HENRIETTA, N.Y. — Flags are at half staff in Henrietta, after a recently retired firefighter took his own life in the fire station parking lot on Tuesday. The department said he did it after visiting his former colleagues.

With all the stress that firefighters, EMS workers, police and other emergency responders deal with, the Mental Health Association of Rochester says they can take a lot of that stress home.

“They deal with a lot of crises. They deal with a lot of trauma. And it’s really hard to unpack those types of things. And so sometimes people hold those things in and they don’t have those conversations,” said Tosalin Wilson of the MHA.

“It actually happens a lot more with first responders and people who are dealing directly with crisis than it is with other people. So like you may not see that so much with an accounting, so to speak, but a paramedic, more than likely a police officer, those types of things, firefighters in these instances. So it’s because of the weight of the work,” Wilson said.

Wilson says it’s important for those in stressful jobs like emergency services to seek help if they need it.

“Speaking out to others, reaching out to your family, your friends, those close contacts, reaching out to your employer, maybe there’s a program at your job that they can assist you with getting connected to, maybe a therapist, somebody that you can speak to, coming to places like the Mental Health Association of Rochester, speaking with peers who have lived experience or who can basically kind of understand what you’re going through to help you get through those moments. Reaching out to 988, the crisis line,” Wilson said.

Wilson adds lifestyle changes like retirement can impact mental health as well.

“You go from being surrounded by people all of the time to now you’re basically you’re so isolated, you’re alone. And so keeping those contacts with colleagues that you used to work with, it’s still going out to lunch with people, engaging with your family members. If you have children or grandchildren, going out and doing things with them, kind of keep your mind busy and keep you going are very important to kind of prevent these things from happening,” Wilson said.

If you’re a first responder in need of first responder specific mental health resources, you can visit firstresponderproject.org. It has links to mental health hotlines specifically for first responders, from firefighters to police.

In the period following the suicide, neighboring departments have stepped in to cover for the Henrietta district.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

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