AUGUSTA — Lawmakers at both the state and federal level are recognizing that the mental health of first responders is important. To address that, legislation proposed at the state level would help first responders access services; federal legislation being considered would help first responders themselves and/or their families get benefits.

At the state level, the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted recently to advance a proposal by State Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, to increase behavioral health support for Maine’s first responders. The vote was 6-5 with two members absent.

Federally, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to support the families of officers who struggle with their mental health or who are lost to trauma-linked suicides. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

LD 1504 would directly help Maine’s first responders access services.

The federal measure under consideration would help families of first responders who are fighting to receive the benefits they deserve because federal law currently limits the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to only cover physical injuries — completely excluding any support for mental health concerns.

The proposed state legislation would ensure Maine’s first responders, including firefighters, emergency medical services and public safety telecommunicators, have access to behavioral health care services that will mitigate the impact of traumatic events encountered in the line of duty, according to an email statement from Gramlich.

“Our firefighters and first responders are exposed to traumatic events on the job, from routine calls to community-wide tragedies. This has a cumulative impact on these brave men and women over time,” said Gramlich. “I have worked closely with stakeholders on this proposal, which would ensure the needs of our first responders are met, both initially after a traumatic event and in the long-term. We owe this much to the people who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe and put themselves in harm’s way every time they go to work.”

Gramlich submitted the bill after hearing from Michael Crouse, president of the Professional Firefighters of Maine, who reached out to her in hopes of working together on legislation to address the lack of behavioral health support for firefighters. The two worked together to engage with stakeholders, including first responders and behavioral health care professionals, to craft the measure that was advanced by lawmakers.

“Firefighters are exposed to traumatic events every day. Untreated, people living with PTSD are six times more likely to attempt suicide. Rep. Gramlich’s legislation will help to ensure that our first responders get the behavioral health care they need, not only at the time they experience trauma but also for the long haul,” said Crouse.

Federal law currently limits the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to only cover physical injuries — completely excluding any support for mental health concerns. Collins supports federal legislation that would change that.

The PSOB provides financial support to the families of firefighters, police officers, chaplains, and emergency medical technicians who die in the line of duty or who have been permanently disabled as a result of a physical injury, including physical ailments that result from the stress of the job such as heart attacks. While the U.S. military already recognizes suicides by service members as deaths in the line of duty, the PSOB does not.

The proposed Public Safety Officer Support Act would create an avenue for officers to seek disability benefits for PTSD by directing the PSOB to designate work-related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder as a line of duty injury for eligible officers as well as those who are permanently disabled as a result of attempted suicide.

It would also allow families of officers who die by trauma-linked suicide to apply for death benefits by directing the PSOB to presume that suicides are a result of job duties in certain traumatic circumstances where there is evidence that PTSD or acute stress disorder would be the cause of the injury.

“Every day across the country, public safety officers put their lives on the line, endure enormous pressure, and witness unimaginable tragedies in the line of duty to protect our communities. Family members of public safety officers experience tremendous worry about the safety of their loved ones when they are in harm’s way,” said Collins. “We owe these brave men and women, along with their families, more than just our gratitude. This bipartisan bill will provide support for officers suffering from work-related PTSD, as well as provide grieving families with the resources and support they need.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, and between 17 and 24 percent of public safety telecommunicators have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.