BANGOR, Maine — There wasn't a cloud in the sky as a group of two dozen EMT's, paramedics, and firefighters traded their uniforms and gear for spandex and sneakers.
They embarked on a two day, more than a 115 mile trek to bring awareness to an issue typically suffered in silence: mental health in the first responder community.
"It's sort of this larger family that you have because you're part of a first responder community," said Canadian paramedic from just outside of Toronto, Sarah Salvis. "Americans have come up to the Canadian rides and Canadians have come down this way. We're all family in this so it's really important to be here to show support for our family."
The group is riding from Bangor to Freeport with a stop overnight in Waterville to be a visual sign to others along the road that you are not alone.
It's a cause that's universal to Mainers, Americans, Canadians, and all those serving the public everywhere else in the world.
"These are the people that are always there for you when you call 911 and they're really struggling in silence," said Milford, Connecticut's Jen Lyon. "It's just so important that they feel that the resources are there for them to reach out to. They're so stoic and so willing to put everyone else ahead of them so it's just really time for us to be there for them."
This group isn't afraid to talk about mental health awareness or ride for it.
"We're riding because they can't anymore," said Farmington paramedic, Rod Koehn.
He's riding with all of the people who have died in the line of duty in mind including his close friend and fellow bicyclist, Isaac Greenlaw.
"We would all know him as Skippy," added Koehn.
Greenlaw was an EMT and firefighter in neighboring Glenburn and Levant. He died by suicide last September.
"He's in our minds and our hearts," said Koehn.
The 24 bikers are riding to honor Skippy and hope to raise awareness of mental health and post-traumatic stress injuries suffered by first responders in the process.
Salvis and other riders say mental health should be part of the conversation early, even at the academy.
"So much training goes into everything else that we do for the job but [we should] sort of also know how to take care of ourselves," said Salvis. "Paramedics, police, fire, we all need to be aware of the issues right from the beginning, right from our initial training, and I think that's really important. We may need help sometimes ourselves and it's OK to ask for that help."
"The military is not the only service that has post-traumatic stress injuries and disorder," said Koehn. "The public service is in the front lines of it as well. We don't feel we have enough emphasis on mental health in the public service and the effects of what we do."
With each mile from Bangor to Freeport, they're a moving sign that first responders don't have to suffer alone.
This family sticks together.
"We're out there and we're human," said Koehn. "We're doing the best we can."
"First responders are humans too and we may need help, you know, police, fire, and paramedics," said Salvis. "We may need help at times and that's OK. Hopefully the help is there and we can help one another and I think that's really what this ride is about, to help one another."
The bikers are riding in solidarity with the national EMS memorial ride for EMS and paramedics killed in the line of duty. This ride takes off from Massachusetts and North Carolina next week.