Late fire captain Anthony Pighetti instrumental in shaping first responder mental health, community reflects on legacy
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— It’s a somber day for fire training captain Jeremy Denton, who loves his long-time colleague Tony Pighetti like a brother.
“I mean, we've known each other forever, and we've done all this together, and now he's not here. It's hard,” said Denton, who has worked with Santa Barbara City Fire for years.
Pighetti died Wednesday after he went out paddle boarding the night before.
Friends, and even strangers, describe him as a bright light who always put others first.
“I got a message late last night about a guy that said that he owes Tony his life because he was there on his deepest, darkest day, and he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Tony. And he's not the only one. There's people all over the place that are here because Tony took the time to go help that person, whenever, wherever,” said Denton.
Sometimes, it’s the very people who sacrifice their lives that need the most help.
“The firefighters— we're here to help. We're not used to being the person that receives help. So there really is a stigma on mental health. But the thing that you need to push forward is the strong people are the ones that are brave enough to ask for help. So be strong enough. Be brave enough to know when you need help,” said Denton.
Firefighters have to be in peak physical shape, but not enough people talk about the mental strength it takes to witness gruesome accidents on a daily basis.
That is what led Pighetti to create the Peer Support Program.
“ A firefighter or a first responder is more likely to talk to another firefighter or a first responder like a police officer because they know what they're going through and they understand it. So peer support, we have special training to support our brothers and sisters through things that, you know, people really aren't designed to see— on really bad accidents or, you know, fatalities, things like that that affect us,” said Denton.
For things that are beyond the scope of a peer supporter, nonprofit One 805 provides a dedicated therapist free of charge to both the firefighter and their family.
“We’re lucky enough to have had Tony come forward. And we've asked our donors to support that. And this is something that is quite new and hasn't happened for a very long time. And they used to suck it up, and they don't do that anymore. And this is thanks to people like Tony,” said One 805 CEO and Chairman Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith.
As Pighetti worked to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, the Peer Support Program has grown tremendously, expanding county wide.
“We have peer supporters here from Ventura County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, all here right now. And Tony has had a part in probably every single one of them that's here. They're here to support each other. They're here to support us. And it's amazing to see. And like one of our peer supporters said to our chief… like we're here doing what Tony taught us to do. So, I mean, that's his legacy,” said Denton.
Pighetti's memorial service will be Sunday that begins with a paddle out at 10 a.m. and a memorial service that begins at 2 p.m. at Santa Barbara City College.
