Staying Proactive to Keep Your Confidence
The St. Johns County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, the local affiliate of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), moved swiftly when the recent pattern of members’ alleged misconduct became evident.
SJC citizens were never at risk of compromised fire protection and safety services, as nothing occurred while any of the members were on duty.
Though no cases have been adjudicated yet (and everyone is deemed innocent until proven guilty), the Association will always act on behalf of the County’s citizens if even a question of impropriety arises.
The past few years of the pandemic combined with rapid County growth have been especially challenging for SJC first responders, but our men and women live for challenges, so we accept no excuses. We—and the County we serve—hold ourselves to the highest standards of personal conduct and behavior.
Taking Care of St. Johns County While We Take Care of Our Own
Our commitment to the community’s safety remains steadfast and we apologize for any concern this issue may have caused. We’re attacking it with the same focus we use to fight fires and save lives:
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Offering enhanced and robust peer-to-peer counseling services.
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Member facilitator presentations to cover all stations once per year.
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Explaining SJCFR and Association available resources.
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Removing ANY stigma from seeking help.
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Letters and tools mailed to members and their families explaining counseling options with ready-reference info/emergency contact info.
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Providing greater promotion of the IAFF Center of Excellence mental health treatment program.
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First-person-accounts-of-success presentations to all stations.
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Process to access explained and offered.
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Actively coordinating with the Department-hired clinician and/or chaplain for one-on-one counseling.
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Providing discreet counseling.
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Guaranteeing no career retaliation will occur.
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The Association is working together with the Administration to address the needs of our firefighters and their families. We’re already seeing our members being strengthened by our actions—and no new violations.
We're STILL Proudly Protecting Your Property, Lives and...
Our Community
All our members remain committed to our community’s health and safety and are grateful for the outpouring of support from our friends and neighbors. Our men and women—and the citizens of St. Johns County—will get past this challenge even stronger. Thank you for your continued prayers and goodwill.