Box Elder Fire Chief, climbing for a cause

   The National Institute of Health estimates that around one in every four individuals will experience a mental health crisis in their lifetime.

   Estimates have that percentage higher for those who work as first responders including police, fire and other emergency services.

   Matt Emrich has first-hand experience of the toll that the job can take on someone.

   Emrich is the Box Elder Fire Chief and has shared some of his experience of finding himself at the end of his rope and what he decided to do.

   “I got to a very dark point in my life, and a lot of it was just post-traumatic stress and personal family stuff. And I had a choice to make of whether I keep spiraling down this black hole, or I could say I need help and get it taken care of. So, I made the call, if you will, and told my immediate supervisors, ‘Hey, I need help.’”

   Matt received help through treatment and, though he says that not everything is perfect, he has come a long way. He has seen others in his life who have not made that same call.

   “I’ve had a lot of friends that have had some serious mental health issues, and I’ve had a lot of friends that have died by suicide over the years that are all first responders, and, you know, all the time, I just wish that they would have made the call, and some of them did, and it was a little too late.”

We mustn’t walk alone

   One thing that Matt credits with his recovery is being physically active. 

   Matt met Dan, who is a police officer in the area. The two clicked and became friends, bonding over similarities in their experiences.

   “We both had a lot of personal issues and a lot that related directly to work that we had to work through. Both on our own and some of it, we bounced off each other and worked together.”

   Both Matt and Dan found outdoor recreation like hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering helped their mental health immensely. It didn’t take long to decide that they wanted to do something a bit larger.

   “Ultimately, kind of came down to that, well, hey, let’s take this out of the country, and let’s go to Africa and do this big trip.”

   Matt and Dan are set to leave for Africa this week. The pair have challenged themselves to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

Working for a bigger cause

   The trip began as a vacation but has grown into something larger. 

   Matt and Dan are using their trip to help raise money and awareness for first responders’ mental health. The money they raise will go to Save a Warrior® and Warrior PATHH, which are both organizations that provide help to first responders in need.

   Matt and Dan hope to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro by Jan. 17. 

   You can follow the journey and give to the cause on Emrich’s Instagram.