On February 3rd, Ridge VFD LT Scot Best traveled to Level Volunteer Fire Company in Havre de Grace, MD to attend the “First Responders Mental Wellness Workshop – Taking The Cape Off.” The workshop, led by retired Fire Chief Patrick Kenney, was geared around his personal and professional struggles with mental instability, which he turned into a bestselling book, “Taking The Cape Off.” He talked about how his son’s suicide and the death of his wife to brain cancer sent him into deep depression and alcohol use. Chief Kenney described valuable lessons learned and how he fought his trauma in order to lead through mental illness, unimaginable grief, and loss. His talk was inspiring and helped show that bringing personal mental trauma to the job can be detrimental to all around. Additionally, it gave great insight on how to appropriately recognize, discuss, treat, and overcome such traumas to continue to work and lead in the fire service.