LEVANT, Maine- Levant Fire is promoting mental health and building connections for people in the public safety field.
Monday night was the first First Responder Fun Night hosted by Levant Fire.
All public safety personnel in the area were invited to share a meal, play games and enjoy each other’s company.
People in the field rarely get to socialise outside of work and tragedy, and Monday night gave them that opportunity.
Levant’s fire chief hopes events like this will help people speak up and reach out to those who may be struggling.
“They’ve got someone to reach out to when they leave that tragic call or they’re dealing with something that’s traumatic,” said Levant Fire Chief Eric Strout.
“They’ve built a bond that someone they can reach out to and say, ‘Hey, I remember meeting him here that night, we had a good time. Pick up the phone. I think we all say pick up the phone. But what we don’t do well is do something about it and plan something where we can do it,” says Strout.
“And we finally said, hey, let’s do this. Let’s be the first to do it. Hopefully this is the first of many that we can do for years to come, and we just keep building on it,” Strout said.
Monday night’s event was attended by members of Public Safety from many different stations and workforces.
