Guide
First responder addiction help in New Jersey
New Jersey police officers and their families can call Cop2Cop at 1-866-267-2267, 24 hours a day. Firefighters, EMS professionals and dispatchers can call the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline at 1-888-653-3367. Both are free and confidential, and both are staffed by people who did the job. Anyone in New Jersey can call ReachNJ at 1-844-732-2465, day or night, for a treatment referral, whatever their insurance. In a crisis, call or text 988; for an overdose, call 911.
- Police
- Cop2Cop, 1-866-267-2267
- Fire, EMS and dispatch
- NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline, 1-888-653-3367
- Treatment referral
- ReachNJ, 1-844-732-2465
Reviewed against public records, October 2026: the NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the NJ Attorney General, the New Jersey Legislature, SAMHSA and the EEOC. General information, not legal or medical advice. Sources
Who can New Jersey first responders call for confidential help?
Police officers call Cop2Cop; firefighters, EMS professionals and dispatchers call the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline. Anyone can call ReachNJ for a treatment referral, or 988 in a crisis (NJ DMHAS, 2026).
| Line | Who it's for | Who answers | Hours | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cop2Cop | NJ law enforcement officers and their families | Retired officers and licensed clinicians | 24 hours, 7 days | 1-866-267-2267 |
| NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline | Firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers and their families | Active, retired or former firefighters, EMS providers and dispatchers | Not posted; call, email or chat | 1-888-653-3367 |
| ReachNJ | Any NJ resident with a substance use problem, whatever their insurance | Trained staff; a live person within 30 seconds | 24 hours, 7 days | 1-844-732-2465 |
| 988 Lifeline | Anyone in a mental health or substance use crisis | Trained crisis counselors | 24 hours, 7 days; call, text or chat | 988 |
| NJ Mental Health Cares | Anyone who needs emotional support or a referral | Trained staff | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays | 1-866-202-4357 |
| NJ Connect for Recovery | Family and friends of someone with a substance use problem | Trained staff | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends | 1-855-652-3737 |
Sources: NJ DMHAS, 2026; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline; ReachNJ. In an emergency, call 911.
Why do police, firefighters and EMS workers face higher addiction risk?
Repeated trauma, long shifts and little time to recover between calls raise the risk. An estimated 30% of first responders develop a behavioral health condition, against 20% of the general population (SAMHSA, 2018).
Drinking is part of the picture. In one study cited by SAMHSA, about half of male firefighters reported heavy or binge drinking in the past month (SAMHSA, 2018). In another, 69% of EMS professionals said they never had enough time to recover between traumatic events (SAMHSA, 2018).
Barriers to help include stigma, lack of time, poor access, lack of trust and fear of what it could do to a career. That is why peer support, where someone who did the job takes the call, became standard practice for first responders (SAMHSA, 2018).
At a glance
The job carries a heavier load
- 30% vs 20%First responders vs the general public who develop a behavioral health condition
- About halfMale firefighters in one study who reported past-month heavy or binge drinking
- 69%EMS professionals who never had enough time to recover between traumatic events
SAMHSA, 2018
What help exists inside NJ police departments and fire services?
Every New Jersey law enforcement agency must name at least one Resiliency Program Officer, and state law requires a 24-hour crisis hotline for fire and EMS personnel (NJ OAG, 2019; P.L.2019, c.309).
On the police side, AG Directive 2019-1 set up a resiliency program in every agency. Resiliency Program Officers are trained first and then bring the program to their own department. What an officer tells an RPO is confidential, and officers get a statewide list of RPOs, so they can talk to one outside their own department. RPOs hand off to Cop2Cop for peer support, and the program doesn't replace an agency's Employee Assistance Program (NJ OAG, 2019).
For fire and EMS, P.L.2019, c.309 requires the NJ Division of Fire Safety to keep a toll-free New Jersey Fire and EMS Crisis Intervention Services hotline open 24 hours a day. Separately, the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline offers peer support from people who did fire, EMS or dispatch work (P.L.2019, c.309; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline).
Side by side
Help built into the job
Police
- A Resiliency Program Officer in every agency (AG Directive 2019-1)
- What you tell an RPO is confidential; you can use one outside your department
- RPOs hand off to Cop2Cop for peer support
Fire, EMS and dispatch
- State law requires a NJ Fire and EMS Crisis Intervention Services hotline
- The NJ Division of Fire Safety keeps it open 24 hours a day
- The NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline offers peer support from people who did the job
NJ OAG, 2019; P.L.2019, c.309; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline
Ask your union or HR whether your agency also has an Employee Assistance Program.
Is asking for help confidential, and can it cost you your job?
