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Understanding PTSD among first responders

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(Photo: Teresa Boeckel, York Daily Record)

(Harrisburg) — A state house panel is taking a close look at a disorder that is often swept uder the rug,.. with devastating results.

Their trying to better understand post-traumatic stress among first responders.

Testifiers at a special informational hearing held by the House Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee were in agreement: post-traumatic stress is pervasive among first responders and it can be deadly, according to Westmoreland County Fire Chief JC Tedorsky.

“We are losing more members of the emergency service by their own hand than we do in line of duty deaths,” he said.

Lawmakers are exploring options to include PTSI conditions in worker’s comp for first responders, noting that emotional scars can in fact be more debilitating than some physical ones that qualify for the benefit.

Peer counseling and monitoring are also considered big parts of the battle against PTSD. 

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