South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
Peer Support
Peer support team members are not counselors but are covered by confidentiality and privileged communication per RCW 5.60.060.
Meet the South Kitsap & Fire Rescue Peer Support Team
Reagen Benedetti
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Reagen Benedetti is a 15 plus year veteran Firefighter and EMT. Reagen has worked at South Kitsap for the last 12 years and was a volunteer in Pierce county before that. Reagen also worked private ambulance in King County for 4 years. In addition to Peer Support, she is currently a member of the SKFR Wildland and Water Rescue Teams and an Acting Lieutenant.
Reagen is married and has four great kids, by marriage, who are all in their teens. In her spare time Reagen enjoys Mixed Martial Arts, Crossfit, hunting and camping. Reagen has experience dealing with drug/alcohol problems, personal and work related PTSD, and has worked with adults and teens struggling with LGBTQ issues. |
Dan Eastlick
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Dan has been in the fire service for the past 22 years. He is a Washington native growing up in Longview. Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central Washington University. After graduating from CWU, Dan was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Dan spent five years serving on active duty and was honorably discharged from USAF as a Captain.
Dan moved back to Washington state and began working in marketing and economic development. He became involved with SKFR as a volunteer firefighter, found his calling, and later tested and was hired as a career firefighter. Dan is a proud C shifter and in his off duty he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and grooming his spectacular mustache. |
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Chuck Hislo
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Chuck and Pam have been in emergency services all of their adult lives. They will celebrate their 29th year of marriage this July. Chuck started out as a volunteer firefighter for Kitsap County Fire District #7 and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Cadet. Chuck became a Kitsap County Sheriff’s Deputy in the summer of 1984 and served in law enforcement until 1995. Chuck also served some time as a Washington State Trooper for a total of ten years in law enforcement. Chuck also remained a volunteer firefighter during that time. Chuck became a career firefighter in March of 1995 and has been serving the residents of South Kitsap ever since. During this time Chuck has been a firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant and currently a Captain with South Kitsap Fire Rescue. Chucks education includes WA St Criminal Justice, Fire Science, Fire Command, Paramedic Sciences and most recently a Fire Officer designation. |
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Pam Hislop
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Chuck and Pam have been in emergency services all of their adult lives. They will celebrate their 29th year of marriage this July.
Pam is also no stranger to public service. Pam started her career as a Port Orchard Reserve Police Officer for 5 years and a Kitsap County Sheriff’s Correctional Officer for an additional 10 years. Pam left her law enforcement career raise our daughter and pursue her passion in nutritional sciences. She has an AA in Science and a Bachelors degree in Nutritional Sciences. She lives by the motto that your health is the foundation to happiness, physically and mentally. We have a daughter that is currently a police officer and an officer in the Washington National guard. We have had tough times as well as great times. That is normal for all. The trick to success is to have way more great times than rough ones. |
Dean Hoskin
David Hougan
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I started my fire service career at South Kitsap Fire and Rescue in 1995 as a firefighter/paramedic. While working as a firefighter/paramedic, I was involved with precepting paramedic students, evaluating BLS/ALS drivers, completing OTEP practical evaluations, and working closely with others in medical supply purchasing. I am currently the C-shift safety committee representative, peer support team member, water rescue team member and a fire inspector.
My wife, Karen, and I have two children - Mikayla and Alex. I enjoy running, hiking, cycling, skiing, reading and travelling with my family. The fire service profession comes with many hidden and visible stressors. We work long hours with minimal sleep, and at times, we have to perform duties that may have a negative impact on our physical and mental health. Home life also comes with its own stressors that can be difficult to manage without support. Contact me or any of the other peer support members anytime for help or guidance. I look forward to working with the peer support team and helping others in any way that I can. |
Matt Million
Jeff Miller
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I’m a 30 year member of South Kitsap Fire/Rescue and a military veteran, married with two grown boys and two grandkids. Retirement is just around the corner and I have plans for travel, as well as some humanitarian work and a smattering of home projects.
I have a lot of interest in the peer support program, having been the recipient of co-worker support prior to this initiative. There are few substitutes for the strength that comes from folks you work alongside, lifting you up in a time of need. Many talented and experienced individuals are on our team, finding the person best suited to help you should not be hard. To the majority reading this, I know you will probably never need what I offer in the way of understanding and firsthand knowledge, but to the one or two who may someday find themselves in a plight similar to mine, this is to you. My particular experience is in PTSD, grief and loss, as well as anxiety and depression. I know firsthand what it means to be devoid of any feelings of joy and to experience a complete loss of hope for a meaningful existence. I was a mess, but am now a living example of someone who had reached the limits of despair, and found the way through. Not only did I survive, but I moved on to experience a sense of life’s fulfillment which has far exceeded my expectations. I hope the same for you should you find yourself struggling in this area, and if you think I can help, please feel free to reach out. |
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April Ramirez
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Firefighter with SKFR since 2011 and founding member of the Peer Support team started in 2017. I have a husband and one son. During my son’s senior year 2018-19 we will be hosting a foreign exchange student from France! We love sharing our lives and learning from others.
I’m involved with local churches and cook/serve meals to our local homeless. I have a heart for meeting people where they are without judgment. I’m no different than most, I’ve done similar things that cause many of us to harbor shame, regret and guilt. The question is did we get caught doing the same thing? I “got away with” a lot of things and didn’t have the public shame of my personal life displayed for others to see before I was ready. This allowed me to self evaluate and grow in different ways. I have experience in dealing with sexual abuse as a child, emotional abuse, alcohol addiction, drug addiction of loved ones and stresses of a long-distance relationship. I did not get through any of this on my own. I sought out professional counseling and prayed a lot. If you don’t pray, that’s ok I’ll pray for you. In the meantime, I’ll do everything I can to get you the help you desire and walk with you through the process. This program doesn’t have to be for crisis only, so ladies, if you need a spa day call me any time! I believe one of the best ways to recenter and recharge is a 6 hr quiet time at the spa, no phone, no drama, no responsibility (men you could benefit from this too, just not with me lol). |
Doug Weller
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My name is Doug. I've been in the fire service since 1995. Since 2007, I've fulfilled that role as a lieutenant and since 2016, a paramedic. I've been married since 1994 and we've managed to produce 4 children. We currently have a granddaughter, which is odd considering that only old people have grandchildren.
We live in Eastern Washington and raise various creatures of the quadrupedal variety. Within the first year of my fire service experience I took part in placing two teenagers into the back of a coroner's van in such a broken condition I'd previously thought not possible, responded to a double homicide/suicide shooting, and recovered the remains of 6 sky divers, whose plane fell out of the sky. This was the first two shifts. It didn't get any better that initial summer of my career. Since then, and after realizing how much visual, audible and odoriferous stimuli our profession is exposed to daily - in addition to the everyday challenges of balancing our budgets, raising kids and navigating relationships - I've developed an interest in the emotional well-being of those in our industry. To this end, I was eager to become a part of this peer support group and hope to find a role that I can best be of service. |
