ALTON - A Rio Grande Valley police department doing more for those who took an oath to serve and protect their community.

The Alton Police Department will now have 24/7 chaplain services for their officers.

First responders always answer the call no matter how dangerous; the things they see and hear day after day can never be forgotten.

Alton Police Lieutenant George Ibarra has seen his fair share of things that stuck with him, one more so than others.

"The reason it stuck with me is the vehicle flipped and in the process of the vehicle flipping it actually went over one of the children - A little girl. Going on five years and I still remember it like it was yesterday", says Ibarra.

Now the Alton Police Department is taking action to help these life saving men and women deal with the emotional stress.

According to Blue Help, an organization that tracks the number of officer suicides nationwide, in 2018 there were 167 and 106 so far this year.

To keep the men and women who put the uniform on everyday safe, Alton is now providing a chaplain who will be available 24/7 365 days a year through the Mychap app for all Alton first responders and their families.

Ibarra says the goal is to change the culture of bottling everything up until you explode, and to give those who protect us a way to protect themselves

The Mychapp app services kick off August first and will cost $4,200 a year but Lieutenant Ibarra says the city of Alton has decided  it’s well worth it.