Filmmaker Bobby Lacer said he—of course—would like for his film, “Fighting the Fire,” to be profitable, “but the true purpose is not necessarily to make money.”
Its true purpose, he said, is to save lives.
“Fighting the Fire” is a movie about first responders, specifically firefighter Lt. Brian Cook, and the trauma they carry with them every day.
The premiere of the feature-length film will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at Henderson Showplace Cinema.
Lacer also said the film aims to raise awareness about first responders and mental health, and at the end of the picture, there’s a call to action—for those who may be struggling with mental health issues or who know someone who is—to seek help.
“Mental health has been a passion of mine for a number of years,” Lacer said. “(Every responder) has at least one run or call that really sticks with them…one they can’t seem to shake.”
In the film, Brian Cook, played by James Dickey, begins to experience mental health problems after a horrific event that occurred as he was fighting a fire, according to the movie’s website. That event, as well as others he’s experienced during his 15-year-career, begin to eat at him.
Brian Cook turns to alcohol to self-medicate and pushes his wife and children away, falling into a deep depression.
During the movie, stories from other first responders—police, EMS and dispatch—come to light, Lacer said, adding he didn’t want to “leave out our brothers and sisters in other areas.” The stories told by the first responders are “loosely based on actual stories I’ve heard throughout the years,” Lacer said.
Joe Whitledge, who is a 14-year veteran with the Henderson Police Department and is the founder of Defending Heroes Project, said the film is “needed to draw attention to what first responders go through.”
Whereas the average person may experience a handful of traumatic events in a life, a first responder averages four to five a month, Whitledge said. Now multiply that by a 25-year-career and that number reaches to more than 800 or 900, he said.
“For generations, it’s something that’s been stored back and go on to the next call,” Whitledge said. “At some point, it’s going to come barreling up.”
The Defending Heroes Project helps first responders and veterans when trauma or tragedy occurs through financial support, Whitledge said. It also helps with mental health concerns, he said.
Whitledge said he hopes the film allows first responders to know it’s OK to talk about the trauma and that help and resources are available to help them.
Lacer, who wrote, directed, produced and who makes an appearance, said the film’s budget was $100,000, and it took about 13 months to complete from filming to post-production.
Lacer has spent a good deal of his life in volunteer fire departments, so he knows the material. In 2004, while living in Henderson, he joined the Baskett Fire Department. Later, he joined Corydon Fire and Civil Defense. Currently, he is at the Shelby County Fire Department. (He lives in Shelbyville.)
Tickets for the Henderson screening are $5 at the door.
All first responders and a guest can attend for free with a badge or responder identification.
For more information, go to www.fightingthefire.com.
