HILLSBOROUGH, N.B. – Firefighters are supporting a new bill to improve access to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment for first responders.
“Over the past two to three years we have had several members that have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, two of which have since retired,” said Glenn Sullivan, a representative of the Atlantic Provinces Professional Fire Fighters Association.
He said speedy treatment is key to recovery.
“It’s a lot easier to put out a fire when it’s in the early stages when it’s only small,” he said. “When it gets bigger, obviously it’s a lot harder to deal with. It’s the same thing with stress and PTSD.”
A new bill seeks to amend the Workers’ Compensation Act to help first responders.
Bill 15’s amendments would presume that PTSD diagnosed in first responders is related to the stress of their work, unless proven otherwise.
The union representing emergency medical dispatchers also supports the bill.
Although dispatchers are not in the field with paramedics, a union representative says the job can take an emotional toll.
“We’re giving instructions in how to perform CPR until the paramedics arrive and even walking fathers through childbirth,” said Bryan Harris.
“For some of our more serious calls it can be really heavy on the head.”
He says the amendment would help his members and their paramedic colleagues better deal with work-related stress.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to a bill that would amend the Workers’ Compensation Act as Bill 51. It has been updated to reflect that it is actually Bill 15.
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