Steven Endress, a medically retired lieutenant of the Farmington Fire Department, used the city’s public‑comment period to recount personal experiences with post‑traumatic stress disorder and to urge the council to improve the city’s treatment of first responders who seek help.

Endress described traumatic calls beginning in 2019 and said he spent long periods contemplating suicide. He said he provided a psychiatric assessment to city leadership that stated he was unable to safely perform firefighter duties; instead, he said the city sent certified letters questioning his ability and later issued notices that, he said, pressured him to resign or retire shortly before he would have qualified for pension benefits. "It is wrong that she attempted to use her position of authority to intimidate me into resigning shortly before I would qualify for a pension," Endress said, referring to letters he received dated March and May 2025.

Endress said the city’s approach left him and his family without support and urged the council to prioritize meaningful structural change, not just statements of support. He asked the council to "use [its] position to make every first responder feel truly supported, not just in words, but in action," arguing that how mental‑health injuries are treated should match the response to physical injuries.

Council procedure: the mayor cut the speaker off at the five‑minute public‑comment limit; a city representative offered to let Endress finish reading his prepared remarks after the time limit expired.

Response: Council members thanked Endress for speaking and several expressed sympathy; no formal staff or policy action was announced at the meeting. Endress said he expects private conversations and review of the city’s past handling of his case.

Next steps: The council may choose to request staff follow‑up or place the matter on a future agenda. Endress’s comments raised specific allegations (letters and timelines) that would require the city to confirm personnel and administrative details before any formal remedy.