Firefighters are exposed to traumatic events throughout their career, making them more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. In Tennessee, that disorder isn’t considered work-related, which means firefighters’ workers compensation is unlikely to cover it. A new law can help.
Firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, according to information from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. To address the problem in Tennessee, the General Assembly passed a bill that will help firefighters pay for treatment related to PTSD.
The bill is named after Dustin Samples, a firefighter that served for 21 years in Cleveland, Tenn. He died by suicide in 2020. His wife, Jennifer, spoke during one of the bill hearings.
“I watched my husband struggle in secret and silence for years scared to come forward and say anything due to shame and fear of appearing weak,” Jennifer Samples said. “When he was finally brave enough to come forward and say ‘I need help,’ we found relatable resources and references hard to get to … and the financial burden was high.”
The new law puts in place a grant program that goes toward easing the cost to employers that provide workers’ compensation for firefighters with PTSD.
Jennifer Samples went on to say this bill will not only save lives, but careers, marriages, families and relationships.
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