Sen. Bailey files the James ‘Dustin’ Samples Act to support firefighters suffering from PTSD

This week, I filed the James ‘Dustin’ Samples Act, which seeks to reduce the stigma, proactively work to raise awareness of the risk and provide early intervention to avoid a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for firefighters in this State and across the country. Our firefighters see the worst of human suffering and tragedy and encounter scenes that the average person would never see in their lifetime. This repeated exposure to trauma is at the root of the problem of firefighter suicides.

If a firefighter is diagnosed with PTSD, by a mental health professional, as a result of responding to incidents that meet certain criteria then the injury is presumed to have been incurred in the line of duty and will be compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Law. This legislation further instructs the Department of Commerce and Insurance to establish and administer a grant program to mitigate the costs to an employer. An employer must meet certain criteria to qualify.

When firefighters are diagnosed with PTSD, they face a system that is stacked against them. Without this legislation, firefighters must prove that his or her PTSD is work-related, often causing them to exhaust their personal leave and financial savings to cope with an injury acquired on the job. When a person goes to work saving lives in our communities, we owe it to them to do all we can to minimize the risk of any type of injury. We can’t legislate away traumatic accidents and emergencies, but we can remove obstacles to getting support when firefighters need it. Addressing the crisis of PTSD and suicide in the fire service requires a commitment to both prevention and treatment from all stakeholders and that’s what SB856 aims to do.

The bill is named in honor of Captain James ‘Dustin’ Samples of the Cleveland Fire Department, who tragically committed suicide in 2020 after a years-long struggle with PTSD.

The entirety of the Senate and a majority of the House have signed on as cosponsors.

Tennessee firefighter inspires bill to help those with PTSD

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE) – Tennessee State Sen. Paul Bailey and State Rep. Johnny Garrett filed a bill that would provide support and resources for firefighters suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dustin Samples was a…

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