Shields of Honor is dedicated to the overall health and well-being of all first responders, public safety professionals, retirees and their family members.

Who We Serve

• Firefighters
• Emergency Medical Services
• Law Enforcement
• Veterans And Military
• Dispatchers
• Corrections Officers

Why We Help

What We Help

• PTSD

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event. Although PTSD has previously been included as an anxiety disorder in the DSM-IV, it is now under trauma-and-stress-related disorders in the DSM-V [1]. First responders are particularly vulnerable to PTSD due to the amount of consistent first-hand exposure to extremely stressful and traumatic experiences that differ between police, fire and EMS departments [2]. Every day first responders encounter stressful and potentially traumatic events such as shootings, fires, accidents, disasters, and death. These repetitive negative experiences affect not only themselves, but their families, coworkers and those they are sworn to care for and protect. EMS 

• Substance Abuse

  • There is a general relationship between stress, stressful occupations and substance abuse.  Boxer and Wild (1993) found that more than 40% of firefighters were experiencing psychological distress. It’s likely that percentages are equal or similiar across all responder professions. Almost 30% of them were experiencing problematic alcohol use.  Studies report 30-50% of American men and a little more than 25% of women with PTSD have also had problems with drug abuse or dependence at some point during their lifetime.  This was approximately double the rate of those individuals without PTSD (Brady et al 2004, Kessler et al 1995).  There is an increased risk of PTSD in first responders.  Research demonstrated FDNY was at higher risk for Alcohol problems after 9/11..  Research indicates that a combination of alcohol use and PTSD produces a tenfold increase in the risk of suicide (Violanti, 2004). CPANCF

• Mental Health

  • There is ample evidence to suggest that many first responders deny or resist seeking mental healthcare due to the longstanding stigmatization. Research literature suggest that for many, there is an underlying fear of being subjected to ridicule, prejudice, discrimination, and labeling. Sadly, the truth is that these issues are often perpetuated by those who lack a clear understanding of mental healthcare and mental illness. The community of first responders are very critical of the stigmatization of mental healthcare, and much less the labeling of a mental illness. Therefore, the stigmatization alone has created a boundary between the first responders and the need for mental healthcare. PSYCHOLOGYTODAY 

• Family Issues

  • There are several substantial pluses to a career in first response. Society will always have a need for firefighters, police officers and EMTs. The pay is regular and the benefits are comprehensive. But for every plus, there’s a minus that’s much harder to swallow. first responder marriages face the same challenges as civilian marriages, plus an entirely unique set.
    • Long shifts, odd hours. Emergencies happen 24 hours a day, not just 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. In the field of first response, odd hours are often the exception rather than the rule. When a shift is over, a worn-out firefighter can’t walk away from a warehouse blaze. A bleary-eyed police officer can’t fall-out of a high-speed chase when the clock hits 5. As Murphy’s Law would have it, duty often calls during dinner, sex, a cozy date-night in, a birthday celebration – any time that’s disruptive.
    • Increased tendency to become “lost” in work. The work of first responders is emotionally, physically and even spiritually consuming. Most first responders are passionate about their work and feel a sense of constant duty as a public defender. Consequently, it’s hard (and sometimes impossible) to say no to back-to-back shifts, overtime and bringing work home – possibly to the detriment of the family.
    • Calamity one minute, calm the next. One minute a first responder is en route to his station; the next he’s involved in a hostage scenario, racing to save the life of a drowning boy or fighting for his life in a firefight between rival gangs. It may take a first responder hours, even days, to “come down” from the situation.
    • Increased susceptibility to mental illness. National studies have found that first responders deal with significantly higher rates of substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide. One study found first responders to be six times more likely to commit suicide than the average civilian. The job of the first responder is an emotional roller-coaster, and its nature makes veterans susceptible to emotional numbness, hyper-vigilance, insomnia, cynicism, isolationism, disturbing flashbacks, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a host of other mental and emotional issues.
    • Stretched budgets. Civil servants are never paid as much as they’re worth. As a result, first responders are often on limited budgets, especially if the family is single-income. Monetary issues, along with sex, are the top catalysts for martial arguments. FocusOnFamily