Every day, firefighters respond to sickness, trauma, tragedy and disaster. As a firefighter in Colorado, I have personally experienced and witnessed the toll this work takes on our mental health. But as of July 1, the program meant to support our emotional well‑being — the Colorado Firefighter Benefits Trust Behavioral Health Program, created in 2022 under Senate Bill 2 — was slashed from a $10,000 annual benefit per firefighter to a $1,000 lifetime cap. With state funding completely pulled for the 2025–26 budget, the Trust had no choice but to scale back support.

Amid a $1.2 billion budget shortfall this spring, Gov. Jared Polis dropped funding for the Behavioral Health Program from his 2025–26 budget proposal. This is an effective erasure of care.

Senate Bill 2 created a dedicated trust administered through the Colorado Firefighter Benefits Trust to reimburse first responders, and their spouses and children, for behavioral health treatments like therapy, PTSD counseling, and family support. Participation was automatic for every fire department in the state.

The trust was established with targeted state appropriations: $1 million for FY 2022–23, rising to $5 million for FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25 with an independent review required by Sept. 1. On April 28, Polis officially defunded the Behavioral Health Program for the FY 2025-26.

On June 16, to keep the Behavioral Health Program alive, the Trust announced the retroactive $1,000 lifetime cap per firefighter family. This cap officially went into effect on July 1, 2025.

According to the Board of Trustees chair for the Colorado Firefighter Benefits Trust, Fire Chief John Willson of the Louisville Fire Protection District, the Behavioral Health Program has supported 600 firefighters as of May 2025 and 460 of those individuals have already reached the $1,000 lifetime cap. This raises a serious concern: The 460 firefighters capped at $1,000 are now paying out of pocket — forcing families to stretch budgets, skip essentials, or forgo ongoing mental health treatment they can’t afford.

Chief Willson provided the following statement, “projected expenses for the 2025 calendar year are already over the $1 million annual funding (initially) provided by the legislature, making the program financially unsustainable. Although the 2024 claims and administrative expenses were $714,000, the 2025 to‑date figure is projected to stand at $1,414,000 in expenses.”

This is not a political issue. It is a public-safety crisis.

First responders face staggering rates of PTSD, anxiety, depression, moral injury, and suicide. Studies show that around 15% of first responders develop PTSD, and up to 30% experience behavioral health conditions like depression at some point in their careers.

Since 2015, 1,378 first responders have died by suicide nationwide. In 2024 alone, 112 firefighters took their lives, likely reporting only 60% of the true number, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance.

That’s roughly one suicide every two to three days — a sobering reminder of the stakes when mental health support is underfunded for first responders.

Behind each suicide is a grieving crew, a shattered family and a department that may never fully recover.

I have witnessed colleagues silently suffer. I have lost firefighters I considered family to suicide. Behind every emergency we answer, we carry invisible trauma: fatal wrecks, child deaths, suicides, house fires with victims. We don’t file claims; we file grief.

What began as a meaningful lifeline now carries a $1,000 lifetime limit. That doesn’t merely limit access, it sends a message to firefighters: “You’re not worth the investment.”

Here are the things that must happen:

Restore annual funding for the Behavioral Health Program to at least $5 million.

Reset the benefit cap to $10,000 per firefighter, reflecting the law’s intent.

Maintain automatic enrollment and statewide eligibility for all departments affected by Senate Bill 2.

Gov. Polis and legislators: Honoring Senate Bill 2 isn’t a political choice, it’s a moral one. When a firefighter reaches out for help, that support should be there.

Out of the state’s $55.9 billion budget, restoring $5 million is just 0.009% of total expenditures — a manageable, necessary investment. For comparison, the state budget allocates $5.4 million to cover inmate phone calls in prisons, and lawmakers also approved $4 million for new lawmakers’ furniture, even amid tight finances. While perhaps desirable for some, those expenditures don’t provide the same life-or-death support that firefighters receive from behavioral health funding.

If reprioritization is needed, lawmakers could redirect funds from low‑impact programs, use discretionary reserves for behavioral health or public safety initiatives, or tap into federal mental health grants available for first responders.

In short: The money is there. It’s a question of political will and moral priority.

Our job as firefighters is to protect public safety. To do that, we must also protect ourselves. The Behavioral Health Program isn’t a luxury; it’s essential for the strength and resilience of Colorado’s first responders.

Please act swiftly. Restore the funding. Reset the benefit.

Stand with those who stand ready to save lives every day.

Linda Crane is a Loveland Fire Rescue Authority firefighter. Her views do not represent the LFRA.

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