LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas Valley chaplain is raising awareness about the mission to help first responders serve on the frontlines, and hopes to help hundreds more local first responders across the growing Metro area.
Brian Scroggins founded the Emergency Management Foundation, which helps cover expenses and supplies for chaplains across multiple jurisdictions. Chaplains are all volunteers.
Scroggins serves as chaplain for the Southeast Command for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, seven stations for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, and occasionally assists with needs for Clark County Fire.
“I wear a shirt that identifies me as a chaplain. People will come up, and if they’ve been through traumatic events, they may ask me to talk with them, listen to them. Some ask me for prayers. It doesn’t necessarily have to be faith or religious-based. I’m just there to listen to them and to offer them services on whatever level they need,” Scroggins said.
“Firefighters and police officers deal with a lot more traumatic events than the normal person does,” he said.
Scroggins explains how Metro Police and Las Vegas Fire have robust teams of chaplains to go out with first responders and serve. Scroggins has proposed a similar volunteer team to help even more County first responders.
“Las Vegas Fire and Rescue has a little more of a robust program: they’re assigned to platoons. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue has about 15. Metro has about 25. They’re all volunteer. And I would just like to do the same for Clark County Fire if I could,” he said. “From the One October recovery, I’ve talked to a lot of Clark County employees, and they said that they would like to have someone to talk to,” Scroggins said.
FOX5 has asked Clark County officials about the exact number of chaplains for CCFD, or their thoughts about Scroggins’ proposal.
According to Scroggins’ knowledge, less than a handful of chaplains serve the force of around 800 firefighters, and more than a hundred volunteer firefighters; those chaplains are also firefighters.
“Two or three don’t go very far in a big system like that… Now again, they have other supports. This would just be an additional tool to help them serve the needs of their employees,” Scroggins said, having raised the issue among a number of Clark County commissioners and spoken to them personally.
FOX5 is told that county first responders now have access to an LVMPD Wellness Center for counseling and other services.
Scroggins said many first responders or workers would still prefer to first speak to a chaplain who is readily available, rather than seek a professional counselor.
“I think there’s a stigma… traditionally, especially in the first responder community, you’re supposed to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get back to work. I think if chaplains are there and can have those discussions, I think it makes them feel like someone’s there for them,” Scroggins siad.
Commissioner Michael Naft tells FOX5, he’s asked County staff to look into the need for Scroggins’ proposal.
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