Peer support is an essential element of any emergency response team. This episode features an interview with Doug O'Rourke, a Lieutenant with the Hamden Fire Department, who also serves as the Director of the Connecticut Firefighter Peer Support Network. In this video, Doug talks about the organization and its mission.  He discusses the importance of peer support in the fire service, and how an effective peer support program can help prevent issues like PTSD and depression.

Peer support and critical incident debriefing are resources available to make sure that firefighters and first responders are able to cope with the high levels of stress and anxiety that come with the job. Peer Support Teams are an important part of the overall process of providing support to the firefighters and their families who have experienced a critical incident (also called critical incident stress).

We talk about the formation of the team, how it is deployed, how to set one up, and best practices in utilizing a peer support model.

Premieres Wed, July 27 at 7 ET — ⫸ Watch replays anytime thereafter

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