10/07/2026
When the trucks return to the station and the gear is put away, a difficult call doesn’t always end for the people who responded.
First responders see people on some of the hardest days of their lives. In a small community, those people may also be our neighbors, friends, or family. What we experience can stay with us long after we return home.
One part of emergency services the public may not see is what happens afterward. Here in Iowa County, we’re fortunate to have a Peer Support Team that provides debriefings following traumatic incidents, an opportunity to come together, find support, and begin processing what we’ve experienced.
Support can include talking with peers who understand the work, learning to recognize stress reactions, developing healthy ways to cope, and knowing where to turn for professional help when needed. Looking after each other also means checking in during the days and weeks that follow. Everyone processes difficult experiences differently.
For too long, the expectation in emergency services was to “tough it out” and move on. Thankfully, that culture is changing. Mental health is being talked about more openly, and the stigma around asking for help is being challenged. There is still work to do, but these conversations matter.
Taking care of our mental health is part of taking care of our people and making sure we can continue serving our communities.
Thank you to the Iowa County Peer Support Team and everyone helping make these conversations possible. To our fellow responders: you deserve the same care and compassion you give to others. You don’t have to carry the weight of a difficult call alone.
