2nd Alarm Project working to make sure first responder mental health remains a priority after Idalia

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Keeping the mental wellbeing of first responders is top of mind for the 2nd Alarm Project, a Tallahassee-based nonprofit that works to take care of firemen, law enforcement, and others who respond after tragedy.

The group formed after Hurricane Michael, when Dr. Kellie O’Dare saw a need for easier access to resources for first responders helping communities rebuild. 2nd Alarm now works with agencies year-round to make sure peer support teams are in place before a disaster strikes.

The group also has two K9s, Finn and Lucy, who travel to Emergency Operation Centers and other agencies to lift up spirits of dispatchers and other first responders working around the clock.

“We pay a particular emphasis to first responders that live and work in the local communities, because often times they have the duel burden of being impacted personally by that disaster and doing the work of a first responder in the community,” O’Dare said.

K9 Lucy helped those at the Dixie County EOC relieve stress as the county worked to recover following Hurricane Idalia’s landfall. The group plans to be on the ground in more places in the Big Bend to make sure counseling and other mental health resources are available

To learn more about the group and its mission, click here.

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