\u201cNo matter who we serve, we are always there for their worst moments, but now we are talking about being there for each other in our worst moments,\u201d said Kelly Gordon, chief of the Santa Barbara Police Department<\/a>.<\/p>\n Monday marked the 66th First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Conference that brought together nearly 200 first responders, emergency medical services personnel, therapists and peer support leaders from across the county.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure that you have the education, tools and resources, and to help your coworkers,\u201d said Shawn Thomas, founder of the wellness conferences.<\/p>\n The First Responder Conferences and county agencies co-hosted the two-day conference at 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara to share mental health wellness strategies and emphasize the importance of peer support.<\/p>\n Santa Barbara firefighter Sam Dudley said the conference is critical to the first responder profession, pointing to a study that found that more firefighters die from suicide <\/a>each year than die in the field.<\/p>\n \t\tConference attendees fawn over Shinji, a Newfoundland that serves as a first responder therapy dog, during Monday\u2019s conference. Credit: Pricila Flores \/ Noozhawk photo<\/p>\n \u201cEvery year we lose about 250 first responders in the line of duty,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not because of bad gear, not because of bad training; it\u2019s because we are not taking care of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department\u2019s<\/a> approach to wellness is changing to prioritize peer support and utilize a proactive versus a reactive approach, according to firefighter-paramedic Egan De Los Cabos.<\/p>\n A large group of first responders, therapists and even some therapy dogs heard from local first responders, such as De Los Cabos, about when they knew it was time to reach out for mental health help.<\/p>\n For De Los Cabos, his time came after he and his young son were struck by a vehicle in 2013 while off-duty.\u00a0<\/p>\n De Los Cabos and his 3-year-old son were sitting in a gazebo in front of El Rancho Market in Solvang when a driver sped into the parking lot and knocked De Los Cabos to the ground and pinned his son under the vehicle.<\/p>\n He and his son were initially left with what he describes as cuts and bruises, but later started noticing body pain and skin issues that he did not have before the accident.<\/p>\n Something also shifted mentally.<\/p>\n \t\tSanta Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes introduces therapy dog Donuts to attendees of the Santa Barbara County First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Conference. Credit: Pricila Flores \/ Noozhawk photo<\/p>\n \u201cI was never suicidal during this, but what I will say is that I got a glimpse into a very dark place, and I know what it\u2019s like to not want to be in pain anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n De Los Cabos said that throughout his career he completed \u201cthousands of hours\u201d worth of work training, but when it came to mental health wellness, he had zero hours of training.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the accident, he visited a therapist who gave him advice he didn\u2019t agree with, prompting him to label therapy as a joke and never go back.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t try therapy again until a couple of years after the accident, his son fell off of a bar stool at their family home, and De Los Cabos began \u201ccrying inconsolably.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew my reaction was over the top, but I couldn\u2019t control it,\u201d De Los Cabos said. \u201cSo, I found a therapist, I paid in cash and burned the receipt. I didn\u2019t want anyone to know.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he told no one at work about his visits, during which he was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n![\"Conference](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/041325-First-Responders-Conference-3-PF.jpeg\")
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