Oxnard fire chief in Florida to provide peer support for first responders at site of condo collapse
SURFSIDE, Fla. - Peer support is a critical need right now for crews working the site of the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida.
The need is so important, that one of Ventura County s leaders has been drafted to assist those on the front lines.
Alexander Hamilton is the fire chief for the Oxnard Fire Department and a prominent member of the International Association of Firefighters.
Hamilton is leading a behavioral health support team in Florida to help those digging through the rubble. Our goal is to ensure these dedicated professionals have the tools they need to process their experiences working on such a large-scale incident. We know how important behavioral health support is to our own personnel, Hamilton said.
Local peer support crews added to the frontline of firefighting and response efforts
MONTECITO, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Fire Chiefs are as committed to the wellness of their frontline responders as they are to every call for service, saying that they go hand in hand.
A relatively new team of peer support firefighters have been trained to respond to the needs of first responders who have dealt with serious calls and traumatic incidents.
Chief Kevin Taylor with the Montecito Fire Department says the counseling is available in a confidential way on multiple levels. It s a safe spot for our staff knowing it helps them feel comfortable doing it without any repercussions. In addition, to be physically healthy they need to be mental and spiritually healthy and that is very important for them to have longevity in the position, said Taylor.
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Pickup driver dies after crash along Rose Avenue off-ramp in Oxnard
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The driver of a silver pickup died after crashing along a Highway 101 off-ramp in Oxnard on Tuesday afternoon, according to California Highway Patrol.
The crash was reported to CHP at 1:16 p.m. at the Rose Avenue off-ramp from southbound Highway 101.
CHP reported the vehicle, a Dodge 3500 Ram pickup with trailer, had crashed through the guard rail along the off-ramp and ended up in a rocky culvert. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, authorities said.
Paramedics arrived on scene and found the driver unconscious inside the vehicle, according to Battalion Chief Steve Reyes of the Oxnard Fire Department. Despite conducting life-saving measures at the scene, the driver was pronounced dead.