The state's peer lines describe their calls as confidential, and a police officer's talk with a Resiliency Program Officer is protected by AG directive. Federal guidance says a worker in recovery who isn't using drugs illegally can be protected under the ADA (NJ OAG, 2019; EEOC, 2020).
- Peer linesCop2Cop and the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline describe their calls as confidential.NJ DMHAS, 2026; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline
- Your RPOAG Directive 2019-1 makes what an officer tells a Resiliency Program Officer confidential.NJ OAG, 2019
- Recovery and the ADAOpioid use disorder can be a disability under the ADA; the law doesn't protect current illegal drug use.EEOC, 2020
- Time for treatmentAn employer may have to give leave for treatment, or adjust a schedule around it, as a reasonable accommodation.EEOC, 2020
- MedicationTaking medication for opioid use disorder as prescribed is legal use.EEOC, 2020
- Safety rulesTaking someone off duty for safety needs evidence of a significant risk, not speculation.EEOC, 2020
General information, not legal advice. Union contracts, fitness-for-duty rules and federal safety regulations can add requirements; ask your union representative or an employment lawyer.
What happens when you call a peer line or ReachNJ?
A trained person answers, listens and helps you choose the next step. Nothing is decided for you on the first call.
Pick the line
Police call Cop2Cop; fire, EMS and dispatch call the Lifeline; anyone can call ReachNJ.
Someone answers
A retired officer or clinician at Cop2Cop, a fire, EMS or dispatch peer at the Lifeline, a live person within 30 seconds at ReachNJ.
Talk it through
Peer support, or a short screening of what you need at ReachNJ.
Get connected
ReachNJ refers callers and connects them to a local treatment provider, whatever their insurance.
Sources: NJ DMHAS, 2026; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline.
Where can a first responder live during and after treatment?
Many people move into a sober living home, also called a recovery residence, while they attend outpatient treatment and rebuild their routines. Some of these homes are set aside for first responders.
A recovery residence set aside for responders speaks to a problem particular to the job. A police officer or paramedic may know, or be known by, the people they would otherwise share a house with, and living with others who did the work means nobody has to explain the calls.
Evening treatment keeps the day free for work or family, and many people pair it with a sober home (evening IOP and sober living). For the whole step-down, from residential care to living on your own, read what happens after rehab.
How can families of NJ first responders get support?
Families can call NJ Connect for Recovery at 1-855-652-3737. Cop2Cop and the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline also take calls from family members (NJ DMHAS, 2026; NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline).
- NJ Connect for RecoveryFor family and friends of someone with a substance use problem; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends.1-855-652-3737
- NJ Self-Help ClearinghouseHelps people find and form support groups.1-800-367-6274
Al-Anon groups support people affected by someone else's drinking: Al-Anon for families.
Questions first responders ask about getting help
Cop2Cop is for New Jersey law enforcement officers and their families. Firefighters, EMS professionals and dispatchers have their own peer line, the NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline at 1-888-653-3367.
Yes. The Lifeline serves firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers and their families, and its peer team includes active, retired and former dispatchers.
No. ReachNJ serves New Jersey residents of all ages regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and it can connect callers to a local treatment provider.
Call 911 for an overdose or if anyone is in danger. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, any time. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, also answers 24 hours a day with treatment referrals.
No. A sober home is substance-free housing. Residents get their treatment from an outpatient program, often in the evening, and live in the home between sessions.
Sources
- New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Toll Free Hotlines/Helplines. April 2026. nj.gov
- New Jersey Department of Human Services. ReachNJ. Accessed October 2026. nj.gov
- NJ Fire & EMS Lifeline. Accessed October 2026. njfireems.com
- New Jersey Legislature. P.L.2019, c.309 (New Jersey Fire and EMS Crisis Intervention Services). Approved January 13, 2020. pub.njleg.gov
- New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. AG Grewal Issues Directive Promoting Emotional and Mental Well-Being of New Jersey Law Enforcement Officers (AG Directive 2019-1). August 6, 2019. nj.gov
- SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center. First Responders: Behavioral Health Concerns, Emergency Response, and Trauma. Supplemental Research Bulletin, May 2018. samhsa.gov
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Use of Codeine, Oxycodone, and Other Opioids: Information for Employees. August 5, 2020. eeoc.gov
- SAMHSA. National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357. samhsa.gov
This guide lists public help lines and describes job protections as general information. It is not legal or medical advice.
A sober home set aside for first responders
One of NJ Sober Living's four recovery homes in Bergen County, all Class F licensed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, is set aside for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and dispatchers, with a live-in operator, an operator on site overnight, and rides to evening treatment.