First responders are unsung heroes in cities and neighborhoods. Often putting your lives on the line, providing emergency support and taking on countless tasks, each role is crucial in maintaining a safe place to live and work. While being a first responder is a demanding (and rewarding) career, the long hours, the possibility of injuries and physical and mental traumas that can occur on the job can make it difficult to separate your work-life from your personal life.

Whether you’re a police officer, firefighter, EMT, a member of the support team or any other first responder staff member, this First Responder Toolkit provides information, tools and resources to help you be your best – both on the job and at home.  

This toolkit provides valuable information and resources to support all roles and teams of first responders. To utilize the resources, simply scroll down and take a look around.

The services within your employee or member assistance program are available 24/7/365. To contact the program, use the phone number on the EAP or MAP promotional materials or on the web portal, which you can access at the bottom of this page.

Orientation video

Watch this short video to learn more about how your employee assistance program (EAP) or member assistance program (MAP) supports first responders.

Police officers, sheriffs and deputies

Law enforcement professionals experience unique situations that can leave them feeling stressed, depressed or anxious. These tip sheets provide insight to help you deal with the stresses of your job.

• Coping with the aftermath of a shooting

• Dealing with the death of a co-worker

• Police stress

Firefighters

From dealing with life-threatening situations to experiencing the aftermath of tragic events, these resources can help you process your feelings.

• Coping with a traumatic event

• Mental health concerns for friends and family

• Optimizing health and wellness in the firehouse

Emergency personnel

Emergency personnel, such as EMTs and paramedics, often witness the tragic side of daily life. To find assistance coping with the stressors of your job, review these tips.

• Stay healthy while working the night shift

• Reducing the intensity of stress

• Maintaining your relationships

Support staff

If you are in the role of supporting first responders, the tips below can assist you in helping them cope with stressors in healthy ways.

• Suicide prevention

• Helping first responders deal with grief

• Separating work from home

Here are some excellent first-responder resources to help you further.

Professional organizations

These organizations are a key resource for first responders interested in education, connecting with like-minded professionals or supporting causes they believe in.

• First Responders Resource Portal (SAMHSA) – Learn more about signs of stress and stress management, including additional resources and online training.

• U.S. First Responders Organization – This group brings together personnel from many diverse fields to share their knowledge and expertise and form a close bond of fellowship between its members, focusing on training, tactics, safety, education and community outreach.

• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) – The leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides critical resources, programs, education and advocacy for first responders across the nation.

• National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) – Formed in 1975 and more than 72,000 members strong, the NAEMT is the nation’s only organization that represents and serves the professional interests of all EMS practitioners, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders and other professionals providing pre-hospital and out-of-hospital emergency, urgent or preventive medical care.

• National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) – The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police unions and associations from across the United States and was organized for the purpose of advancing the interests of America’s law enforcement officers through legislative advocacy, political action and education.

• Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) – The world’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with over 330,000 members in more than 2,200 lodges. FOP is the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities. They are committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those served through education, legislation, information, community involvement and employee representation.

Publications and journals

The publications and journals listed in this section are available online at no charge. They are an excellent source for the most current topics regarding first responders of all types.

• The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles – The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles is a peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform in which theory, research and practice come together to advance knowledge in different areas and diverse aspects of policing.

• Police Quarterly – Police Quarterly is peer-reviewed and published quarterly, as the name suggests. This publication is a scholarly journal that publishes empirical studies on issues related to policing.

• U.S. Fire Administration (All-Hazards Articles Alert) – The All-Hazards Articles Alert is a digest of citations to recently published first responder articles from scholarly, professional and trade journals.

• Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) – This online publication seeks to improve pre-hospital patient care and promote positive change in EMS by delivering information and education from industry leaders, change-makers and emerging voices. With a rich tradition of editorial excellence and an unparalleled consortium of subject matter experts, JEMS fulfills its commitment to EMS providers, instructors and administrators by providing state-of-the-science, high-quality content.

First responder blogs

Blogs offer a conversational approach to the latest in first-responder news. Industry professionals often write blogs containing the common thoughts and concerns among all forms of first responders.

• First Responder Wellness Center – Started by former Chicago PD officer Dr. Carrie Steiner, Psy.D and aims to provide first responders, law enforcement personnel and veterans with specialized training, therapy, intervention and crisis management guidance.

• Hub911 – Centered around the first responders that arrive at the scenes of accidents, this blog helps aggregate resources for all areas of accident response.

Additional toolkits

• Work-Life Toolkit – Full of resources and helpful tips to help you navigate concerns and boost your quality of life.

• Mental Health Toolkit – Empowers first responders, allowing them to develop skills to help identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses through tip sheets, flash courses, helpful apps and more.

• Meditation Toolkit – Boost your self-confidence, empathy, compassion and patience as a first responder by practicing mindful meditation at the start of each day.

• Mindfulness Toolkit – Audio lessons, tip sheets and other resources to help first responders navigate through common workplace distractions and redirect their focus on their roles.

• Resilience Toolkit – Overcome various challenges with resources to apply energy and passion into caring for yourself.  

• Sleep Fitness Toolkit – Designed to help you learn good sleep habits and achieve healthy sleep.

• Grief and Loss Toolkit – Equip yourself with resources to understand your emotions, find ways to cope and discover a way to live with grief as you move forward.

• Critical Incidents Toolkit – Use this to guide you and provide insight on practical steps and ways to move forward in the aftermath, with helpful coping skills to manage the emotional distress that often accompanies critical incidents.

• Natural Disaster Toolkit – Access resources before, during and after a natural disaster to help you prepare as best you can and assist in reconstructing your life in the aftermath.

• DEI Toolkit – Learn about the different dimensions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, improve teamwork and build a supportive workplace.

• Wellbeing Place blog – Fresh content to help support first responders’ emotional and physical health and overall wellbeing.

Access your EAP or MAP for additional support

To contact your EAP or MAP, type your employer, association or group name (all lower case, with no spaces) into the field below and click “SUBMIT” and you will be taken to the EAP or MAP web portal.