Know Before the Storm: Building Your Mental Health Toolkit

This is the sixth article in a series called “It’s OK to Not Be OK: Real Conversations About Mental Health in Public Safety.” Over the next several months, Jason Fox will dive into topics that every EMS provider, firefighter, dispatcher, student, and leader needs to consider—not just for their career, but for their lives outside the uniform too. Read previous articles.

If you’ve ever worked a big storm, you know preparation is everything. You don’t wait until the wind is ripping roofs off or the roads are flooded to check your fuel level or find your flashlight. You prepare before the storm hits. The same principle applies to mental health: don’t wait until you’re in crisis to identify the resources available.

In public safety, we’re great at planning for the worst—incident command systems, mutual aid agreements, disaster drills—but when it comes to our own mental health, we often wait until we’re overwhelmed before we start searching for support. That delay can cost us emotionally, physically, and professionally. So, let’s change that.

Building your mental health toolkit isn’t just a feel-good idea—it’s survival. Knowing what resources are available before you need them can reduce anxiety, give you a roadmap in times of stress, and in some cases, save a life, maybe even your own life.

What Goes Into a Mental Health Toolkit?

Start with resources. Every department is different, and what works for one person may not work for another and that’s okay. I’m not here to endorse a single program or magic fix. But I do believe that knowing what’s out there is good advice—because you can’t use what you don’t know exists.

Here are some great starting points:

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Many agencies offer confidential, short-term counseling and support services. These programs can also include financial consultations, legal advice, and wellness coaching.
• Peer Support Teams: Sometimes the best person to talk to is someone who knows the job. Peer support teams consist of trained colleagues who can provide a safe, understanding, and relatable space to talk.
• Chaplains: Whether you're spiritual or not, chaplains often serve as trusted listeners and guides during tough times. They're trained to support people in crisis, regardless of faith.
• Hotlines and Text Lines:
  • National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
  • Fire/EMS Helpline (Share the Load): 1-888-731-FIRE (3473)
  • Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741
  • Safe Call Now: 1-206-459-3020 (specifically for public safety professionals)
• Apps:
  • Headspace (for mindfulness and stress reduction)
  • BetterHelp and Talkspace (affordable, flexible online therapy)
  • First Responder Support Tools (FRST)
  • ResponderRel8** (peer connection for first responders)

On top of national resources, look local. Many counties have behavioral health departments, trauma-informed counselors, and mobile crisis teams. Ask your agency what’s available and how to access it. A laminated card in your wallet or a contact saved in your phone can make a world of difference when emotions are high and energy is low.

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: confidentiality. You’re not the only one worried about privacy, career impact, or judgment. One of the biggest reasons public safety professionals don’t ask for help is fear—fear that someone will find out, fear that it will cost them their job, fear that they’ll be seen as weak. But here’s the truth: EAPs are confidential.

Licensed therapists are legally bound to protect your privacy. Peer support programs also follow strict confidentiality policies, unless someone is in immediate danger.

Staying silent may feel safe in the short term, but over time it chips away at your resilience. Most departments—though not perfect—are beginning to recognize that healthy minds lead to healthy teams. Mental wellness is part of operational readiness.

If you’re in a leadership role, hear this loud and clear: a dusty poster in the breakroom isn’t enough. Mental health tools should be as accessible as your standard operating guidelines. Build them into your policies. Talk about them in shift briefings. Empower your command staff and field leaders to know how to spot signs of distress, have hard conversations, and point others toward resources.

Train your team on more than trauma triage. Train them on emotional first aid, too.

What if someone you know is struggling but doesn’t want help? That’s tough. But it’s not hopeless.

You can’t force anyone to talk, but you can create an environment where they feel safe enough to open up. Start small. Be consistent. If it feels right, share your own story—but don’t turn it into a one-up contest. Vulnerability can be powerful when it’s sincere. When done wrong, it can drive people further away.

You might say:

• “You’ve seemed off lately. I just want you to know I’m here.”
• “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
• “Here’s something that helped me—maybe it could help you too.”

Keep it simple. Keep it kind. And above all, be patient. You might be the only lifeline someone has, even if they don’t grab it right away. Normalize these conversations. Just like we practice for mass casualty incidents, we should prepare emotionally, too. Ask yourself:

• Who would I call after a tough shift?
• Where can I go if I’m feeling overwhelmed?
• Do I know the steps to access our EAP or talk to a chaplain?

Encourage your department to promote tools regularly, not reactively. That includes:

• Posting mental health flyers where everyone can see them
• Including peer support in new employee orientation
• Making wellness discussions a regular part of in-service training
• Allowing time off for mental wellness—not just physical illness

Mental health days aren’t lazy. They’re necessary. Mental readiness isn’t soft. It’s smart. Remember:

• We don’t wait to fill sandbags after the levee breaks. 
• We don’t wait until the tones drop to learn the protocol. 
• So don’t wait until you’re in the dark to look for your flashlight.

Prepare. Build your kit. Know your resources. Have conversations about the various resources available. Share them with your colleagues and normalize conversations around mental heath and ultimately create a culture where its ok to not be ok. Remember the resources and strategies don’t stop at work. Share them with your friends and family. Become a champion for mental health in your life, workplace, and community. Together, we can break the stigma.

Let’s shift the culture from reaction to preparation. From silence to support.

Because asking for help isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s strength. It’s leadership.

And let me leave you with this: To this point in this series, we’ve discussed the toll this career can take on your mental health and how to prepare for it. In the next article, we’re going to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention: What happens when the sirens stop?

How do you define your value and self-worth when the uniform comes off, the radio goes silent, and the boots are hung up for good?

Life after public safety can be just as challenging—and just as meaningful. Let’s explore it together next time.