EAPFirst Benefits | EAPFirst / BTV Fire

EAPFirst

All members of the Burlington Fire Department are
covered by our program.

We provide free and confidential short-term counseling to you and your household members. We provide group debriefings with trained peers following critical incidents.

All of our counselors share a passion for supporting first responders and all are experienced helping people resolve exposure to trauma.

Call us 24/7: 1-855-EAP-1NOW

Why Do Your Peers Call EAPFirst?

Our free and confidential services are available to any member of the Burlington Fire Department.

We staff a statewide network of trauma‐informed, licensed EAPFirst counselors.

Here's a sampling of real-life situations in which we regularly support you:

Exposure to traumatic event
Family stress or resentment
Alcohol or drug use
Injury or illness
Depression and anxiety
Financial and legal concerns
Peer support
and anything else that's on your mind.

Chiefs also contact EAPFirst; visit our page for department leaders.

Our services are confidential and voluntary.

Where to Start and What to Expect

Our EAPFirst call center is open 24/7.

Call us at 1-855-EAP-1NOW (1-855-327-1669) if you'd like to talk to someone now or set up an appointment with one of our clinicians.

What Does a Session Look Like?

Our counselors understand first responder culture.

EAPFirst clinicians have undergone training by Vermont firefighters and EMTs in the culture of the firehouse, trauma, and peer support skill-building.

Your sessions with our network of statewide EAPFirst clinicians are always confidential, free, and client-led. That means you get to decide the focus and goals for your EAPFirst support.

Peer Support and Building a Network

EAPFirst believes in both prevention and response; this means our peer support and training helps you help each other even before a traumatic incident. The stronger you are walking into a shift, the more resilient you'll be when the emergency hits.

EAPFirst works with your Peer Support Team to help them in supporting individuals in crisis and assisting with or leading group defusings after critical incidents.

Your Peer Support Team is also a key link to the EAPFirst clinicians, and can help support you in connecting with the right person for you.

BFD Peer Support Poster

We Cover Families and Household Members Too

Our free and confidential services are available to any member of the Burlington Fire Department and their family.

Short-term, solution-focused counseling on any topic and resources for you and anyone living in your household.
We can help with any problem, large or small
Our counselors help people gain balance between work and family issues; deal with mental health, financial or legal concerns; and provide unbiased support for difficult life transitions
Household members use the same EAPFirst number and can call independently and confidentially

critical incident debriefings and group support

EAPFirst provides clinical services and critical incident stress debriefings to your department following a tragic incident. During this pandemic, all of our services are conducted via HIPAA-compliant telecounseling.

For more personalized service,
please call our staff clinician Tony Parmenter. Tony knows our clinical team well and can offer you a variety of counseling referrals and resources.

Tony: (802) 503-9586

Tony can be reached most weekdays or with the assistance of your Peer Support Team.

As a military veteran and experienced counselor, Tony has received specialized and advanced training from the Parnell Institute for EMDR, the Center for Deployment Psychology and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF).
Read his bio and more about our team here.

For 24/7 access,
please call our counseling intake center at:

855-EAP-1NOW

(1-855-327-1669)

A counselor is always available there to assist you.