while they get treatment. Currently, they have to wait weeks, even months to get approved, then get help.
Ed Wiebe, lost most of his fingers and suffered severe burns after a fatal fire on Gabrielle Roy in 2007. He suffers from PTSD.
READ MORE: Winnipeg firefighter trapped in fatal 2007 blaze still battles PTSD
“With that early recognition and treatment hopefully we won’t see anymore deaths,” Wiebe said.
Retired RCMP Corporal Ken Barker took his life last year. He had PTSD. He was one of the first responders when Tim McLean was brutally murdered onboard a greyhound bus in 2008.
Swayze says he attempted to take his life three times, but stopped, worried about how it would affect his family.
“I’d wake up and drink to deal with thoughts of negative, negative thoughts,” Swayze said. “You could have died, you should have died then going into a downward spiral of maybe, I should die.”
Swayze hopes his story and the new law will save lives.
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