Sarah DeFur has been a firefighter in the Treasure Valley for 20 years. She said that until recently, the stigma surrounding her mental health prevented her from seeking help.
NAMPA, Idaho—
First responders are five times more likely to experience depression and PTSD, according to a Kaiser Permanente study. The researchers said it is due to frequent exposure to traumatic events and life-threatening situations.
A Nampa firefighter knows that fight all too well.
After 20 years of fighting fires in the Treasure Valley, Sarah DeFur of the Nampa Fire Department will put on her gear one last time Friday afternoon. She is trading firefighting for more time with her family.
“I love being a firefighter and I love getting on that engine, but I also love being home with my kids,” DeFur said.
Defur began his career as a firefighter at age 19 in the Star Fire District.
“They saw an ambitious 19-year-old and said, ‘Come on board, we’ll teach you all about firefighting,’ and I was immediately hooked,” DeFur said.
After a year with Star Fire, he joined Eagle Fire and worked with their team for three years.
He then found his home in the Nampa Fire Department, where he has been able to make a difference in that community for 16 years.
DeFur said the original plan was to stop after she had children. Now, five children later, she is finally ready to do it.
“And when our fifth child came along, it was, ‘Hey, we’re going to take you home,'” DeFur said.
While becoming a full-time mom and stay-at-home mom was a big factor in her decision to retire in her 40s, she said mental hurdles have also played a role.
“My heart is tired, my mind is tired, and I want to get home,” DeFur said.
Nine years ago, DeFur and her husband lost their four-year-old daughter, Alyson, in a car accident in July 2013.
“I didn’t think I would ever work again, but I did. I just walked around and it was really, really by the grace of God. But mentally that was really starting to wear on me,” DeFur said.
The way he dealt with the other traumatic events and life-threatening situations he witnessed as a first responder was also trudging along.
“In everyday life, a lot of times you just do the work, you just file it in the back of your head and move on,” DeFur said.
However, DeFur began to notice that “just moving on” began to affect his life.
“It really starts to affect your sleep, your diet, your exercise, you name it,” DeFur said.
It wasn’t until she started seeing a counselor and talking that she began to feel better.
“We have to process these things and we have to learn to live with them,” DeFur said.
As he prepares for his departure from the Nampa fire crew, DeFur is glad to see more of these conversations being promoted throughout the department.
“It’s okay to talk about these things. And guess what? Even when you talk about it, it doesn’t make you weak, it actually makes you stronger,” DeFur said.
On Friday at 1 pm, the Nampa Fire Department will hold a DeFur retirement ceremony.
DeFur She said that while she’s retired, she plans to work with her counselor, Dr. Kimberley Crawford, on mental health and education resources in Idaho.
Crawford travels the Gem State to provide polyvagal-based interventions for trauma prevention and resolution in first responders as a partnership with the Idaho Resilience Project.
DeFur hopes to share her story and encourage other first responders to seek help.
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