Leadership’s Role in Building a Culture of Wellness

This is the eighth and final article in a series called “It’s OK to Not Be OK: Real Conversations About Mental Health in Public Safety.” Throughout the series, Jason Fox has tackled topics that every EMS provider, firefighter, dispatcher, student, and leader needs to consider—not just for their career, but for their lives outside the uniform too. Read previous articles.

Leadership in public safety is more than checking boxes, filling shifts, and reviewing reports. It's about setting the tone for your organization—especially when it comes to mental health. It's about recognizing that wellness isn’t just something you mention during EMS Week or slap on a poster. It’s something you live, breathe, and model—every day.

“From command to compassion.” It sounds nice on paper, but what does that really mean?

It means that leaders at every level—from the rookie training officer to the chief—have a role in creating a culture where people feel safe asking for help. A place where vulnerability isn’t seen as weakness but as strength. A workplace where saying, “I’m struggling,” is met with support, not shame.

Let’s be real: most of us didn’t get into public safety to talk about feelings. We’re used to running toward danger, not into heart-to-hearts. But here’s the truth—if you’re leading people in this profession, you need to care about their mental health. Because the job demands it. Because the trauma is real. And because burnout doesn’t wait until retirement to strike.

So, what does leadership look like when it comes to mental health?

1. It starts with you.

If you're a leader, you're already setting the tone—whether you mean to or not. Are you taking care of yourself? Are you honest when you're having a rough day? Have you ever told your crew about a time you struggled and got help? That’s vulnerability. And it’s powerful. When leaders model honesty, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

2. Build trust with policy and practice.

Don’t just say you care about mental health—show it. That means creating policies that protect people who speak up. That means making employee assistance program (EAP) information easy to find. That means offering mental health days, supporting peer support teams, and making sure your people know what help looks like and how to access it. And most of all, it means following through. Nothing destroys trust faster than empty promises.

3. Train your supervisors.

You’d never promote someone without teaching them how to complete a performance eval or write a report. So why do we expect supervisors to support mental health without training? Give them the tools to recognize warning signs of burnout, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Teach them how to have hard conversations. Equip them to act, not freeze. Mental health first aid should be standard issue—just like CPR.

4. Celebrate the agencies doing it right. 

Some organizations have figured out how to lead with compassion and courage. There are departments that start meetings with check-ins. That bring in therapists for quarterly talks. That treat peer support teams like essential staff, not optional extras. Seek them out. Learn from them. Steal their playbook. Your crew deserves that level of care.

5. Create a ripple effect.

Leadership is influence. Whether you’re in the front office or the jump seat, your example matters. You don’t need a bugle on your collar to be a culture-changer. Maybe you’re the one who asks your partner how they’re really doing. Maybe you normalize talking about therapy. Maybe you bring a mental health resource to your next shift briefing. That ripple spreads.

Tie It All Together

From the beginning of this series, we’ve walked through the emotional reality of working in public safety. We’ve talked about how cumulative trauma sneaks up on us like death by paper cut. We’ve tackled the stigma and silence that can choke our careers and personal lives. We’ve championed self-care—not just bubble baths, but real-life survival strategies. We’ve built mental health toolkits before the storm ever hits. And we’ve reminded ourselves that life doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.

And now we end where all change begins—with leadership.

Because if we want our industry to be different for the next generation, if we want providers to stay healthy and whole, then we need leaders who lead with heart. We need chiefs who walk the walk. We need directors who ask the hard questions. We need educators who teach more than skills—we need them to teach wellness. We need coworkers who check in and care. And we need you.

Yes, you—reading this right now. Whether you’re a student or a seasoned battalion chief, you are part of this culture. And you have the power to change it.

So, here’s the final message I want to leave you with:

You matter. You always have. 
Not because of the uniform or the badge. 
Not because of the lives you’ve saved or the overtime you’ve worked. 
But because of who you are.

You deserve a long career—but more importantly, you deserve a healthy life. One where your mental health is respected. One where your well-being matters. One where your worth is not measured in calls run, but in how well you lived, loved, and lasted.

This series was never about fixing everything. It was about starting the conversation. About letting you know you’re not alone. And about reminding all of us that it’s OK to not be OK—and it’s more than OK to get help.

Take care of yourself. 
Take care of each other. 
And keep showing up—not just for the job, but for your life.

Stay safe. Be well. And thank you for everything you do.