LANSING, Mich. — More firefighters died by suicide than in the line of duty in 2017.
That statistic hits home for Delta Township's new Fire Chief.
"It was a shock when you get a phone call that you have a firefighter killed himself the day before," said Gregory Ginebaugh.
Gregory Ginebaugh was chief in Kentwood when he got that call.
It's one he never expected.
"I'm trained in critical incident and peer support and I thought that I would have seen signs but that's not always the case," said Ginebaugh.
The challenges firefighters face aren't just physical, but what goes on under the helmet
"It's hard to recognize the signs and symptoms, but it's also an ongoing challenge to figure out how to reach out to people and give them resources," explained Ginebaugh.
On Friday, that job got a little easier.
The Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs received the first installment of a $100,000 from BELFOR that will be used for the Yellow Rose Campaign.
"It's been exciting, it's been challenging, it's brought hope and brought awareness," said Ray Ahonen, the Public Safety Liaison for BELFOR.
The money will pay for peer support training, critical incident stress training and behavioral wellness resources.
"Mental health is now our number one priority," said Ginebaugh. "We start with that in training right away because we want them to start healthy and retire healthy."
The Michigan Fire Chiefs say mental health awareness needs to spread not only throughout departments but also to the public.
"The fire personnel are still human. We have our challenges and we need to have the recognition that we are human beings and are not perfect. There will be times your firefighters need help too," said Chief David Gloezbach, the Presidnet of the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs.
BELFORProperty Restoration, that provided the funds on Friday, also makes equipment donations to smaller fire departments throughout the state
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