Buncombe County Summit Targets First Responder Mental Health, Wellness Resources

A statistic delivered from the stage set the tone for everything that followed: suicide rates among first responders are now outpacing line-of-duty deaths. That sobering claim, reported by a speaker on the opening day of the Second Annual First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Summit, underscores why Shannon Knapp founded Heart of Horse Sense and why she built an event around it.

"Suicide is absolutely why we're here because there's so much that we can do so much sooner," said Knapp, the nonprofit's founder.

The three-day summit, running March 12 through 14, is free and open to current and retired firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, 911 dispatchers, their families, support staff, and community members. Thursday and Friday sessions are held at AB-Technical Community College's Woodfin Public Safety Training Campus, with the summit concluding Saturday at Heart of Horse Sense's property in Marshall for what organizers are calling Family Day on the Farm.

Thursday's program featured a keynote address from Jamie Williams, a retired fire chief and co-founder of FR Career360, who brings 25 years of service to a role now centered on first responder wellness. Organizers describe Williams as someone who "knows first-hand the importance of healing the brain to regain passion for life and being of service to others." Friday's agenda shifts to panels and an exposition focused on the challenges first responders and their families face on and off the job.

Among those participating is Michelle Brown, a 911 dispatcher who offered a perspective shaped by two decades behind the console.

"I've been dispatching for about 20 years, and I've seen the struggle that a lot of people, not only dispatchers, but also first responders face, and it's become a passion of mine to help them realize they're not alone in their struggles," Brown said.

Speakers throughout the summit have stressed that mental health carries the same weight as physical safety for people working on the front lines, and organizers say a core goal is connecting responders with confidential pathways to support and treatment, not just awareness.

Organizations interested in supporting future summits can reach Heart of Horse Sense at development@heartofhorsesense.org.