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| By Safe Call Now® Vice President - Ron Jones |
Calling all first responders. We hear it all the time; take
care of yourself, be safe, stay alert. Generally speaking we are reactive in
our professions. Responding to calls for service, disasters, critical
incidents, active shooter, the list is endless. But who takes care of us; the
ones on the front lines, those who are retired, the ones who have life altering
disabilities, and even worse, the forgotten? We should look after each other,
don’t wait on the department, or the municipal, county, state, or federal
government. You will certainly be disappointed if you do. So you may ask, what
then?
Safe Call Now®
always has room for motivated volunteers who have a background in the public
safety arena and a passion for helping. In all of our professions we are
expected to serve and we should but who better to look after a brother or
sister than someone who has been there, who gets it, who has the same shared
life experience. At Safe Call Now® that is exactly what you will find. We exist
to help you and your family, BUT, we can’t do it alone.
What does it cost to be a part of this life saving
organization, what are we asking you to donate; yourself, your time, your
ability to calm others and offer assistance when needed as only another peer
can do. We provide the training, we expect nothing monetarily in return, we
need you!
As one of our peer advocates recently said, “I realized I wanted to give back to the men
and women that are still out there: cops, firemen, corrections officers, and
our dispatchers… I know that going forward I
may get a call from anywhere in the country, any agency, and at any time of the
day or night. The call may be from a first responder that just wants to talk a
bit, or maybe from someone that is having a hard time with substance abuse…There
is always the chance that you will get the call from a first responder that
feels this is his or her last call, the call that if you can’t convince them
that their life is worth living well then that may very well be their last
call…” From Eddie, a retired first responder.
A testimonial, "Calling
Safe Call Now six months ago saved my life. After dealing with PTSD for 20
years, I had another nightmare and frankly, was too tired to go on. I searched
on my computer at 0300 hrs. for "help for disabled police officers"
which I have been doing for 15 years and came across their site. I made the
phone call and spoke to a very nice lady who was an ex-cop and she made an
appointment for me that Friday. I went and two hours later my PTSD symptoms
were gone using Rapid Resolutions Therapy." --Gary Bush, retired
South Charleston Police Officer.
The ability to be emphatic and utilize the common bond you
share with other first responders will be the strongest asset you possess.
Listening skills and helping calm a person in distress or crisis are paramount
for the peer advocate; this allows you to assess the caller’s needs and provide
the appropriate referrals when needed.
In the current atmosphere of negativity, helping your
brothers and sisters will reignite your passion to serve. Law enforcement is
being hammered now, if you’re in a different public service career and you have
been around awhile or stay long enough, you too will be put to the test.
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