“Going on calls as often as I was, didn’t realize it was starting to negatively affect my well-being. It started not only affecting me at work—where I just was a little more tired, a little more frustrated—but it started kind of bleeding into my home life as well, where I just felt burned out,” he said.
Moyer, who has a background in pastoral counseling, said he realized he needed to seek counseling himself. He was put on a months-long waitlist to see someone equipped to counsel first responders, but he said the counseling he finally received was life-changing.
Today, Moyer is the CFFD’s wellness officer, overseeing the department’s THRIVE program so his peers can have the same support that helped him.
The program includes peer support, counseling services for members and their families, and additional support offered after critical incidents—all with a goal to build resistance and resilience amid the tragedies experienced on the job, Moyer said.
“First responders are probably the ones that are in the most need [of mental health support], and they're the ones that are probably the most hesitant to seek the help or realize they need the help,” said Leah Gowin, director of marketing and community outreach for the CFFD.
Why it matters
Most people experience two to three traumatic incidents in their lifetime, Moyer said, while first responders typically see several of these events in a single shift.
“Working in our field, while we're responding to the general public's worst day, we may have six to 10 worst days that we experience externally by providing support to those in the public,” he said.
As a result, first responders deal with elevated rates of anxiety, depression and suicide. According to a 2018 study from the Ruderman Family Foundation, first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
From 2020-24, more than 900 first responders died by suicide in the U.S., including 73 Texans, according to Blue H.E.L.P., an organization that brings awareness to mental health issues for law enforcement officers.
Similarly, military veterans experience elevated rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. According to a December report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in 2022:
- An average of 17.6 veterans died by suicide per day
- Veterans accounted for about 15.4% of all U.S. adult suicide deaths
Like first responders, military combat veterans can become desensitized over time. Their trauma often leads to issues ranging from substance abuse and relationship problems to homelessness and incarceration, said Sarah Holland, a licensed mental health professional at Camp Hope.
Since 2012, Camp Hope has been offering veterans from across the U.S. a safe space in Cy-Fair to process and learn to cope with the effects of their trauma.
When deployed, members of the military often don’t have the time, outlet or coping skills to process the trauma they’re experiencing, Holland said, and they often feel alone upon returning to life as a civilian.
“We have that camaraderie; we have that brotherhood because we've gone through these experiences together. And then we exit the military, and we can't relate to people anymore. You try to talk to a civilian and they don't understand, so you start to feel more isolated; you start to feel like you don’t belong,” she said.
Camp Hope houses up to 80 veterans going through a six-to-nine-month program involving counseling, peer support and mentorship. The program starts with a 30-day “blackout,” getting veterans disconnected from their phones, families and the outside world so they can begin to connect with themselves, Holland said.
From there, they learn about their PTSD and focus on therapy for about five months. Before leaving the program, veterans are set up for success with resume assistance, help getting a job or getting into school, or finding a place to live. Many end up working for Camp Hope after completing the program.
“It’s amazing to see a guy be six years clean and sober and have come here in complete despair with no meaning, no hope,” Holland said.
