Retired Orlando firefighters create ‘The Bench 988’ to save lives
By Christina Watkins
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ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month. WESH 2 committed to keeping the conversation going by highlighting those who seem the strongest, yet struggle in silence.
First responders are the people who face challenging and dangerous situations. They commit to a life of service and helping those in need. However, the constant exposure to traumatic scenes, combined with severe exhaustion and an unpredictable schedule, can often place an emotional burden on them.
Two retired firefighters from Central Florida say they know the weight of the duty all too well.
“Folks will call 911. We show up, and we fix problems, and it’s very hard for us to admit that sometimes the problem we may have is our own problem, and that we need help because we are the helpers,” said Joe McCluan, retired district chief of the Orlando Fire Department.
Joe McCluan and Chris DeMaagd spent a combined 63 years responding to emergency calls. They started in Seminole County and ended in Orlando. Though they no longer wear a uniform and heavy gear to save lives, now, they’re using a bench at Lake Baldwin in Orlando.
“It’s going to take everything, like what we’re doing here, and more treatment centers, less stigma, more people talking about this,” said DeMaagd, a retired firefighter from the Orlando Fire Department.
McCluan and DeMaagd started The Bench 988 project after two of their fellow firefighters died by suicide.
“If you’re struggling and you need help, you want help, you can reach out to a fellow firefighter, or peer, and say, ‘Hey, Joe, can you meet me at the bench?’ And that’s all you have to say. If I hear you say you need me to meet you at the bench, that means I know you’re struggling and you need some help,” McCluan said.
Statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show nearly 30% of Florida’s first responders will develop behavioral health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength because it’s allowing you to reach out and say, ‘I need to do something,’ and just like a physical injury, if you get hurt and you have to go for rehab for a couple weeks, this is a stress injury,” said Dr. Deborah Beidel, the executive director of UCF RESTORES.’
Leaders at organizations such as UCF RESTORES 2nd Alarm Project work hand-in-hand with The Bench 988 to keep first responders alive and not feel shame asking for support after trauma.
“When they step back from that, they need resources, and they need outlets to be able to heal and de-stress and to cope with those situations. So having that support and that understanding that, you know, the real human sides behind the badge is very important,” said Kellie O’Dare, the Deputy Executive Director of UCF RESTORES.
The bench serves as a reminder for anyone to find safety, hope and help. No one walks alone. Call or text 988.
“I truly have faith and hope that, God-willing, there’s a way to solve it,” DeMaagd said.
“We want to do everything we can so that we don’t face another suicide. Whether it be a firefighter, a first responder, police, fire, EMS communications, or maybe even someone in the general public comes and sits at this bench and reads that. They see it, and they reach out,” McCluan said.
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