By FireRescue1 Team
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County board of supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to address workplace traumas in the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The decision comes three weeks after a fatal shooting at LACoFD Station 81, where a firefighter shot two coworkers, killing Firefighter Tory Carlon and wounding Captain Arnie Sandoval.
As reported by The Signal, the vote will allow the fire department with support of local resources, to determine a “mechanism to address workplace trauma or potential workplace trauma,” which includes planned mental health visits with fire service members and their families, availability to workers compensation treatment tools, reducing the number of staff recalls, filling vacancies, providing peer support groups and better organizational communication.
“The selfless efforts of our first responders takes an emotional and mental toll, not only on those placing themselves on the frontlines, but also their families,” County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in an interview with The Signal. “As the county begins to reopen and the trauma of our first responders have experienced over the past 18 months will be realized, it is imperative that we take action now to provide them with the support and care they need, just as they provided us with the support and care we needed during this pandemic.”
Read more: FF killed in targeted shooting ID’d; shooter, victim had long-standing job dispute.