In The News

An update on SC F.A.S.T.

July 1, 2013

Guest Post by Chief Greg Merritt We are excited to announce an update on your Association’s SC FAST. As you are hopefully aware, in July 2012 the SC Firefighters’ Association announced an additional benefit to its members - the ability to address Firefighter Life Safety Initiative #13. This is one of the 16 initiatives found in the National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation’s Everyone Goes Home® 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. Initiative 13 states, “firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support.” SC FAST was organized in conjunction with the National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation (NFFF) and the SC State Firefighters’ Association. SC FAST is an acronym that stands for SC Firefighters Assistance and Support Team. The acronym plays well with the intent of the team: be the first line of defense against firefighter stress issues by advancing the welfare of first responders and providing support associated with stressful duty. FAST functions as a group of trained professionals that will operate and maintain contemporary functions and train others in the fields of stress recognition and treatment, peer support training, and counseling models. FAST will operate within the following scope of service:

Dissemination of information about SC FAST, as well as signs and symptoms of stress behaviors, would be made available to the members of the Association
Offer direct delivery of the program "Helping Our Own" as an awareness level training program for all departments desiring face-to-face instructional and educational contact
Establish a peer support unit in departments and regions of the state that are capable of sustainment of an operations level program that will train peer support persons by using the Stress First Aid and the Citizens First Aid programs as handed off to FAST by the NFFF.
FAST operates as a confidential system of care and referral or recommendation for members of the Association to clinician resources in their area and around the state. In this capacity, support will include coordination and screening of members considered in connection with any mental health issues that can be directly attributed to a function of a member fire department. All efforts will supplement rather than supplant those that may be currently available throughout the state. We currently have a benefit built into one of our Provident policies which will provide the referral to DMH as deemed necessary. The partnership has been finalized and available to firefighters around the state if needed.
Establish a Peer Support team that will be responsible for the organization, training and oversight of a cadre of statewide volunteers who will serve particular regions so as to be deployable throughout the state. These regions will be the Upstate, Midlands and Low Country.
Work with the South Carolina Firefighters Insurance Services’ Coordinator in the availability and delivery of counseling services as a component of the insurance package provided to the members of the SC Firefighters’ Association.

In closing, SC FAST is in place and ready to serve the firefighters of this great state. If you need our assistance, or if you would like information about joining your regional team, please contact the SC Firefighters’ Association and we will put you in touch with your Regional Coordinator. You can follow Chief Merritt on Twitter @CSFR400