ResponderStrong

10/01/2026

Leaders set the tone for how a team handles the weight of this job. 💪

LeadStrong is a mental wellness program built for responder leaders across fire, EMS, law enforcement, dispatch, corrections, and related environments. It's a practical, discussion-driven day focused on early recognition, supportive conversations, and building a culture where people feel connected and supported.

📅 December 4, 2026
🕘 9:00am to 3:00pm
📍 The City of Springfield, 2620 West Battlefield, Springfield, MO 65807
🍽️ Lunch provided

Hosted by the City of Springfield and sponsored by the Missouri Fire Fighters Critical Illness Pool.

Register at bit.ly/LeadStrong-Springfield or scan the QR code on the flyer. Interested in hosting a session?

Email [email protected].

For Responders, By Responders.

09/29/2026

Most of us know to watch for the bad changes. The uniform that's suddenly a mess. The teammate who stops showing up the way they used to.

But the changes that look like improvement deserve the same attention.

Someone who's suddenly the first one in every day. Someone who's picking up every extra shift. Someone who seems to be doing better than ever. Sometimes that isn't progress. Sometimes it's a person who has nowhere else to be.

Noticing is the first step. Asking is the second.

Who on your crew have you noticed a change in lately, good or bad? Start the conversation.

responderstrong.org

09/24/2026

Tomorrow afternoon, ResponderStrong Program Manager Dan DeGryse takes the stage at Healing Together: the 2026 Su***de Awareness Summit in Oak Brook, Illinois.

His plenary session, "Impactful Interventions: Optimize Your Effectiveness," draws on decades of clinical experience and a career as a Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief. Dan will share practical strategies for building trust and empathy with people in crisis, especially in high-stress, front-line environments like EMS.

Hosted by the Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, the summit brings together clinicians, educators, police and fire personnel, and people with lived experience to advance su***de prevention through education and connection.

📅 Friday, September 25 | Dan's session: 3:15 to 4:00 PM
📍 Hyatt Lodge Conference Center, Oak Brook, IL

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night. You are not alone.

***dePrevention

09/23/2026

After almost 24 years in law enforcement, Jason Mitchell has a message for every first responder: you don't have to carry it alone.

Fire, EMS, police, whatever badge or role you wear, there is always someone to talk to and help is out there. Reaching for it isn't weakness. It's how you take care of yourself so you can keep taking care of everyone else.

And if the first person or program you try isn't the right fit, that doesn't mean help doesn't work. It means keep looking. Sometimes it takes time, and sometimes it takes a few tries. You're allowed to not be okay, and you're allowed to keep trying until you find the right support.

That's what ResponderStrong is about.

If you or someone on your crew is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

09/22/2026

Greetings from Ireland! ☘️

Vickie just kissed the Blarney Stone, so consider yourself warned. 😄 But she's got a real question for you: who do you associate with?

If your whole circle is first responders, that's not a bad thing. But expanding your world and getting a different perspective matters. You don't have to agree with it, but you do have to acknowledge it.

And flip it around: what do you bring to your inner circle? Are you always the one leading the pack, or is there someone in there you're still learning from?

That's what we talk about at ResponderStrong. For responders, by responders. 💪

🔗 responderstrong.org

Be safe, go be amazing, and welcome to Blarney Castle. 🏰

09/14/2026

ResponderStrong is an international organization dedicated to mental wellness for all responders, built by responders, for responders.

Right now we offer four trainings:
🔹 4-hour Mental Wellness Curriculum
🔹 8-hour Train-the-Trainer
🔹 4-hour Lead Strong
🔹 2-day Chief Strong

Thanks to a grant from TC Energy, several of these trainings are offered free of charge. Want to learn more? Reach out through ResponderStrong.org.

It's Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, and Program Manager Dan DeGryse has a simple ask that doesn't expire at the end of September: call someone. Ask how they're really doing. Then sit down, listen, and keep the conversation going.

***dePreventionAwarenessMonth

09/11/2026

09/11/2026

09/11/2026

25 years after September 11th, 2001, we look back on that day, in remembrance, with respect, and in the spirit of keeping alive the memories of those whose lives were taken that day. We honor the lives of those lost, and the lives that were forever changed by the events of that day. We honor and protect the generation of children who woke up on September 10th, 2001 with a parent or guardian, only to have that same caregiver taken from them the very next day. Each a person. Each a loved one. None of them forgotten.

The Science Alliance
Science to the Station, ResponderStrong, National Center for Disaster Responder Wellness

09/10/2026

200 to 300 first responders die by su***de every year. Sit with that for a second.

Sgt. Vickie Warehime (Ret.) has a message this September: we already know how to do hard things. Running toward the fire, the wreck, the worst day of someone else's life, that's the job. So we can do the hard thing of talking about it too.

Am I having a bad day, or am I having suicidal thoughts? You won't know unless you ask, of yourself or the person next to you. Watch for the warning signs. Start the conversation. Early intervention saves lives.

Resources and training at ResponderStrong.org. And as always, stay safe!

If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text.

***deAwarenessMonth