08/15/2026
The recent story involving a KCFD battalion chief receiving jail time and probation after a second DWI in less than five years brings up a much larger conversation that we cannot continue to avoid.
This is not about one firefighter. This is not about one department. And this is certainly not about publicly shaming someone who may be struggling.
This is about substance use and mental health among our first responders and other high-trauma professions.
Firefighters. Police officers. EMS professionals. Dispatchers. Corrections officers. Nurses.
These men and women routinely see things most people will never see in their lifetime. Fatal crashes. Suicides. Child deaths. Violence. Overdoses. Abuse. Death notifications. Failed resuscitations. Human suffering.
Then we expect them to clear the call, finish the report, answer the next radio transmission, work the next patient—and somehow leave all of it at work.
The research should get our attention.
A meta-analysis examining trauma-exposed occupations found hazardous alcohol use in approximately 26% of first responders.
One study of police officers found 24% screened positive for PTSD and nearly 19% for alcohol abuse. Yet fewer than half reported ever seeking mental health services. Among the barriers? Concerns about confidentiality and negative career consequences.
Recent research continues to demonstrate the connection between PTSD symptoms and increased alcohol or substance use among first responders.
So yes—we have therapists.
Yes—we have EAP programs.
Yes—we have peer support programs.
Yes—we have treatment.
But having resources available on paper does not automatically mean we have created an environment where people feel safe enough to use them.
And THAT is where leadership matters.
We cannot tell first responders, “It’s okay to ask for help,” while maintaining workplace cultures where asking for help can mean being labeled weak, questioned about fitness for duty, treated differently by supervisors, worried about confidentiality, or afraid that seeking treatment could damage a career.
We also cannot continue promoting people into supervisory and administrative positions without adequately educating them about trauma, PTSD, substance use disorders, su***de risk, cumulative stress, burnout, and how to recognize when one of their people is struggling.
Being an excellent firefighter, police officer, paramedic, dispatcher, corrections officer, or nurse does not automatically make someone an expert in behavioral health.
Leadership requires education.
Accountability still matters. A mental health condition or substance use disorder does not erase responsibility for dangerous behavior, including impaired driving.
But accountability and treatment are not mutually exclusive.
We can hold someone accountable AND ask what happened before they reached that point.
How many warning signs were missed?
How long had they been struggling?
Did anyone recognize the behavioral changes?
Did they believe they could ask for help without jeopardizing their career?
Did their supervisors actually know what to look for?
And did the organization intervene before the situation became a criminal case, a termination, a divorce, an overdose—or a funeral?
At Code 1 Wellness, we believe first-responder wellness cannot begin only after someone reaches crisis.
We need proactive behavioral-health education for leadership. We need confidential access to culturally competent clinicians. We need strong peer-support systems. We need substance-use treatment without shame. We need supervisors trained to recognize trauma responses. And we need departments willing to examine their own culture when their people are afraid to ask for help.
Stop waiting until someone falls apart before deciding they needed help.
Protecting the people who protect everyone else requires more than telling them resources exist.
It requires creating a culture where they can actually use them.
— Code 1 Wellness
KCFD battalion chief gets jail time, probation after 2nd DWI in less than 5 years
The case is among a series of examples of Kansas City firefighters with multiple DWIs, some of which have been charged as felonies.
Read more in the full story: bit.ly/4qhYNVm
