First responders’ volatile work conditions coupled with long hours and close proximity to tragic events make it an incredibly stressful environment. In light of this, Homewood High School junior Allie Grace Broadhead and her father, Homewood fire chief Brandon Broadhead, hosted a First Responders Banquet on Sept. 26 in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of U.S. deaths, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Firefighters are one of the most at-risk groups for suicide among emergency personnel despite it being a demographic often overlooked during conversations surrounding mental health.
From 6-8 p.m. at the Fultondale Event Center, attendees participated in various activities designed to honor the lives of fallen first responders.
To tackle such a massive undertaking, the Broadheads enlisted the help of the HHS Kindness Club to handle event logistics. Students went around Homewood and asked businesses to donate items and gift certificates to the silent auction as well as set up tables and greet guests.
Helping out is “a way to get Homewood students some service hours, alongside being a part of such a huge deal because most teenagers don’t really understand mental health,” Allie Grace said.
For Allie Grace, the subject of mental health is particularly personal. While quarantining during the pandemic, a good friend of hers decided to open up about her struggles.
“I couldn’t even fully tell you my thought process because it was just so heart-wrenching to me,” Allie Grace said. “Knowing how she felt through that challenge, I didn’t want anyone else to feel like that.”
With her new title as Miss Vestavia Hills’s Teen, Allie Grace plans and participates in initiatives that encourage others to exercise kindness in their own lives.
“Because my dad is the fire chief, I know a little bit more about how much these young men and women put their lives on the line everyday,” said Allie Grace. “We recently had a lot of suicide losses in the first responders community, so we wanted to recognize that while also raising money for our campus walk.”
A portion of the nearly $10,000 raised from the banquet will fund the Kindness Club’s Out of the Darkness walk scheduled for April 19. The other portion will support the Central Alabama Fire Chiefs Association (CAFCA) as well as first responders and their families.
The evening began with a welcome address delivered by Allie Grace and Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie. Service members and their families were invited to stand and be recognized for their sacrifice on behalf of their communities.
Various speakers from the AFSP, Alabama Fire College and Will Bright Foundation then shared their personal experiences regarding suicide and first responders.
Meesha Emmett, the Alabama area director of the AFSP, lost her childhood best friend to suicide. The tragedy helped to catalyze her passion for advocacy in the mental health space.
“Such a large showing of support for first responders, a population disproportionately affected by suicide, will go a long way,” said Emmett. “I’m sure that someone’s life in this room, this very room tonight was saved.”
She believes events that call attention to this pressing issue are the first step toward helping those who silently struggle with their mental health.
“The first step is initiating the conversation,” Emmett said. “The conversation is to let people know that there are resources and support available to them, all feelings are valid [and] that they’re not alone.”
After the dinner, Chief Broadhead spoke to the nearly 120 attendees about the solemn “last call” ceremony.
The “last call” is generally held during funerals and vigils to honor fallen firefighters. A bell is rung in three sets of three chimes, signifying the end of a firefighter’s final shift.
The events of the night culminated in a final candlelight service to honor firefighters lost to suicide.
Although each participant blew out their candles at the end of the night, Allie Grace Broadhead encouraged guests to keep the memory of suicide victims alive.
