The Brief The conference aimed to provide first responders and their families with tools and resources to manage the emotional toll of their work, addressing high suicide rates and early deaths among emergency personnel. Organizers, themselves first responders, initiated the series to proactively support colleagues facing cumulative stress, emphasizing the importance of mental health resources. Attendees, including those from rural areas with limited mental health support, plan to share the information and resources gained at the conference with their local teams.
First responders from more than 50 agencies across Georgia gathered in Marietta on Thursday for a mental health conference aimed at supporting those who routinely face trauma in the line of duty. The event, part of a national series organized by 1st Responder Conferences, focused on giving emergency personnel the tools and resources to manage the emotional toll of their work—from dispatchers answering 911 calls to law enforcement officers and paramedics on the front lines. What they're saying: "We strive so hard on saving our communities… and we forget sometimes to save ourselves," said Maj. Trey Burgamy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
"That’s why our suicide rate is so high and that’s why we die at such a young age." The conference included not only public safety professionals but also their families, who often feel the secondary effects of job-related stress. "A lot of times family members don’t know what to do," said Megan Pietro Williams of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
"They deserve to learn this information just as much so they can utilize that." The backstory: Organizers Shawn Thomas and her husband, both first responders themselves, launched the series after facing their own struggles with cumulative stress. "They were suffering in silence, and we needed to do something about it," Thomas said.
"We’re trying to be proactive and provide them with tools and resources to get them through these difficult professions." Dig deeper: Sabrina Caraway, a communications officer with Forsyth County, emphasized the impact on 911 operators. "We may not be boots on the ground responding to the calls in person," she said, "but we’re dealing with the stresses of the incidents as they’re happening."
Some attendees traveled from rural Georgia counties with limited access to mental health support. They said they planned to bring the information and resources back to their local teams. The Marietta conference is part of a growing movement to better address mental health needs among those who serve on the front lines of emergencies.
