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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 22, 2015 08:42 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis and Rep. John T. Galloway |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Co-Sponsorship Request: Code Green: First Responders Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, September 2015 |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution declaring the month of September 2015 as “Code Green: First Responder Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month” in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Recently, a first responder from my legislative district name George Redner II committed suicide. George was a firefighter as well as an EMT. First Responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics) routinely and courageously confront risk, face trauma and experience loss on a daily basis. For many years, the prevailing culture among First Responders was stoicism – whatever one has gone through, , deal with it quietly and deal with it alone. Many did so, often leading to severe depression and, sadly, in some cases, suicide. Thankfully, an organization known as The Code Green Campaign was founded in 2014 by a group of Emergency Medical Service professionals who saw the struggles of their fellow First Responders. They decided it was time to shed light on the psychological issues they face through awareness and education. Their mindset was simple: It’s OK to hurt and seeking support is a sign of strength and not a sign of weakness. My resolution recognizes the important work of The Code Green Campaign and encourages all of us to remember that it takes a community to look out for our men and women in uniform, whether they wear badges, bars or stars. Sometimes, even heroes need help; let’s raise awareness of First Responder suicide and highlight the resources available to avoid it I hope you will join me in sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HR512