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A Kentucky fire chief is catching heat after driving a half-mile beyond his district to dislodge a blockage from a choking infant. In this week’s Wellness Brief, Greg Friese and Emily Hitchings say the case lays bare how jurisdictional turf can collide with the profession’s life safety, patient-first creed.
Friese, who has fielded “what-if” questions in CPR classes, offers this advice: “Do what’s best for the patient, then sort everything else out afterward.”
Hitchings warns the fallout from ignoring that instinct is profound.
“It’s called moral injury,” Hitchings explains, a psychological wound that mirrors post-traumatic stress when responders are ordered to sit on their hands.
To blunt that damage, Hitchings urges agencies to let values lead and to strengthen peer teams. Agency support can keep anger at “the system” from curdling into chronic stress.
“They understand the job; they understand the moral conflict,” Hitchings said.
|READ NEXT: Understanding moral injury in first responders
“Follow your values because that’s what allows you to sleep at night.”
About The Brief: Wellness Edition
The Brief: Wellness Edition video series explores the wellness implications of current events for public safety professionals. Each episode brings a timely conversation that connects unfolding events to the day-to-day realities of first responders.
