Scott Ross | Los Angeles, CA

Scott Ross and his Peer Support dog, Milo

We’re going to get through this. We are resilient and our training has prepared us to handle anything that comes our way.

Captain Scott Ross grew up watching the TV show Emergency! This was an early introduction to the fire service for him, but he believes the real reason he first committed to the fire service came as a result of seeing the local fire department take care of his grandmother on a regular basis.

His grandmother dealt with medical issues when Scott was a child. It was a normal occurrence for him to wake up to paramedics tending to his grandmother and he credits these first responders for sparking his desire to join the fire service.

Today, Scott is the Peer Support Coordinator for LA County Fire. He has been a peer support mentor for 18 years and he is dedicated to helping his brothers and sisters in the fire service overcome the mental stress of firefighting. The LA County Peer Support group was started by Deputy Chief Mel Holkanson after the Cerritos Air Disaster of 1986.

Ask any firefighter how they’re doing… This is the response you’ll typically hear: ‘I’m fine.’

“We have to be mentally tough to do the things we do. This year has especially tested our mental toughness.”

Nobody takes up drinking as a hobby. There is a reason why firefighters are becoming addicted to alcohol and other substances at an alarming rate.

These are stressful times for firefighters. Scott mentioned discussions he’s had with his colleagues who are experiencing something they’ve never dealt with in their entire careers…

“I’ve never been concerned about going on a medical call. I trust my training. For the first time in my career, when the alarm goes off for a medical call, we know it could be career-ending.”

With COVID-19 now accounting for 42 firefighter LODDs, firefighters know that when they respond to a medical call, there is a possibility that it can be career-ending or even life-ending.

But Scott wants to drive home the point that firefighters can handle it. “We’re going to get through this. We are resilient and our training has prepared us to handle anything that comes our way. We’ve come a long way and been through a lot — there is no doubt we’ll get through this too.” Scott knows this to be true from his decades of experience in the fire service.

More importantly, never forget that you can always lean on your brothers and sisters in the fire service if you need a helping hand. “You may never get rich being a firefighter, but you are richer than you’ll ever know,” Ross stated. “I’ve seen firefighters rebuild homes, reconstruct backyards, and help others through the most difficult times. There’s nothing else like it. It’s the best job in the world.”

It doesn’t matter what the top of the patch says; the bottom part says ‘Fire Department.’ Firefighters are cut from a special fabric. No matter where you go, as long as you wear that patch on your shoulder, you’ll be welcomed into the station when you visit. Scott has always known this and he decided to put it to the test while he was in Chicago to teach a class on firefighter peer support.

His 12-year-old daughter had traveled with him to Chicago and Scott wanted to take her to a fire station to see how similar it was to LA County Fire.

When the Chicago firefighters learned that Scott was a firefighter himself, they immediately welcomed the two of them into and showed them around. The on-duty firefighters then insisted that Scott and his daughter stayed for dinner. What started with stopping to say hi turned into a night full of great memories that Scott and his daughter will never forget.

Firefighters across the country are a part of one, big family. No matter what you are going through, there is someone willing and eager to help you through that battle.

As the Peer Support Coordinator for LA County Fire, Scott has the tools and resources to help you through any issues you’re dealing with.

He asks that if you are battling something, reach out to him so he can help you find the tools you need to overcome that battle: scott.ross@fire.lacounty.gov