Firefighters and EMTs don't simply respond, take care of the situation and leave.
They think about not only the big fires or challenging rescues, but the ones involving treating patients.
Many will tell you the calls that stay with them are the ones they can't save, WLWT reported.
"I have many memories of many faces of people that we were unsuccessful in saving," said Cincinnati Chief Michael A. Washington. "Every firefighter that does this job has a bank of memories. Those memories never leave you. They're just as vivid as they happened the day you were there. They never go away."
Washington said decades ago, the way most firefighters were taught to cope with tough calls was much different.
"It was push through, get over it, get ready for the next call, suck it up. I think people coped with risky behaviors: drinking, gambling," the 30-year veteran said.
That is not how Washington wants to lead his department 800+ strong in 2022. He wants his firefighters to know there is help available and feel comfortable asking for it.
He himself was diagnosed with PTSD a few years ago.
The chief recently appointed Joseph Elliott, a fire apparatus operator, to serve as the department's first peer support coordinator. He started this month.
