IRMO, S.C. — The death of Irmo fireman James Muller Friday night has completely rocked the Lexington County community, with an outpouring of emotion and support that goes well beyond that area.
But it's been particularly devastating for the firefighters Muller worked alongside.
Thankfully, there's a team responding to these grieving firefighters.
The team is called SC FAST, which stands for South Carolina First Responder Assistance and Support Team.
They are a function of the State Firefighters Association that provides mental health support after tragedies like this one in Irmo.
Following the devastating death of Irmo firefighter James Muller, the Irmo Fire District is grappling with how to cope.
It's something they certainly can't do alone, and don't have to.
SC FAST has groups of five to ten people rotating shifts providing emotional support to these firemen and women in Irmo.
"Everybody's still in shock. And that'll probably go for another few days. It's just the state of disbelief," said Gary Rogers, SC Firefighters Association chaplain.
Rogers explains that he is the one who provides the first layer of support, then comes SC FAST.
"The team deployed shortly after the incident on Friday evening to respond to the Irmo and Columbia fire departments who were involved in the incident and they were just here to be here for the responders when they came back from the scene and from the hospital. Obviously it was a very traumatic event, so just to let them have someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on and help them get through those first few hours and we've been here all weekend and we'll continue to be here," said Steve Graham, SC FAST fire chief.
This team in Irmo is full of peers, including former EMTs, firefighters and 911 call operators who have 40 hours of training in addition to other mental health courses.
These people are staying in local hotels and at the Irmo Fire District in the bunk rooms.
"For many years in the fire service, the old mentality that we are trying to overcome was that to talk about something that bothered you meant you were weak and that is an old mentality that is not true. It does not show weakness, it shows that you're a human being," Rogers said.
Graham tells News 19 these SC FAST teams will stay here in the Midlands for as long as they're needed, and their duties will shift Wednesday for Muller's funeral.
The fire chief and chaplain tell News 19 that the Irmo Fire District has received an overwhelming amount of support from the community. People are bringing food, sending texts and making calls to the station. They're also adding to the growing memorial outside of the station by placing dozens of flower bouquets, cards, and fire station t-shirts and hats from across the state and beyond.