Emergency personnel could receive help following traumatic situations thanks to a new bill authored by Rep. Joel Kitchens. The bill requires the Department of Justice to implement peer support teams and critical incident stress management services teams for law enforcement and emergency services teams across the state. While most Americans might experience one critical incident in their lifetime, emergency personnel could see dozens if not hundreds. Door County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Pat McCarty testified in Madison on Wednesday after talking to Kitchens about it a year and a half ago.  He says that the impact of witnessing traumatic events can pile up over time if not adequately addressed.

The Door County Sheriff’s Department has had its own mental wellness program with peer support for the last few years. McCarty added that new recruits to emergency departments now expect their employers to have some program in place. Kitchens also co-authored a bill directing the Department of Health Services to establish a pilot program to implement virtual behavioral health crisis care services for county and municipal law enforcement agencies with officers encountering people in crisis while in the field.