CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A former Chesterfield firefighter continues his mission of ensuring first responders appropriately address their mental health — both inside and outside the yellow tape — and is asking community members to join him.
Kenny Mitchell worked in the fire service for more than 20 years, but started the organization Operation Yellow Tape four years ago when his close friend and fellow fighter Tom took his own life.
“In 2020, he and I met off Interstate 95, and we talked for five hours. I had so much on my chest I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him that I was struggling, but I didn’t," Mitchell said. "I didn't tell him, and he went north and I went south, and then 17 days later, he took his life.”
Dozens of first responders from around the country will attend Operation Yellow Tape's third annual conference Saturday at the Beulah Rec Center in Chesterfield. There will be live music, food, networking, discussion and workshops on the importance of recognizing and accepting mental health struggles.
"There's power in getting into a room with people who have been through hard things," Mitchell said. “You own your own mental and emotional struggles. You own it and you share it, and then they're gonna share with you.”
First responders see some of the worst scenarios possible, day after day, while doing their job, often passing off the real impact those events can have on their psyche. Mitchell said the name Operation Yellow Tape is an acknowledgment that problems both inside and outside an emergency scene contribute to an individual's mental health.
“Outside the yellow tape, my friends, is where the divorces, child custody battles, toxic relationships, financial problems, marriage problems, toxic family members, that's where this stuff starts. That's why it hit me. We see so much stuff at work, we bring it home to our family, but it is truly outside the yellow tape that so many people struggle with," Mitchell said.
Mitchell travels around the country speaking to emergency response teams and other organizations about the importance of open dialogue surrounding mental health issues. Even though society as a whole has improved in eliminating stigma, Mitchell said his focus is on advancing the conversation even deeper.
“I started this job 22 years ago, we didn't talk about mental health. You did your job and you moved on," Mitchell said. "I think we're doing better. I think we've come a long way, but I also feel that we're stuck in this awareness level, and one of my missions to Operation Yellow Tape is to break out of that. We know what the signs and symptoms are, we know what hyper-vigilance is, depression, anxiety. What are we gonna do about it?”
“My motto is, there are too many of us ever feel alone. Those folks who are going to be in this room, no matter what you get from the day, know that some folks in this room that you were here with are there to help you," he continued.
The Operation Yellow Tape event starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Beulah Rec Center, 6901 Hopkins Road in Chesterfield County. All are welcome to attend.
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