New Canaan, CT – Fairfield County Trauma Response Team (FCTRT) presents “Beyond the Call: Supporting the Mental Health of First Responders.”

The benefit is an interactive and informative evening open to the general public introducing the cultures, traumas, and mental health needs of Fairfield County first responders, including firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics, and animal control officers.

Todd Blyleven

The keynote speaker is the son of Hall of Fame Baseball player Bert Blyleven, Todd Blyleven, who risked his life to save potential victims of the Las Vegas shootings in 2017. Todd will then moderate a panel of local first responders, including Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan (Danbury fire), Rex Sprosta (New Canaan police), Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW EMT-B (New Canaan EMS), and Ray Connors (former Chief of Connecticut Animal Control). The panel will be interspersed with video clips from Responder Resilience Podcast, our partners for the event. Q&A is encouraged and a chance for the public to engage with the first responders. 

Honorees at this event will be our long-time supporters, Captain Jacques Roy (Stamford Fire Dept.), and the Wilton Presbyterian Church.

Trauma therapists from Fairfield County Trauma Response Team (FCTRT), along with first responders from throughout the county, will be on hand to answer questions, and food and drink will be available throughout the evening.

The benefit will begin at 6 pm on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at The Waveny House in New Canaan, CT. The Waveny House is located at 677 South Avenue, New Canaan. Sponsorship opportunities are available. To reserve your participation or to donate, please sign up at FCTRT – https://fctrt.org/fundraiser/.  

About Fairfield Country Trauma Response Team (FCTRT)

FCTRT is committed to raising awareness about traumatic events encountered by first responders every day, the cumulative stress they often carry as a result, and the therapeutic services provided by our team members. We are present at departmental debriefings and following mass disasters to offer education regarding symptoms and coping skills to deal with them, all in the service of promoting health and resilience.