• During the most recent legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 35, which went into effect Sept. 1.

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• This law creates a statewide program connecting fire and emergency medical services personnel with trained peers to help manage the stress and trauma of the job.

 

• First responders can request support anonymously through a mobile app.

 

• If a trained peer does not respond within an hour, the system will automatically link the request to a national peer support program. The program is expected to be fully operational by early 2026.

 

• The law was modeled after the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network, which was created to give officers confidential access to peer support.

 

• The network’s platform works almost like catching an Uber ride: officers download the Lone Star Readiness app, request a peer and wait for a trained officer to respond.

 

• The new will expand that same access to fire and EMS personnel.

 

• The law was passed alongside House Bill 1593, which establishes an 11-member committee of firefighters, chiefs and mental health professionals to study the impact of peer support programs on suicide prevention.

 

• Peer support has proven powerful because it builds connections among firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and other first responders.

 

• While many people may not realize it, the Galveston County Critical Incident Stress Management team has been supporting first responders for decades.

 

• Built on this long history of peer support, the group formally became a nonprofit organization in August 2022, ensuring its mission could continue and expand for years to come.

 

• Over the years, team members — alongside local mental health professionals from the Gulf Coast Center — have been specifically requested to assist at many tragic and traumatic events in Galveston County and beyond, most of which readers would recognize from media coverage.

 

• These are the kinds of events that prompt tears or head-shaking disbelief — yet for first responders, they bring lasting stress, difficult visual memories and sometimes hidden struggles long after the scene clears.

 

• Peer support is about saving lives: when responders are mentally healthy, they are more likely to remain in their careers, experience less family strain, and are at lower risk for suicide.

 

• As a nonprofit, the stress management team depends on donations from individuals and foundations to continue providing these services.We are especially grateful to the Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Memorial Methodist Church, the Dr. Leon Bromberg Fund, and others in the community for their support.