SANFORD, Maine — As first responders deal with the traumatic scenes they witness, more towns are tapping police and fire chaplains to help them cope.
Jeffrey Pelkey has spent more than 35 years as a police officer and firefighter in Kittery, Eliot, and the Berwicks. He became the Portsmouth, NH Police Department's police chaplain in March. He said now, more towns are calling on chaplains to help their officers.
"I wish my mind could forget the things my eyes have seen," Pelkey said. "Your mind is trained inherently as a human being to shut those things off. That's a big load for any human being to carry alone."
These instances become increasingly apparent after crashes such as the one in Gorham on Sunday that resulted in the death of an eight-year-old girl.
He helped fellow officers deal with serious trauma, including the death of Berwick Fire Captain Joel Barnes, who died while battling an apartment fire in March.
RELATED: Scholarship fund created in name of fallen Berwick firefighter
RELATED: Smoking materials sparked fire that killed Capt. Barnes
RELATED: Berwick officials honor the life of Captain Joel Barnes
RELATED: 1 firefighter killed, 4 others injured in Berwick fire
"When people trust you, they will share the things with you that are really tough," said Pelkey. "Most human beings have the capacity to relieve that, they just need the keys to unlock it. I like to keep the keys."
He said the conversations about firefighter safety and training that came out of Barnes' death will ultimately save firefighters' lives in the future. He said the conversations about what first responders are dealing with mentally will also serve them, creating better mental health outcomes.
"The health of these people reflects directly on their longevity and how they do their job, and if you have healthy, well-balanced people, they're going to do a far better job on the street protecting the public," said Pelkey.