One805 raised $300,000 with their Rock for First Responders benefit concert at the Granada Theatre on March 8. A nonprofit created in the wake of the Montecito mudslides, One805 has become an influential organization that focuses on equipping communities for potential natural disasters and providing mental wellness support for first responders. Many local, famed musicians have donated their time and talent to the organization’s benefit concerts and events to thank and support those who, as Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said at Saturday’s show, “stand between danger and the community.” Rock for First Responders featured live music from local Indie folk band Plastic Harpoons, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, Macy Gray, Alan Parsons, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Toad the Wet Sprocket, whose lead singer Glen Phillips was credited as a galvanizing force behind the event.
With wine flowing and people on their feet, dancing as soon as Loggins played “Footloose,” the event had an overall positive energy — with only a few dips in buoyancy. It is certainly a challenge to talk seriously about mental health and the work of a first response team in life threatening disasters (especially in a “party” atmosphere); yet the One805 video presentations of first responders and victims of recent fires describing candidly their experiences painted a realistic picture of a tough job with real consequences — one that necessitates the availability of mental wellness support. Only once did a truly horrific anecdote make its way into the otherwise well-curated production of hard-working responders helping people rebuild their lives.
Sheriff Bill Brown addressed the audience before the musical festivities, as did Hartwig, whose remarks noted a shift in the culture of first responders toward self-assessment and willingness to work through trauma. Hartwig remembered previous generations of firefighters recommending and modeling behavior of suppressing and avoiding negative or disturbing reactions to the job instead of facing them. Unfortunately, in many cases this led to unhealthy coping habits that were detrimental to the responders’ work and home lives. The programs provided by One805, said Hartwig, are allowing first responders the opportunity for better mental wellness both on and off the job.