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At the FSPA Annual conference, Greg Menvielle presented : Intro to AI for the Fire Service and Mental Health Professionals.
The presentation focused on demystifiying AI mental health applications for fire service professionals. We covered AI fundamentals,
real-world applications, accuracy limitations, legal compliance requirements, and practical evaluation frameworks. Emphasizes
privacy protection, human oversight, and strategic implementation to help departments make informed decisions about emerging
AI mental health technologies.
I was nervous walking into the Fire Service Psychology Association Conference.I’m not a firefighter. Not a psychologist. Not a peer supporter. I’m a founder who built an AI tool as part of a SBIR with the U.S. Air Force to help improve readiness and resilience. And while I’ve had to perform CPR (including an event where, unfortunately, it didn’t work), it’s nothing compared to what the women and men of the fire service go through daily.
Then Chief Jason Mays dropped one of the hardest-hitting phrases of the conference: "Never again pass on a folded flag to a surviving loved one."He was talking about his leadership journey after the death of his colleague, Chris; someone who should still be here. The room went completely silent and not the polite conference silence but the kind that hits you in the gut.
And it got even more visceral later that day, when Allen Lude told his own story from 1998. It might have been 26 years ago but every detail was still vivid, raw and painful.All of us wanted to hug him and I'm sure we were glad when the Master of Ceremonies, Robert Avsec, stood up and did.Every personal story, and there were many, followed the same arc:“I didn’t realize I was drifting.”, “I waited too long to ask for help.”, “By the time I reached out, I was barely hanging on.”Career firefighter or volunteer, big city or small town, it didn’t matter.
To put things in perspective: last year, 119 firefighters died by suicide — and that’s with only 60% of departments reporting (ty Jeff Dill for the stats). How many of those deaths could be preventable if someone had caught the drift earlier? And that’s not even measuring the impact on those who are showing up every day while struggling in silence, carrying the weight in ways that affect themselves, their teams, and their families.
That’s what I left Fire Service Psychology Association with: There’s no one magic recipe, but there are many people who are truly committed to being agents of change, worldwide.AI-powered tools like Okaya (see link in comments) are part of that solution helping humans check in privately. Daily. Without stigma or fear.It should never replace therapy or peer support rather help people reach those supports sooner, when they still have strength to reach out.The goal is to collaborate to prevent the next folded flag.