Peer Support
The Boone County Fire District operates a total staff of 300 volunteer personnel. They are called upon to respond over 3,000 emergency incidents in Boone County each year, some are called upon to respond to western wildland fires, some are called upon to respond to national disasters with the urban search and rescue task force and others are called upon regionally in various other capacities to assist neighboring communities.
Personnel within the organization encounter many tragic events. Personnel within the organization are also human beings subject to emotional stresses and strains as a result to some of the incidents they are exposed to. The Fire District provides a formal employee assistance program through a local counseling service to support personnel, not only when they are exposed to traumatic events while working for the Fire District but also provide them with personal support as they encounter difficulties in their routine lives.
Firefighters depend on each other for support, both on the emergency scene and off.
The Fire District has also formed what is called the Peer Support Group, which is an extension of the formal EAP program. Volunteer personnel have also been trained to identify and assist fellow firefighters and rescue personnel when it is identified that they are encountering difficulties in their daily lives. The Peer Support Group serves as an interface between the firefighter and the formal EAP program and is designed to lend a “listening ear” and encourage, when appropriate, personnel to seek additional help or assistance.
 

®2013 Boone County Fire Protection District, Columbia, Missouri