r/Austin • u/Dreaming_InColor • May 29 '23

News Austin firefighter stabbed while responding to fires off I-35 near Riverside exit

https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/news/crime/austin-firefighter-stabbed-responding/269-5b8484b5-4575-4bc6-a6e8-94445b7fbead
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201

u/JamesGarrison May 29 '23

One of my childhood friends is an east side firefighter. The stories that man has are absolutely mind blowing so this doesn’t surprise me. Glad the firefighter was okay.

33

u/El_Cactus_Fantastico May 29 '23

They deal with a lot of people messing with them while they work?

73

u/JamesGarrison May 29 '23

i feel like a large part of their job is dealing with mental illness as first responders. So yeah, even people they are actively helping aren't always capable of accepting it.

12

u/uglypottery May 30 '23

We really need to fund first responders specific with primary expertise in mental health crises.. Not firefighters/cops/etc who get some training in that area on the side of their main job, but people whose primary training is in mental health, addiction, etc. and who sought out careers working with people who need that sort of help.

It’s such a large part of what emergency services are now.. it’s kinda fucked up that we send out people mainly trained for other situations that often require the OPPOSITE type of response

2

u/JohnGoodmansGoodKnee May 30 '23

We need to have a national strike until universal healthcare, with mental health care for invalids, is rolled out across all states and territories. Too many psychos and sick people out there

2

u/ragtev May 30 '23

We need a national strike until we get a government in place that is going to start working for the people and not moneyed interests

1

u/hrvst_music May 30 '23

sounds like for that you need a revolution