Bill Text: CA ACR192 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 53-19-1)
Status: (Passed) 2022-06-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 95, Statutes of 2022. [ACR192 Detail]
Download: California-2021-ACR192-Chaptered.html
Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 192
CHAPTER 95
Relative to Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
June 28, 2022.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 192, Grayson.
Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.
This measure would proclaim the week of May 23 through May 27, inclusive, as Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee: NOBill Text
WHEREAS, Firefighting is a dangerous and physically demanding profession that requires the men and women of the fire service to routinely put themselves in harm’s way for the good of the communities that they serve; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the physical demands of the profession, firefighting has been consistently rated as one of the most stressful and emotionally intense professions, often listed second only to front-line military personnel; and
WHEREAS, Firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical service personnel assist people at the worst moments of their lives on a daily basis, experiencing repeated exposure to trauma as they work to assist others; and
WHEREAS, Long shifts, protracted time spent away from family and loved ones, and an ingrained culture of stoicism exacerbate the effects of these stresses, contributing to struggles and behavioral health issues, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse; and
WHEREAS, In recent years, more firefighters have died by suicide than from traumatic, job-related incidents; and
WHEREAS, According to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, in 2021 90 firefighters and EMTs died by suicide, and 126 died by suicide in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Studies have shown that one in five firefighters will experience a post-traumatic stress injury at some point in their career and that firefighters are 10 times more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide than the general public; and
WHEREAS, Breaking the stigma related to behavioral health struggles and post-traumatic stress is critical to ensuring that firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical service personnel receive the care and resources they need in the form of peer support and professional counseling; and
WHEREAS, Peer support programs and confidential discussions with trusted colleagues and peers with similar work and life experiences provide not only an outlet to express these struggles but also allow for connections to life-saving resources; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the week of May 23 through May 27, inclusive, as Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week; and be it further
Resolved, That California firefighters are urged to dedicate this week to discussions with their brothers and sisters of the impacts they face from the job, resources that are available, and destigmatizing behavioral health struggles; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
