Behind the Line Support

10/06/2025

Love to see gifts being recieved by our followers!!

Every person who participated in our good feels thread received a 4 pack of stickers and a handwritten note (from either our 12yr old or 4yr old helper) thanking them for supporting our mission!

Let’s keep spreading the world on first responder mental health!!

09/27/2025

Have you checked out the online store lately?? Head on over to btlsupport.net because Squad Life is offering a special 20% all items from out store this weekend only!!

Hoodies, hats, stickers, t-shirts, and stickers that all help you show your support for first responder mental health!

The profit from your purchases goes directly into activities such as peer support group meetings and items our spouses & family group make for first responders currently in treatment facilities. So not only do you show support by wearing it in public, but your contributions also play a crucial role. Check out the store!

Enter the discount code "20offBLS" (no quotes when you enter) at checkout, but the code is only good until 9/30/25 @ 11:59pm.

09/14/2025

With social media still being pretty depressing, we wanted to change that! Let's flood a thread with something that makes everyone happy.... OUR PETS!! Let's put some smiles on people's faces!

Whoever gets the most likes on their adorable pet will receive a pack of 4 stickers free!!

👉 Drop a photo and name of your adorable pet in the comments
👉 Like and share the post with your friends - have them vote for you!
👉 Make sure you like and follow the page to be eligible to win

We will leave voting open until Thursday September 18th so don't miss out. Let's spread good vibes through our pets for everyone to enjoy!!

09/12/2025

As a first responder, can the job physically change you? YES!

Let's talk science and psychology for a minute.

Every person has an amygdala which is a small sized structure within your brain that plays a role in emotional processing and fear responses.

The amygdala acts as a personal alert system so when danger is detected it sends signals to the hypothalamus activating the HPA axis which then releases cortisol into your bloodstream as the fight-or-flight system activates.

The amygdala also plays a role in memory storage based off stress hormones and memory consolidation by transferring new learning into long-term memory while encoding those memories at a deeper level when the situation is emotionally arousing.

Research has shown that those diagnosed with PTSD have a structural difference with confirmed changes or deformities to the amygdala's structure or grey matter. Unfortunately, the functional consequences that result from the physical changes caused by trauma exposure has not yet been found.

In short - people who are subjected to trauma can and will eventually have deformities made to physical components in their brains. The physical changes made to the brain affect our fight or flight responses and memory. If you have PTSD or have symptoms of PTSD, doesn't this make sense?

**Picture is an AI generated photo that shows the amygdala as its affected and reacting to a trauma response**

09/11/2025

The ugly truth about society is that now social media is bringing attention to the bad of the world and putting it in the faces of people that have been hidden from it their entire lives.

First responders, especially correctional officers, hide the evil of the world behind concrete walls where these people are hidden from society for however long the legal system deems necessary. There crimes and scenes are handled by police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers that try to prevent society from facing the ugly truth of real life. Allowing people to live in whatever fantasy world they tend to believe in.

Now with social media and technology, these incidents are thrown in people's faces. People are sick to their stomachs thinking of the evil that lurks around in every community (yes, every community). They can't comprehend the level of insanity it would take to commit such an indescribable crime.

Now, look at the first responder you know and ask yourself again, why are they the way they are?

Why do they sit with their backs to the door? Why do they constantly look around? Why can they not be comfortable sitting in large public places? Why are they on edge around people they don't know and are never really able to relax?

It's because first responders witness the ugly truth about society. They look these people in the eyes and deal with them firsthand. They physically have witnessed the aftermath of the crime and have physically seen the look of death in a person's eyes.

As a first responder, we try and shelter our loved ones from the ugly truth. Unfortunately, the ugly truth has been shown numerous times lately and thrown in their faces. Maybe now is a good time to thank those who have provided shelter from evil for so long, it's the ugly truth.

After 9/11 our country came together and became one. It was beautiful and society thrived. I can only hope that this happens again.

09/11/2025

From departments that are small to the ones that are huge. Stickers, flags, and memorials are found with todays date on them to constantly remind us of the sacrifices made by so many and to remember all those who were never given the chance to go back home.

Let us never forget them or their families and all they have gone through.

With everything going on in the world right now, maybe it’s worth putting your phone away, shutting off the news, and just focus on those closest to you. Don’t subject yourself to the negativity if you know it’s not good for your wellbeing.

If this craziness is not within your power or control, don’t let the power or control take over you.

Stay Strong and Stay Positive.

09/11/2025

Separation is sometimes the key. Stay Strong.

Unintentionally recording loss of life is a terribly traumatic thing to do and to witness.

Regardless of what you've "seen before" there is never a need to subject yourself to unnecessary gratuitous violence. No, you don't need to "Sim this resus" in your head. No, you don't need to plan what you would do in the moment. That's all for another day.

For now, protect your peace, tell your loved ones you love them. The only thing this video proves is how quickly life can be taken.

Stay safe.

09/10/2025

A few weeks ago while doing our annual trip to training camp for the New England Patriots we had to drop in to the Foxborough Fire Department and hand out some first responder mental health stickers for the on duty crew!

09/09/2025

The aftermath of a call.

After responding to a "bad call", which could be one of normal circumstances for us like a cardiac arrest, we perform with the same professionalism as we always do. We run through the call like all the ones before it, but then the aftermath comes. It's when we get back to the station and find downtime or our shifts over and it's time to go home.

How many people outside your work friends can say that today I saw a dead body or performed the physical tasks associated with a cardiac arrest? Chest compressions, inserting an airway, defibrillating someone, suctioning their away, inserting an I-O, or telling their loved one that they no longer have a pulse while your crew is working behind you in their living room.

Normal day at work? not for many.

After doing this and it's time to go home, now your mom or dad, husband or wife. You walk away from the shield and its back to being a "normal" person. The stress of pushing down the feelings of the call, trying to smile, or just trying to be present weighs down on your shoulders as your brain is still trying to process the events of the day. The stress is overwhelming and the feeling of being different really bothers you mentally. Why do I have to feel like this?

It's important to remember that our normal isn't what society would call normal and that's ok. What we see and what we do isn't normal, but what we feel IS normal. We need to remember that after time our baseline normal becomes something different and we need to express this to the ones we love and live with. Being open with how we feel or what we need is the only way those around us can possibly understand when you're dealing with a hidden injury.

Don't let the aftermath of a call be the part that weighs you down more than the call itself.

08/15/2025

08/13/2025

A Methuen firefighter who was diagnosed with PTSD was denied retirement benefits.

08/10/2025

THIS! This is why the page got started. Hoping to share stories and information that people can relate to and not feel alone.

We don’t always share the funny stuff or get the likes the funny stuff does, but it’s our goal to make sure we share things that may just help one person. Making just one person feel they are not alone in their struggles and provide them with information that may just change their direction.

Don’t be afraid to share your stories with others. Rather than looking at them like wounds, picture them as battle scars. Our uncomfortable conversation may just be the story that saves someone else!

“Scars remind us that the past is real”