CLAY COUNTY - For David Dachinger, being a firefighter was an incredible opportunity.

After twenty-one years of working with a great team, making a difference and saving lives, he had it all — until one mission changed the trajectory of his life.

As a newly promoted lieutenant, Dachinger received a call reporting smoke from a residence. Arriving at the scene and dashing to the second floor, Dachinger said he desperately searched for the fire when the hallway suddenly flashed over. 

Standing up, he had no warning of what was about to occur. The temperature in the hallway reached more than 1,100 degrees, typically a fatal occurrence. 

"Essentially, I survived this extreme flashover," he said. "And it was almost like I had a guardian angel because I didn't feel the heat, and I didn't get injured."

Although Dachinger said he was lucky to have survived, the scenario ran through his brain non-stop.

"It keeps playing over and over in your mind like, what could I have done differently," he said. "Was there other information I could have had that would have made a difference? And, so that kind of takes you down a rabbit hole which can make life difficult on a bunch of different levels."

Experiences like Dachinger's that impact the mental health of many first responders daily. Dealing with traumatic calls that impact their safety, many are unable to navigate balancing their job and personal well-being.

At the time, Dachinger said it was hard for him to talk to his wife about what he was going through.

"I can talk to my wife about pretty much anything," he said. "But this was a topic I didn't feel comfortable talking about. It's hard to say, 'Honey, last night I almost died'. How do you tell your loved one that?" 

After seeing a presentation by mental health professionals, he knew he needed to seek help. Although now retired, at the time, he began using EMDR therapy and resources to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

With National First Responders Day on Oct. 28, it's important to recognize the emotional impact of being on the front lines every day.

Licensed clinical psychologist and LSF Health Systems CEO Dr. Christine Cauffield said the nonprofit has a network of 94 behavioral healthcare organizations dedicated to annually serving about 1.2 million individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.

Caulfield said that in the last five years, more than 850 first responders in the United States had taken their own lives, with 61 of those being from Florida.

LSF Health Systems aims to combat that harsh reality one first responder at a time.

In 2022, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis began the peer-to-peer support initiative to address the specific behavioral needs of first responders and their families. LSF Health Systems was one of five organizations across the state awarded a grant for the program. 

By dialing 211, law enforcement officers, deputies, firefighters and even 911 dispatch operators dealing with mental health battles and PTSD are connected to LSF's First Responder Peer Support Program.

Peer specialists are there to assist individuals with any resources they may need, completely free of charge and confidentially.

Cauffield said she has found that first responders lack interaction with those who truly understand what they are going through. This program helps with that.

"That's why we felt it was so important to include peer specialists, those individuals that are currently or have formerly been first responders, to be able to be that contact," she said.

Since its creation, Caufflied said the program has successfully assisted in 3,835 connections between first responders, family members and peer specialists. The support has also resulted in more than 266 free therapy sessions with mental health professionals. 

Although LSF's program didn't specifically serve Dachinger, he urges first responders, especially those retired, to connect with a peer specialist and not sit in their thoughts.

Although not all "help" is the same for everyone, he said it is important to find a resource that works for you.

"There's just an almost transformative thing about being able to share with someone else who's walked in your shoes and express your thoughts and emotions without any fear of judgment [and] repercussions," Dachinger said.

If you need assistance or want to become a peer support specialist, dial 211 or contact LSF Health Systems. Help is there, and it's important to seek it out.

"It's not a weakness to get help, it's a strength," Dachinger said. "Again, you will be a better you, a better first responder, a better spouse, a better parent by staying resilient mentally."