Following the tragic fire in Fall River that killed nine people and put more than 30 others in the hospital, Mayor Paul Coogan and Governor Maura Healey praised the efforts of first responders who worked through the night to save as many people as possible.
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon stressed the importance of supporting the mental health of those first responders. โAfter we leave here, my next step is to go to the stations and to make sure that weโre checking in with those firefighters to make sure that they have the support they need,โ he told 12 News on Monday. โEverybody thinks firefighters are heroes and theyโre designed to deal with anything, but thatโs not the case.โ
According to the Massachusetts Division of Violence and Injury Prevention, the annual rate of suicides among first responders is 1.5 times higher than the rate among the rest of the stateโs working population. โFor anybody that was at this scene last night, not just firefighters โฆ police officers, EMS โฆ to seek the help that you need to deal with the tragic situation,โ Bacon said. โNobody is programmed to deal with this.โ
During a press conference with Healey and Coogan, Bacon noted that he will continue working with elected officials to make sure first responders get the help they need. โI was fortunate to meet Governor Healey and speak with her,โ Bacon said. โI look forward to forming a relationship in the coming months to make sure that the firefighters and other public safety, EMS and police have the resources they need to cope with this tragedy and continue their careers and be able to retire with happy, healthy lives.โ Bacon continued, โsheโs made a commitment to help out with anything that the state can provide for us and we look forward to working with her on that.โ
