Situational Awareness Matters Radio Show
SAM 020 | Interview with Fire Chief Patrick Kenny
Jan 23, 2018
Listen to Situational Awareness Matters Radio Show with guest Pat Kenny Here
On this episode I (Rich Gasaway) interviews Fire Chief Patrick Kenny from the Village of Western Springs, Illinois Fire Department. Chief Kenny talks candidly about losing his son, Sean, to suicide and the importance of mental health for first responders. I first heard Chief Kenny’s message when he delivered his program at the VCOS Symposium in Clearwater Beach. Today, we were both presenters at the FASNY Convention on Albany, New York. After our programs we sat down and talked about his Mayday for Mental Health program. During the interview Chief Kenny shares:
- How he lost his son, Sean, to suicide.
- How he developed a program to share the message of mental health for first responders.
- The powerful feedback he has received on his impassioned message.
- How important it is for this topic to be discussed in fire departments.
- How he almost lost a member of his department to suicide and how he was saved.
- How our culture needs to change to take the stigma out of mental health.
