Santa Barbara’s One805 | Taking Care of the People Who Take Care of Us 

Nationwide, the alarm bell has been sounding for firefighters for a long time — not just to come to the physical aid and rescue of civilians, but to come to the mental health aid and rescue of themselves. Founded on the idea that peer support is the best bridge to get firefighters to seek treatment when they need it, the Operational Area Fire Department Peer Teams in Santa Barbara County are successfully working to provide that aid, thanks in large part to the financial support of One805.  

Originally created to help the community heal in the aftermath of the Thomas fire and subsequent mudslides, One805 is now a full-fledged nonprofit working to assist local first responders in a variety of ways, including a big commitment to ongoing support for mental health. Recent donations from Direct Relief and Yardi Systems specifically to support this program — respectively to the tune of $150,000 and $100,000 — are one nod to its effectiveness. 

“When it works, it’s almost magical to watch,” said Tony Pighetti of the peer-led program that’s become his passion. A retired firefighter who grew up in town and served 30 years in the City of Santa Barbara Fire Department, Pighetti is currently the Regional Coordinator for the county’s Operational Area Fire Department Peer Teams, which encompass eight different agencies and jurisdictions. His role is primarily as a facilitator. “I will go out and do some of the legwork or engage in deployments, but typically I like to see that the active firefighters get the experience and be involved.” There are currently nine people coordinating the peer program and about 100 trained peer support team members, “that’s out of 722 firefighters in the county,” a statistic he is justifiably proud of. The goal was to have 10 percent trained, which they’ve more than surpassed.