CINCINNATI — As many in the West End mourn the loss of an 11-year-old in Friday night's mass shooting that injured four other kids and an adult, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge sat for a one-on-one interview with WCPO 9 News to, among other topics, pledge support for the mental health of first responders who rushed to the scene for aid.
The support systems for firefighters and police officers activated within hours of the shooting as people like Joe Elliott, Cincinnati Fire's Peer Support Coordinator, learned of how tragic the scene they responded to was.
"I automatically deployed three to four, I think we had four resources out at four different firehouses to check on our members," Elliott said.
He said dispatchers and members of the peer support team called him Friday night within minutes of harrowing radio traffic describing multiple children injured being broadcast across the airwaves.
The support team isn't old.
It was established in 2019 while the first full-time coordinator position, his job, was only established in December 2022.
Still, Elliott said the 51 — and growing — member mental health support team consisting of firefighters across all ranks is critical to the department's ongoing operations.
"I've had over 20% of my department reach out about mental health," he said.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 69 President Dan Hils said mental health resources are critical for police officers who responded to the scene as well.
"When you pull up to something like that, you're not human if it doesn't affect you in some way," Hils said.
Theetge pledged support for all first responders, including dispatchers, in Monday's interview.
She said Cincinnati Police Wellness Coordinators had been working through the weekend.
"They just act," Theetge said. "That's what I want for the officers. I don't want the officers to have to worry about waiting for me to tell somebody to make sure they're OK."
Both Hils and Elliott agreed that support services need to be available long-term and around the clock.
With mental health stigmas largely pervasive in police and fire services, the pair said it's important someone with training be available when a member of the team is ready to seek help.
"It could be 10 years. You really don't know," Hils said. "It's the day-to-day availability that's important — probably even more so than the all-hands-on-deck type of thing."
Elliott called for the City of Cincinnati to put forward funds to make his grant-funded position permanent. It's currently funded through December 2024.
He stressed that it's OK to not be OK, especially in high-stress jobs as mental health illnesses are just as real as physical illnesses.
"We wouldn't make fun of them or belittle them if they have cancer or a different medical condition," said Elliott.
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