Christopher O'Barsky

Deputy Chief

I am a Deputy Chief with the Salisbury Fire Department in Salisbury, MD. I have been in the Fire Service for about 33 years. I am married to my wife of 26 years, Tara, and together we have raised two children. Our son Noah is 24 , and works as a Deputy with the Wicomico County Sheriffs Office. Our daughter Riley, who is 19 and attending Salisbury University with dreams to become a Physician Assistant. I just spoke at the 1st responders Conference in Ocean City, MD about my battle with mental health that led to my suicide attempt in September of 2021. After years of suppressing traumatic incidents both as a child and from the job, a call on September 10, 2018 involving a 16 year old girl who hung herself behind a playground of a local elementary school, triggered a flood of memories from previous events, thought to have been dealt with, to once again return in my mind. After 3 years of trying to "cope" with these traumatic events in the only way I knew how, I had reached my rock bottom and decided to end my own life. That clearly did not happen, but I did spend 45 days in the IAFF Center of Excellence where I was diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression, alcohol abuse disorder, and anxiety.