PulseCheck: Fire & EMS
The challenges first responders face everyday
Behind every emergency call is a provider who carries the weight of stress, trauma, and fatigue. Too often, stigma and limited resources leave EMS professionals without the support they deserve.
🧠 High Stress & Trauma – Repeated exposure to crisis impacts mental and physical health.
🙊 Stigma Around Help – Fear of judgment keeps many from reaching out.
🧰 Few Culturally Competent Tools – Existing resources rarely reflect the realities of EMS.
Why PulseCheck
EMS providers face some of the highest rates of stress, trauma, and burnout in healthcare, making access to tailored mental health support critical.
Studies show that nearly 37 percent of EMS professionals meet criteria for PTSD, compared to about 6 percent in the general population, and that more than one third report symptoms of depression.
Suicide risk is also significantly elevated, with EMS workers estimated to be 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than the general public.
Despite these realities, many providers report stigma, lack of time, and limited access to culturally competent resources as barriers to care.
PulseCheck is needed to bridge this gap by offering private, evidence based tools created by and for EMS professionals, making mental health support both accessible and relevant.
Explore the app
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![Mobile phone screen displaying PulseCheck Fire & EMS app with assessment options and an illustration of an EMS personnel in front of an ambulance.]()
Dashboard
The Dashboard is the home base of PulseCheck. It brings your tools together in one place so you can quickly check in, find what you need, and move on. Whether you’re starting a shift, wrapping one up, or just taking a moment, the Dashboard keeps things simple, familiar, and easy to access.
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![Two smartphones showing mental health assessment apps, one titled 'Primary Assessment' with questions about feelings, thoughts of suicide, and support needs, the other titled 'Secondary Assessment' with options to track anxiety, depression, distress, burnout, and trauma.]()
Primary & Secondary Assessments
The primary and secondary assessment screens offer quick self-checks with clinically validated tools. They help users track mental health patterns over time and identify when extra support may be needed.
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First Out Bag
The First Out Bag offers short, guided practices tailored to the demands of EMS. It provides a quick way to reset, decompress, and refocus in the middle of a shift or after a difficult call. It helps support ongoing resilience and mental readiness.
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Pause
Pause is a quick reset tool designed for moments when things feel heavy, noisy, or unclear. It helps you slow things down, check in with what you need right now, and choose a next step that fits the moment—whether that means calming your body, getting out of your head, or figuring out your next move.
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![Mobile phone screen displaying a paramedic-themed app called 'Pocket Guide' with various guides and articles about EMS and stress management.]()
Pocket Guide
The Pocket Guide provides quick access to practical resources designed for first responders. It offers culturally competent guidance on topics like resilience, leadership, and trauma-informed care.
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![A smartphone screen displaying an app called 'The Station' with a cartoon image of a smiling paramedic in front of an ambulance and an EMS station sign. The app provides tools for mental health support, including journaling and values exploration.]()
Values Compass
The Values Compass helps users identify what matters most to them and stay oriented during difficult moments. It supports reflection on core values and highlights how daily actions align with what feels meaningful, offering a steady reference point when stress, fatigue, or uncertainty pull attention off course.
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Journal
The Journal gives users a private place to write things out and make sense of their experiences. It helps clear mental clutter, notice patterns, and create space between what happened and how it’s carried forward.
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![Mobile phone screen displaying an app page titled 'The Chart', featuring an illustration of a paramedic holding a medical chart and a photo of a person with a concerned expression. Buttons for a badge icon and a person with anxiety.]()
The Chart
The Chart tracks progress over time through assessments, values, and milestones. It helps users recognize patterns, celebrate growth, and stay engaged in their wellness journey.
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![A mobile app screen titled 'Shift Debrief' shows a firefighter or medic with arms crossed standing in front of an ambulance and orange trees during sunset, thanking the worker and prompting to begin debriefing.]()
Shift Debrief
The Shift Debrief feature helps first responders pause at the end of a shift to reflect and check in with themselves. It provides a quick, guided way to process the day and support ongoing mental wellness.
Agency Subscriber
PulseCheck gives agencies a practical way to support the mental health of their crews with tools that fit the realities of fire and EMS work. Agency subscriptions provide access for teams or departments, offering a scalable, cost-effective option to make mental health support available across your organization while respecting individual privacy.
Individual Subscriber
PulseCheck is available as a direct-to-consumer app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Individual subscriptions allow first responders to download the app and access PulseCheck’s tools on their own, without needing to go through an agency or employer.