OFM_Dept_Society_First_Responders_0319_FINAL_DEPT 2 / 22 / 19 5 : 10 PM Page 2 irectly after the Pulse Nightclub shooting , St . Petersburg College’s Center d for Public Safety Innovation received a request from Orange County to train first responders who were at the scene in addition to secondary respon - ders ( medical staff ) who were involved . A portion of the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance grant was recently given to St . Petersburg College from the Department of Justice , now allowing the multi - faceted training program — AEAP , named after the grant — to proceed . The program is set to begin this month in Orlando and encompass two critical incident peer support classes — both 16 hours each — and will train various agencies and their members how to establish a peer support system internally . Todd Kirchgraber , the training manager for the program , says that there is still a stigma attached to first responders going outside to seek help for any type of mental disorders or concerns associated with a traumatic event , so this grant will give agen - cies an internal program letting first responders talk with their peers about issues they’re experiencing . “ For this particular program , the training is geared specifically for those individuals who were first responders to that incident — the Pulse Night - club , ” Kirchgraber says . “ We’re going to be looking at understanding what stress and critical incidents are ; what the principles are to establishing a crit - ical incidents peer support group ; responsibilities of those that have accepted that role ; intervention strategies , those types of things . “ We’re then going to put on a ‘ train the trainer ’ for that same program , so [ the ] Orlando area can continue with the process , ” he adds . “ Once [ the college is ] done and they leave , left behind will be people who are trained as trainers so they can continue to go through the munici - palities and law enforcement agencies and first responders to continue to do this training over and over and over again , ” says Donna Wyche , division manager of mental health and homelessness in Orange County . St . Petersburg will also offer a 16 - hour , two - day community response model training course for those not directly impacted by Pulse such as mental health practitioners , social workers and non - government agencies trying to help individ - uals deal with the aftermath . Lastly , an officer wellness training course will be offered to first responders to help them better under - stand what they’re experiencing and how they can help themselves not only through the Pulse event , but any potential future traumatic events as well . “ We’re going to talk about the principles of stress , the psychological aspects of stress , how to cope with stress , improving mental and phys - ical health to work in those particular areas related to stress , also peer support for families , ” Kirchgraber says . Looking ahead , Kirchgraber hopes that these training programs help first responders receive the tools needed to cope after a traumatic event and give them the opportunity to speak to their peers ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM september 2018 ORLANDO FAMILY xx ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM march 2019 ORLANDO FAMILY 17