As our schedules and lives become increasingly challenging with all that is going on, we wanted to pass on a reminder of the resources available to us.

Through our city Employee Assistance Program (EAP) we can contact The Counseling Team International at any time. They have a 24-7 monitored number (1-800-222-9691) and have amazing staff members located throughout California that are available for all sorts of requests. The Counseling Team brings on Mental Health professionals with a personal connection to public safety. Some have worked in public safety, and some have very close family members with public safety experience.

We are provided with as many visits as needed to a professional from The Counseling Team under our EAP. If you are told that your are limited to a certain number of visits, that is incorrect. Please ask the clinician to contact Dan Richards, and we will bring them up to speed with the OFD contract with the Counseling Team. This can be accomplished without using any names or details.

A quick rundown on how to contact the Counseling Team:

  • Once the 1-800-222-9691 number is called, The Counseling Team will begin gathering information, what your needs are, where you are located and what they can do for you. Sometimes this is a counselor, but this can also be a support staff member.
  • The Counseling Team will find one of their mental health professionals to meet with you or speak with you as soon as possible. This is not a ‘we don’t have any openings for the next three weeks’ type of deal. You will speak to someone that day or night. If you do not receive a response in a timely manner, please contact any Peer Support Team member, and we can help expedite the process.
  • The city is eventually billed for the services, but no personal information is given in the billing process. The city essentially receives a bill for ‘Counseling Services’ and that is about it as far as details go.
  • The Counseling Team services are available to us for:
    – Work related issues
    – Personal related issues
    – Family related issues
    – Any family member living in your home is also covered under the EAP, and counseling services can be individual or family sessions, in person or virtual.
  • If you feel uncomfortable contacting The Counseling Team, reach out to a Peer Support Team member and we can also arrange someone to call you! The OFD Peer Support Team members are listed at the bottom of this page. All are available for conversation or as a resource for other information.

The Counseling Team is a group of mental health professionals that has consistently gone above and beyond for us as an organization. They have responded day and night for critical incident stress debriefings and for individual call outs. I (Richards) have experience with their services on a personal level, and I can’t say enough about their dedication to our well-being.

Our chosen profession is difficult. It is tough on us, on our families, on our relationships and our well-being. We are here to help navigate through the difficulties.

Please feel free to reach out to any Peer Support Team member (all contacts are confidential) for any questions you may have!

  • Pam Martinez – 909.238.1891
  • Chris Bowen – 909.821.6486
  • Kurt Saunders – 949.547.5709
  • Mike LeDonne – 949.292.8580
  • Noah DeMartino – 714.883.9491
  • Dave Charleston – 714.932.0555
  • Brandon Carroll – 909.709.7137
  • Mike Medina – 909.367.6098
  • Bryan Ruppert – 909.921.5272
  • Nick Munoz – 909.260.8258
  • Mike Hernandez – 951.741.4420
  • Joel Magrina – 909.921.5138
  • Jake Medina – 909.367.8148
  • Maurcio Carvalho – 951.314.6132
  • Dan Richards – 805.857.0130
  • Ryan Williams – 760.889.6237

Additional resources:

Next Rung
Healing Our Own
Fire Strong
Share The Load
911 At Ease International