U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Jan. 28 proposed bipartisan legislation to improve the detection, prevention and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers.
“Nebraska’s firefighters and emergency medical personnel are heroes who keep our families and communities safe,” Sen. Fischer said on Wednesday. “Tragically, many first responders suffer silently from mental health challenges and we owe it to these brave men and women to help keep them safe, too.”
Sen. Fischer is the lead original cosponsor of the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act of 2020, S. 3244, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), which aims to help reduce suicides among firefighters and emergency health personnel.
“I am proud to join Senator Rosen in introducing the bipartisan HERO Act, which takes critical steps to expand mental health infrastructure and prevent suicide by identifying risk factors, increasing the number of peer counselors, and more effectively treating posttraumatic stress among first responders,” said Sen. Fischer.
If enacted, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data and report to Congress every year on first responder suicide rates via the new Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System, which would collect data on the suicide incidence among public safety officers and facilitate the study of successful interventions to reduce suicide among them, according to the text of the bill.
Additionally, the measure would require HHS to identify risk factors; establish grants for peer-to-peer counseling for firefighters; and require HHS to develop and distribute best practices on the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress among first responders, among other provisions, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Fischer’s office.
Companion legislation, the same-named H.R. 1646, was introduced in March 2019 by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Ami Bera (D-CA). The bill currently has 71 cosponsors.
Sen. Fischer’s bill garnered the support of both the Nebraska Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Lincoln (Neb.) Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 644.