Responders First:

Creating More Wellbeing in Your Agency

Helping rural EMS providers live well and take good care of their emotional and psychological well-being must be a local service priority. Wellbeing and resilience are so much more than training. This is about changing how we think and act. It’s about making it easy and normal for responders to put their wellbeing first and take better care of each other. The “Responders First” training is an ongoing program to help local services improve the experiences of their providers and build in provider wellbeing as a service priority. The purpose of “Responders First” is to support agencies in improving the emotional and psychological health of providers and genuinely help them be resilient and more satisfied in doing their important work. 

Interested in bringing this concept to your agency?

"Responders First" is a 2 hour presentation developed to start a discussion about wellbeing within your agency.

The objectives of the presentation: 

• Discuss the importance of ongoing wellbeing and resilience programing in your agency
• Figure out why taking care of ourselves is so difficult
• Help providers find more satisfaction and enjoyment (even during difficult times)
• The basics of building and supporting wellbeing and resilience
• Stop rewarding poor selfcare
• The connection between wellbeing, retention, and recruitment
• How to make wellbeing, selfcare and resilience an expected and enjoyable part of your service’s ongoing activities

Eleven providers across the state are available to bring the "Responders First" Presentation to your agency. Contact the office to set up a training. 

How to Create a Culture of Wellbeing in Your Agency

Activities to incorporate self care and wellbeing in your agency and lifestyle  

Mental Health Resources

FirstLink – 211 & 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline for ND and MN (myfirstlink.org)

MHFA_Fire_EMS_Flyer.pdf (mentalhealthfirstaid.org)

Mental Health Education | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.

SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration