HAMILTON — Emergency workers gathered Wednesday, October 7, for a symposium focused on the mental-health pressures of first-response work and the support available across services.

Hamilton Police Service hosted the full-day First Responder Mental Health Awareness Week Symposium at Carmen’s Banquet Hall. Its official event notice identified police, firefighters, paramedics and public safety telecommunicators as the intended participants.

The program emphasized education, practical tools and collaboration, with the aim of strengthening resilience and reducing the stigma around seeking support.

In CHCH’s report from the gathering, organizer Jennifer Moreton, a Hamilton Police communications supervisor, described an effort to connect people with resources and peer-support teams across police, fire and ambulance dispatch services.

Sgt. Andrew Toms told the outlet that personnel in different emergency roles share exposure to trauma. Bringing those services together offered a way to exchange experiences and build connections beyond individual workplaces.

For Hamilton, the event put a shared workforce issue on a shared agenda: support for the people handling emergencies, including those answering calls and coordinating responses.

Sources: Hamilton Police Service event notice; CHCH reporting, published and updated October 7 at 8:17 p.m. Eastern.

Lead image: flag of Hamilton, Ontario, via Wikimedia Commons; not a photograph of the symposium.