The Knox County Sheriff's Office is reminding its deputies of a crisis text line for struggling emergency responders on Thursday.
Responders can text 'BADGE' to 741741 anytime they may need someone to talk to.
It connects emergency responders with trained crisis counselors for free. People who text the line will be able to talk about anything they need to, regardless of whether it's about their work. They can chat about difficulties relating to substance use, depression, romantic issues or anything else.
Emergency responders are usually the first ones to help when other people need it the most. They're the first ones to run towards the things most people run away from.
In the process, they can see more traumatic and disturbing incidents than most people. The job can leave people feeling alone and isolated, which can cause severe mental issues.
The text line is meant to remind them that they're not alone and that they don't need to suffer in silence. All they need to do is send a text message and reach out for help.