Peter Bellion APM
Retired Detective Sergeant Victoria Police, Pres. Port Melbourne Lifesaving Club
“As you can see from this photo the emotional stress associated with an emergency service role can be enormous and have life long health implications mentally and physically.
The funds being raised by the Emergency Services Foundation and Tony’s Trek will allow facilities and programs to be introduced to help build resilience and provide combative management strategies for emergency service workers to help prevent post traumatic stress injury.”
Chris Hardman
Chief Fire Officer, Forest and Fire Operations DEECA
“Experience has shown that emergency service workers are far more likely to be impacted by mental health issues than any other sector in the community. ESF invests in preventative measures that will help so many in emergency services deal with the pressures of their work.
I am looking forward to raising awareness and vitals funds so we can provide support for all those affected in our sector.”
Anthony McLean
Triple Zero Victoria, Executive Manager, State Emergency Communications Centre, Ballarat
“Let’s break down the stigma of CPTSD, PTSD and mental health in emergency services first responders. We all have a physical health, but we all have a mental health too!
With the money Tony and ESF are raising, we can do great things for our first responders. We are not broken beyond repair! With the right help, we can become an even greater asset to our families, our organisations and the communities we serve.”
Courtney Daly
Wife of Police Veteran
I love supporting ESF because families are front of mind and programs are being developed to support them at whatever stage of the mental health journey. This will be invaluable to families and while I am proud of the work they were doing, I also wish it was around when we were in the midst of it. At the time it was so hard to find anyone who had gone through a Mental Health Injury, and to gain insight into what more I could be doing to help my Emergency Services husband. I hope the initiatives run by ESF gain a far reach and support families when they are most vulnerable.
Cliff Overton
CFA Peer Volunteer Firefighter Healesville Fire Brigade
“Yes, we have costumes, yes we face danger and yes they make movies about us – but we are not superheroes. We emergency workers and volunteers often forget that we are ordinary humans who can suffer from mental health issues just like anyone else.
Dealing with our self imposed stigmas, intense community expectations and the entrenched culture we work and volunteer in is challenging, being able to set up real support services through the efforts of ESF will make a real difference to our lives.”
Sandii Greaves
Victoria Police Veteran
“The work ESF does is important to me because the Vic Pol family became my own family when I joined in 1995. I left in 2004 and only have positive memories and was ‘fortunate’ to leave with good mental health. I’ve seen first hand the toll that this work takes on emergency services and we cannot as a community continue to expect them to do more and more without nurturing them. ‘You simply cannot pour from an empty cup’.
