NOT
NOT ASKING FOR THE MOON. WE JUST WANT IT TO BE RECOGNIZED THAT I@
IS AN INJURY THAT OCCURS BECAUSE
OF
OF
OF THE
OF THE WORK WE DO."4@ >
A PUSH TO PROTECT OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS STRUGGLING WITH POST
TRAUMATIC
TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. WHO REALLY HAS THEIR BACKS AND WHAT
MORE4@
MORE4@
MORE4@ NEEDS TO HAPPEN?
EVERY DAY, THEY RESPOND TO
TRAUMAS THAT CAN LEAVE BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL
SCARS,
SCARS, BUT THE MENTAL INJURY IS OFTEN IGNORE4@D, MEANING NOT
EVERYONE CAN GET THE HELP THEY NEED.
TODAY, BROOKE HASCH AND ROB
HARRIS ARE
LOOKING INTO THE DIVIDE BETWEEN
4@
OUR
4@ OUR
4@ OUR LAWS IN KENTUCKIANA WHEN THE JOB
BECOMES TOO MUCH TO HANDLE ON
YOUR OWN.4@
YOUR OWN.4@ "SHOTS FIRED!"
"SHOTS FIRED!" "WE DON'T SEE PE4@OPLE WHO ARE
HAVING
HAVING A
HAVING A GREAT DAY." "OK, SHOTS FIRED. 114."
FIRED. 114." "THEY ARE HAVING THE WORST4@ DAY OF THEIR LIFE."
"SHOTS FIRED! I'M HIT!" "I KNEW
SOMETHING WAS GOING ON. THE
DEPRESSION WAS GETTING WORSE. THE
NIGHT TERRORS WERE GETTING
WORSE."
IT'S NOT OFTEN TALKED ABOUT...4@
BUT PTSD IS A TERRIBLE REALITY
FOR MANY
FIRST RESPONDERS.
WHILE THERE ARE SOME
FOR MANY FIRST RESPONDERS. WHILE THERE ARE SOME4@
PROTECTIONS
AND BENEFITS FOR OUR HEROES,
MANY4@
STILL FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS
AND
SUFFER IN SILENCE.
MENTAL INJURIES LIKE PTSD AREN'@
RECOGNIZED IN KENTUCKY, UNLESS
YOU
YOU WERE
YOU WERE PHYSICALLY HURT. SO4@ MANY FIRST RESPONDERS DON'T GET THE TIME OFF THEY NEED. 9:20
"IF YOU AND I ARE PARTNERS AND
WE WALK INTO A HOUSE AND YOU
"IF YOU AND I ARE PARTNERS AND WE WALK INTO A HOUSE AND YOU4@ WITNESS ME GET MY HEAD BLOWN
OFF, AND YOU GET PTSD, TOUGH ON
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A PHYSICAL INJURY." - LAMONT
WA4@SHINGTON THE BENEFITS ARE
DIFFERENT FOR FIRST
RESPONDERS ACROSS THE STATE,
SOME DEPARTMENTS ALLOW EXTENDED@
TIME OFF FOR EMPLOYEES
STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL I4@NJURY. OTHERS ARE FORCED TO USE UP THEIR4@
VACATION AND SICK TIME BEFORE
OTHERS ARE FORCED TO USE UP THEIR4@ VACATION AND SICK TIME BEFORE4@
THEY'RE
FACED WITH THE DECISION TO QUIT
VACATION AND SICK TIME BEFORE4@ THEY'RE FACED WITH THE DECISION TO QUIT@
OR BE FIRED. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE
TO4@ COME TO THAT.
10:00 "IF WE CAN BRING THEM BACK
4@
AND GET THEM BACK ON THE JOB, W@
DON'T WANT TO TURN OUR BACKS ON
THEM." -BRIAN O'NEILL
FIREFIGHTERS IN KENTUCKY HAVE4@ BEEN VERY VOCAL IN RECENT YEARS
4@
AT THE
4@ AT THE
AT THE
4@
4@ STATE
4@ STATE LEVEL HOPING TO GET PTSD RECOGNIZED FOR WORKER'S
COMPENSATION.
2:21 "THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO4@
FIGHT FOR, IS THAT RECOGNITION
THAT
THESE THINGS HAPPEN, AND IT
SHOULDN'T BE TREATED ANY
DIFFERENT." - BRIAN O'NEILL IN
INDIANA, FIRST RESPONDERS CAN
GET4@
BENEFITS... .THE BURDEN IS ON
THEM
TO PROVE THEIR PTSD IS A RESULT
4@
OF AN
4@ OF AN
4@ OF AN INCIDENT ON THE JOB, THOUGH. AND
THAT CAN BE A HARD CASE TO
PROVE. 0:29 WE'RE ALL KIND OF CATCHING
UP AND4@
UP AND4@
UP AND4@ REALIZING 'WAIT A SECOND, WHY ARE WE
FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO KILL
OURSELVES, AND WHY ARE WE SEEIN@
4@4@4@
TOMORROW,
TOMORROW, WE WRAP UP OUR WEEK-LONG SERIES WITH THE4@ RESOURCES OUT
RESOURCES OUT 4@
4@
4@ THERE
4@ THERE FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS
AND SOME OF THE MORE UNIQUE
THERAPIES TAKING PLACE.4@
4@4@4@
SOME
SOME OF
SOME OF THE MORE UNIQUE THERAPIES TAKING PLACE.
4@4@4@