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| By Author Karen Solomon |
Over the
last six months I have had the distinct pleasure of interviewing over forty law
enforcement officers and their families. Although not all of the interviews
were geared toward critical incidents, eventually all discussions ended there.
If the officers weren’t personally involved in a critical incident, they were
witness to one or they knew someone who had been involved in one. Every single
officer has an emotional scar as a result.
Interestingly,
most of the couples and their children made it through the trauma intact. Their
families aren’t fractured, their relationships are stronger, and they can now
help others understand what it takes to emotionally survive a traumatic
experience. As an officer, you can choose to read this, digest it and move on.
I suggest you do more than that; share this with your loved ones.
To survive a
traumatic on-the-job experience, you are going to need information and
forethought. This will help you make a plan. I am sharing with you what I heard
from the officers and their families: what they needed most, what the people
around them needed and what their departments needed to provide. It’s easier
than you think, and it’s something every illness or injury needs: a CURE –
Communicate, Understand, React, and Educate. Four simple steps applied before
and after a critical incident could change your outcome.
