Redmond EMS Abstracts.indd - IAFF

Behavioral Wellness: Mental Aspects of Performance
Frank Leto
Director
Fire Department, City of New York, Counseling Services Unit
43 Transverse Road
Garden City, New York 11530-1833
fleto343@gmail.com
Background:
Captain Frank Leto is a 26-year veteran of the FDNY who currently serves as the Director of the
New York City Fire Department’s Counseling Service Unit (FDNY CSU). He is responsible for the
overall management and administration of the CSU and also directs the Peer Outreach Program,
the 24-hour crisis hotline and mental health education for uniform members. His association with
the CSU began over 15 years ago as a Crisis Counselor for traumatic events such as line-of-duty
deaths and mass casualty events.
On September 11, 2001, Captain Leto was an officer in charge of a search and rescue team at
the World Trade Center site. Since then, he has continued to develop innovative outreach and
education programs for fire fighters and their families who have experienced emotional trauma.
He has brought his expertise to numerous areas outside of New York, such as Northern Ireland,
the Gulf Region post-hurricanes, and most recently Charleston, South Carolina.
Richard Gist, PhD
Principal Assistant to the Director
Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department
635 Woodland Avenue, Suite 2100
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
816-784-9242
Richard_Gist@KCMO.org
Background:
Dr. Gist is principal assistant to the director of the Kansas City, MIssouri Fire Department and a
faculty member of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Kansas City University of Medicine
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