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JULIE PETRUZZELLIS, TORONTO FIRE ACTING CAPTAIN, STATION 116-D
his past February marked the fifth anniversary of the opening of The Stable Grounds, a multi-disciplinary residential facility that supports first responders with PTSI. The Stable Grounds is a labour of love, built by retired Toronto Fire Captain, Kevin Webber, and his wife, Rachel Webber. When Fire Watch first reported on The Stable Grounds back in 2017, Rachel and Kevin were starting on their venture. Five years on, we wanted to check in to see how things are progressing and find out what’s new at The Stable Grounds. As of 2016, the province of Ontario has included post-traumatic stress injuries with other first responder injuries presumed to be work-related. Since then, how we talk about PTSI in the firefighter community has progressed in leaps and bounds. My own mom recently noted how fire chiefs and other spokespersons, commenting on a residential fire that killed a family of five, discussed how difficult these tragedies are on first responders themselves. As public recognition of the struggles that firefighters face with occupational illness is growing, the increasing openness and support we’re finding within our own ranks are also helping to remove the PTSI stigma.
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Rachel Webber has observed this change closely. Over two decades ago, when Kevin was diagnosed with an occupational stress injury, she said formal support wasn’t easily accessible, and PTSI was still a taboo topic in the first responder community. Kevin and Rachel found an informal network of support from Kevin’s colleagues who understood firsthand the challenges that firefighters face on the job. Now, Rachel notes, firefighters and other first responders are more candid about their struggles, and the support from within the community is more overt. The sense of community Kevin and Rachel experienced within their first responder network was the impetus for The Stable Grounds, and the centre’s existence has helped change the way we all talk about PTSI. The facility is located on 55 acres outside London. In addition to ten private rooms, the main house features yoga and exercise rooms and a gourmet kitchen. It’s set in the countryside, and the property includes forest and farmland, hiking trails, as well as a woodworking shop and a horse barn. The hayfield is harvested each year to feed the facility’s many resident horses. One of the multiple modalities used at The Stable Grounds is equine therapy. See the sidebar for a full list of the modalities
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