🟠 The Challenge: No Tools for the Toughest Conversations

Both SCFD #5 and Sky Valley Fire serve expansive rural areas with limited mental health infrastructure. While their responders face the same high-stress, high-trauma incidents as urban teams, their peer support members lacked the tactical training to intervene confidently in crisis situations—particularly related to suicide.

“We didn’t have the tools or formal training that would provide us with legitimate skills and knowledge to assist our peers… [We] would not have been helpful to those that needed help.”
— Steve Tonkin (Peer Team Coordinator, Fire Chaplain, and Family Support Officer)

🟢 The Solution: Tactical Training That Builds Trust

The departments partnered with Jessi to provide embedded, real-world suicide prevention and active listening training specifically tailored to the fire service. The goal: equip their Peer Team with practical tools, not theory—and do so through an instructor already embedded in their world.

“We chose Jessi for several reasons. We knew of her outstanding experience and knowledge of the subject… The training that was provided was second-to-none. The training scenarios were ‘real world’ related. Having the engagement of the students throughout the training was amazing and very beneficial to all that were in the room.”
— Steve Tonkin

• Scenario-based suicide prevention training using the L.I.F.E. Model
• Role-specific active listening strategies
• High-engagement instruction tailored for firefighters and EMTs
• Localized context from a trusted mental health professional who also responds to calls

🔵 The Impact: Confidence, Competence, and Culture Shift

The transformation wasn’t just theoretical—it was immediate and noticeable within the Peer Team.

“The Peer Team members that received training from her appear to be more confident with their roles as peer support. Many of the team members notified me shortly after the training that they thought the training was amazing. We would like to have this training annually. For a group of firefighters/EMTs to want to go to the same training again states what an exceptional instructor Jessi is.”
— Steve Tonkin

Key Outcomes:

• ✅ Team-wide increase in confidence in handling mental health and suicide-related conversations
• ✅ Active listening tools applied in peer interactions, patient care, and team leadership
• ✅ Desire for annual refresher training due to the value and engagement
• ✅ Improved trust and rapport between fire districts and local mental health responders

“I personally have found active listening to be incredibly beneficial. [It] has produced numerous positive circumstances during dialogs with peers, patients, superiors, subordinates, family, friends, and anyone else.

Prior to the lessons you gave us, discussing [suicide] was scary and challenging… I imagine these types of discussions will still be challenging, however, I would not hesitate to have the discussion with anyone. This is a result of the knowledge and confidence that Jessi instilled in us from the training we received from her.”
— Steve Tonkin

🟣 What This Means for Other Organizations

“Suicide prevention is not something that should be looked at after a suicide incident happens, it needs to be looked at before a suicide incident happens. This could easily prevent a suicide from happening. The fire service recommends folks to acquire and learn how to use a fire extinguisher before a fire starts in their kitchen or garage, not after a fire.  Being preventive and trained will make a difference and will save lives.”
— Steve Tonkin

These departments didn’t wait for tragedy. They opted for real-world, preventive training—and the result was a peer support team that feels equipped to step in before crisis hits.

✅ The Final Word

“With 23 years in the military and 17+ years as a first responder, I cannot begin to estimate how many instructors I have listened to. I say, listen to, because not all instructors are good at educating others. Jessi’s presentations and demeanor are among the best that I have ever encountered. She educates in such a way that the students want, and do, give her their full attention. Though the classes she gave us consisted of an abundant amount of information, she presented it all to us in a manner that we were not overwhelmed. Her instruction techniques ensured that we all had a clear understanding of the information that she was providing us with.”
— Steve Tonkin