Milwaukee Fire Department members receive trauma response training

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Members of the Milwaukee Fire Department met Thursday to learn how to better help children and families who have gone through traumatic events.

The training was put on as part of the Milwaukee Trauma Response Initiative, formed through a partnership between city and county leaders. At the training, members of the fire department learned how to help provide support and identify behavior of children who have experienced violence at home or in their community.

The session was recorded and will be shared with the other 600 employees of the department.

“We want to help people become more aware of psychological trauma,” Children’s Mobile Crisis Team Director Dr. Steven Dykstra said. “To recognize the small things we do, that we don’t leave people alone, that we connect them to each other, that we engage them in conversation and that we notice the people that seem to be struggling the most.”

Thursday’s session marked an expansion of the initiative. Previously, members of the Milwaukee Police Department were also trained.

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