By Bill Carey
EMS1
KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — A Kanawha County community is remembering a beloved paramedic and highlighting the importance of mental health after she died by suicide.
Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority Paramedic Kori White began her career as a dispatcher in Logan County and eventually became a paramedic, working in Boone County, Lincoln County and most recently Kanawha County, WOWK reported.
“Words cannot describe the loss, pain and overwhelming grief so many are feeling. Please keep her family, friends and her big, blue family at KCEAA in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead,” the department posted on social media.
“You never know what call is going to bother you or what patient is going to stay with you, and it may not hit you right away,” Alex Metcalf, a friend of White, said. “Kori is a prime example. She is very good, always about let me put the job first, and then we can do the rest later.”
The impact of White’s death has been felt statewide, with fire departments in Charleston, Dunbar, Sissonville, Loudendale and others sharing their thoughts and prayers for Kori’s family and friends on social media.
A 2020 report by the U.S. Department of Justice found that law enforcement officers and first responders face a significantly higher risk of dying by suicide, underscoring the critical need for enhanced mental health resources and support systems within these professions. Additionally, data collected by organizations such as Blue H.E.L.P. and First H.E.L.P. have shown that suicides among first responders consistently outnumber deaths in the line of duty.
“We’re trying to break that stigma, that saying we always hear about the general public. So many people are overlooked with their mental health problems, and we’re no different in the first responder world,” Capt. David Hodges of the Charleston Fire Department told WOWK.
