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A group of emergency services men stand in a line, all in uniform, with their emergency vehicles behind them.
First Responders kicked off Movember at their shave down event Image by: Andre Castellucci
A group of emergency services men stand in a line, all in uniform, with their emergency vehicles behind them.
Policeman sits in barber chair with hat on, while another policeman shaves his face with clippers, both smiling.
Fire service members stand together in front of fire truck
Two emergency service members in orange uniform stand with arms folded and smiling to camera, with their vehicle in the background.
9 people all looking at camera in different emergency service uniforms, with two police men on horseback behind. Blue sky and beach in the background.
14 November 2023

South Australia Emergency Services take on the Movember First Responders Challenge

Movember
3 minutes read time

Personnel from the South Australian Emergency Services have shaved down and accepted the challenge to compete with other first responders around the country. All to see who can grow the best Mo, make the biggest Move for mental health, and raise the most money for vital health projects supporting mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

In Australia, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, with six men losing their life to suicide every single day. Ex-serving Veterans and First Responders have a much higher risk of suicide than the general Aussie male population, 24% higher to be exact.

Movember launched the Veterans and First Responders Mental Health Grant Program in September 2020, with the aim of identifying promising mental health or suicide prevention programs and collaborating with those projects to demonstrate their effectiveness through rigorous program evaluation.

South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens encouraged first responders across the state to get motivated and help fight the stigma around men’s health.

" Working in emergency services can be challenging, and Movember presents a great opportunity to talk about men’s health and to break down the barriers around the biggest health issues for men. "

- Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.

Staff and volunteers from SA Police, SA Country Fire Service, SA State Emergency Service, SA Metropolitan Fire Service, SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission, and the SA Ambulance Service are participating in Movember’s First Responders Challenge to raise awareness for the three biggest health issues affecting men; mental health and suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

First responders from across Australia, who are taking part in this year's challenge, have already raised over $100,000 for Movember. The First Responders Challenge has been running since 2018, with over $2.4 million raised for men’s health to date.

The South Australian Emergency Services kicked off their fundraising efforts by hosting a shave down event at the Glenelg Surf Lifesaving Club in Adelaide on the 1st of Movember. The shave down was attended by members of all the life-saving emergency services around South Australia. Many impressive moustaches were lost on the day, but the strong bonds shared, and conversations started, among the attendees was ever present.

“Mental health is a particularly important issue for police to talk about, and I’m pleased to see a massive groundswell of support for this year’s campaign. Please support this cause, give generously, and remember to check-in on your mates.” - Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.

To show your support, head to the First Responders Challenge and donate to a team today.