AUSTIN (KXAN) — In addition to fighting fires, departments across the nation face challenges with mental health and recruitment and retention.

The Pflugerville Fire Department recently started a program to address all three of those factors: a mentorship program for cadets where mentors meet with them once a month for 90-minute sessions.

“Some good knowledge that me and the other mentors can pass on to these cadets to at least get them a good start and then see where it grows from there,” said firefighter Michael Hernandez, who leads the program.

Jeremy Ayers, an apparatus specialist, is one of the mentors. Both he and Hernandez said they’re proud to serve in the department but noted the job isn’t easy, and it’s often grim.

“We talk about line-of-duty deaths,” he said. “So that’s important. Speaking on things, how we can prevent certain tragedies in the fire service.”

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, firefighters are five times more likely to suffer from PTSD and depression than civilian employees.

“We share our phone numbers with them so they can always call us,” Ayers said. “Any concerns and questions they have about the fire service. We’re there to answer those questions for them.”

The mentorship also aims to foster an overall positive and supportive work environment. Hernandez said he hoped it would help with retention by making the agency somewhere people want to stay – especially during a time when first responder recruitment has proved difficult nationwide.

“I think it’s important to give them a sense of community so they can be a family together,” Hernandez said. “And once they’re together, they’re able to grow as a good firefighter. And once they’re a strong community, they can give back to the community that they serve.”