NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Firefighters and other first responders are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty, according to the CDC.
David Lewis, the Assistant Fire Chief for the Newport News Fire Department, opened up to News 3's Kelsey Jones about his mental health struggles, despite working a job he loves. He said even after 21 years with the fire department, no day is ever the same and he has the best job in the world.
"You never know what you're going to encounter or experience out there," said Chief Lewis.
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But beyond the heavy oxygen packs, jackets, and hats, emergency responders carry a heavy weight, including all the calls that pile on.
"Typically around 1 p.m., we have 100 calls here in the city of Newport News," Lewis said.
Yet, they're not always easy to respond to. He says at one point in his career, he put the calls before his mental health.
"We see a lot of trauma out there, so there are many things that we encounter that we bring back to the station that we internalize," Lewis said.
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His decades of helping others eventually took a toll on him after bottling up his feelings. Then, 12 years ago, the pain became too much.
"My plan was to hang myself. I had the days lined up when I was going to do it, and I got to the point where I knew I could do it. I would do my job and I was seeing people hurt themselves in the same way I wanted to hurt myself," said Lewis.
Lewis is not alone in his experience: When the CDC reported that first responders are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty, they also shared that the struggles faced by first responders include trauma on the job, lack of support, job-related injuries, feelings of abandonment after injuries, and more.
"It hurts because all we have to do is open up and talk," said Lewis.
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Fortunately, Lewis was able to overcome the darkest point in his life. He's now a big believer that firefighters should take charge of their mental health. The journey was not always easy, but the hardest part for Lewis was taking the first step.
"Mental illness is substantial and it's one of those things that we need to continually stay on as a topic and promote," Lewis emotionally expressed.
The fire department offers mental health resources, including self-care plans and a peer support team where they can help these men and women with any emotional and physical challenges they may go through.
Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
