Dean Yates is the author of Line in the Sand, an acclaimed memoir published in 2023. Dean was a longtime journalist and bureau chief for the international news agency Reuters. He covered some of the most traumatic events of the past 25 years, including the Iraq War. During three admissions to the Ward 17 psych unit in Melbourne (2016-2018) for treatment of his PTSD, Dean learnt about the moral pain and loss experienced by first responders and veterans. He helped persuade the Tasmanian government to introduce legislation that made PTSD a presumptive work-related illness for state workers, including first responders.