ocfa testimonials
Evan Sornborger, RETIRED fire captain
Evan Sornborger had been spiraling since 2011, carrying the emotional burden from every call he went on. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he didn't know how to deal with it, and he was contemplating suicide. That's when his Battalion Chief Colton Ashby stepped in and took action. And it saved Evan's life.
Kelly Berkompas is the wife of Fire Apparatus Engineer Brent Berkompas. Brent is an alcoholic and had undiagnosed depression and PTSD. His life was spiraling and Kelly and their kids had front row seats. Kelly shares what she went through during that time and how Brent asking for help got their family back on track.
BRENT BERKOMPAS, FIRE APPARATUS ENGINEER
Fire Apparatus Engineer Brent Berkompas is an alcoholic and is 200 days sober. His undiagnosed depression and PTSD were eating him alive and ruining relationships both at work and at home. After years of slowing killing himself with his addiction, he reached out for help to his wife and trusted friends and it saved his life.
Greg Ellis, FIRE APPARATUS ENGINEER
Greg Ellis was a functioning alcoholic. He never drank on the job. His wife accused him of having an affair with the bottle. Greg didn't want to ask for help because he thought he would get fired...instead, he got the help he needed and turned his life around.
KELLY LUCAS, FIRE CAPTAIN
Fire Captain Kelly Lucas battled with his drinking problem for years. When his mom, who would self-medicate with alcohol, fell while intoxicated and ended up in the hospital with permanent brain damage, Kelly sought out the help he needed to get sober.
Fire Captain Kevin Vance is a military veteran and has seen suicide numbers rise in both veterans and firefighters. When he realized something was off about him 7 years ago, he went to the doctors and was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury. Since then, he’s been working on retraining his brain as well as bringing awareness to others who are suffering.
BEN GONZALES, FIRE CAPTAIN
For some firefighters, there is a single incident that hits harder than they ever could have imagined. That's what happened to Fire Captain Ben Gonzales in 2015. After reaching out and going through the process of seeking professional help, Captain Gonzales was able to properly process his emotions and return to work.
Darren Purcell, Retired Fire Captain
Captain Darren Purcell retired after 35 years on the job. He loved the fire service and prepared for retirement. As he was enjoying all the freedom that retirement provides, everything changed in a moment’s notice. Captain Purcell hopes that the turmoil that he went through will help others seek help.
Jeff Hoey, RETIRED Division Chief
During his career, Division Chief Jeff Hoey has responded to some horrific calls. He never thought about the toll it was taking on him. Then one day, it all came crashing down. Listen to how Chief Hoey struggled to find his way back to a healthy mind.