Tallahassee, FL (WCTV) – As Florida cleans up after Hurricane Ian, many are grappling with the emotional toll the disaster has taken.
Storm victims, and the first responders who help them, can suffer from PTSD for years after a catastrophe.
Tallahassee search and rescue teams operating in Lee County are doing what they can to comfort people during this difficult time.
Jarvis Bedford, leader of Task Force 7 at the Tallahassee Fire Department, said their primary purpose is search and rescue, but they try to provide emotional support to people wherever they can, even if it’s simple. says he is trying. hug.
About 20 Tallahassee crew members working in Lee County will be there for nine days and will stay for the full two weeks.
Bedford says he sees people having the worst days of their lives. They return home for the first time since Ian and find themselves in complete devastation.
“One of the things we try to do is comfort these people,” Bedford said. We can give them some information, but more than that, we will do everything we can to comfort them.”
Mental health issues can linger long after a storm like Ian’s has passed.
In a study conducted after Hurricane Katrina, nearly half of the survivors surveyed by researchers still had symptoms of PTSD seven years after the hurricane hit.
The Tallahassee task force is also working with the 2nd Alarm Project, an organization created to support the mental health of first responders after Hurricane Michael.
“To serve these communities, and to do this incredibly difficult and rewarding work, they have to stay at the top of their game.” level of resilience must be very high.”
According to O’Dare, the 2nd Alarm Project has worked with TFD for the past three years to help firefighters develop this high level of resilience and teach them how to handle highly stressful situations. rice field.
Lee County also has five mental health strike teams deployed statewide.
Each team includes a peer counselor and a chaplain and is intended to support the mental health of hurricane emergency team members.
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