VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach Fire Department and police chaplains are coming together to focus on the mental wellness of firefighters.
Their motto is 'love and compassion through the presence of ministry'. The program's mission is to ensure the well-being of firefighters is a priority.
The program has expanded to provide support to public safety officials and to give them an outlet to vent especially on days when they are called to traumatic events.
Firefighters can speak with therapists, cuddle with support dogs and even have a chaplain ride with them during the call of service.
Virginia Beach Fire Chief Kenneth Pracetz mentioned that he hopes this program can inspire other businesses or organizations to keep their employees first.
"Sometimes stress causes people to leave an industry if you can focus on the services that can fill that gap and keep people employed it's an investment in your future and an investment in your organization," he said.
Both groups plan to partner in the near future to make sure first responders have access to the resources they need.
