What's Your Plan for an Officer in Crisis???

By Sgt. Mark St. Hilaire

As a professional reading this article no matter who you are and at what rank you are in your agency, ask yourself: What is our plan to assist a brother or sister in crisis?

Your agency doesn’t have one? It is now time for you to have that courageous conversation with your union leaders along with your agency leaders to develop the plan.  There are many precious lives at stake.

Here are the important points I need to share with everyone, especially first responder agency leaders and their union leaders: 

YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN TO INTERVENE IF THIS HAPPENS TO A FIRST RESPONDER, ESPECIALLY ONE OF YOURS.  

Everyone needs to understand the plan and Pre-incident training is the key for a successful response. Practice and more practice especially for the: What if?

1     COMMUNICATION: Very important as this is no time for egos or personality conflicts. Advise all responders what is happening, all vital information and expect the unexpected.  A law enforcement agency supervisor in dispatch along with a supervisor on scene MUST be focused on the task at hand on any suicidal action call.  If you are served by a CISM team focusing on first responders, call them immediately to activate this team to be ready to assist our friend in need and our co-workers who will have their own anxieties to deal with during and following the incident.  Most peer teams have trusted mental health professionals who work with first responders daily and know our culture.

2    RESPONSE: First responders don’t know what the suicide plan, method of action or know if a weapon or dangerous substance or item is being used.  EMS staged near the scene is important along with an assessment of the situation. Can a police patrol team make contact with our friend or has it escalated to bring in a higher trained special response team.  This is why you need the plan: who are our resources if needed and practice, practice and more practice.

First Responders & Substance Abuse...

By Summit BHC

Choosing a career as a first responder means putting your well-being behind those you serve.

If you are in this line of work, you are well aware of the potentially dangerous situations that come with it. From exposure to contagious diseases, to violent situations. Our police officers, firefighters, 911 operators, paramedics, correction officers, military, hospital and trauma workers put their lives at risk in order to keep ours safe. Imagine a job that is stressful and dangerous at the same time?

First responders and substance abuse could be an issue at any time.

Without warning, substance abuse could take hold of a new hire or a 15 year veteran. Any stressful situation or dangerous encounter could trigger our responders to seek a substance or activity in order to numb or treat the feelings brought on by the stress and trauma of the profession. The problem begins when one uses a substance or activity in order to ‘numb’ to the feelings, or treat their symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression without a doctor’s care. 

Doing so merely covers the underlying problem like a band aid. When the band-aid is removed, one can get triggered again, the symptoms return and so does the self medication… and thus the vicious cycle of addiction begins.

Rob Michaels Addresses the "House"

Serve & Protect Founder and CEO Robert Michaels provided the U.S. House of Representatives with the opening prayer on September 9th, 2015.  I've personally known Rob since the inception of Serve & Protect and I can't think of a more worthy or deserving chaplain to have this honor bestowed upon him.

Rob is a selfless, dedicated individual that saves lives on a daily basis.  Safe Call Now® is honored to call Rob and Serve & Protect "our partners".  Rob...  you did an amazing job.  God bless!!!

 

#1stresponders... How Many Sundays Do You Have Left???

By Safe Call Now® President & Founder - Sean Riley

As I crisscross the country over the next seven weeks I have to ask myself, "How many Sundays do I have left"?  Why do I ask you this?  Because what I wanted to talk about are the demands on all of our time when dealing with the daily grind.  As we head into the dog days of 2015 the demands on our time with family vacations, employment, completing all of those tasks that we put off and the personal goals we promised ourselves we would accomplish will only increase.  Last night I had the opportunity to watch a one man Broadway play entitled “700 Sundays” by Billy Crystal.  In it he speaks about his life and how he only got to spend 700 Sundays with his father who died when he was age fifteen. He spoke about his joys, his pains, his heartbreaks, his regrets and his happiness.  What got me thinking is when he spoke about the “cards” we are all dealt with in life. 

As I reflect back on 23 years of addiction I calculated out that I threw away 1,196 Sundays. These are the cards that were dealt to me or I dealt to myself.  My hand of cards included guilt, shame, embarrassment, a criminal act, selfishness, self-sabotage and destruction just to name a few.  Once I was provided with the opportunity of treatment (fortunately or unfortunately by the federal government) I was able to “fold” my cards and get a new hand.  One that now includes happiness, sadness, healthy relationships, pain, sadness, family and many others. I have the cards of “Life” today.  I figure if I live to be a 100 I have 2,496 Sundays left and I intend to make the most of them!  I intend to live life on life’s terms and see where that tiger takes me. 

3 Habits of Lasting Leaders...

By Safe Call Now®'s Steve Gutzler

Before I share the three habits, I'd like to remind you that every day, leaders must wake up and lead themselves before they lead anyone else. Others depend on us, and because of that we must keep the fire burning within us.   

We must:

• Know where we are going - Our Vision
• Know why we are going there - Our Motivation
• Know how we can help others - Our Leadership

 

To stay energized and on course - leaders can sustain themselves by:

1. The Habit of Passion -

Your passion will give you two distinctive traits: energy and credibility. Pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh said, "It is the greatest shot of adrenaline to be doing what you have wanted to so badly. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane."

When you love what you do and do what you love, others find it inspiring. I also believe it's the job of the leader to turn up the passion – the energy – the emotion.

My challenge: today show more passion and heart for those who serve and lead!

Who takes care of the caretakers??? #1stresponders & Debilitating Trauma

By Safe Call Now®'s Dr. Laura Brodie

As I work in treatment with individuals who have a reaction to trauma that is debilitating, I have found that there is a core issue that appears to be evident in many of these individuals.  That is the issue of a poor or absent support system prior to the trauma.  Many who I see afflicted with trauma worked as the strong support system for others prior to their emotional damage. They report to me that they received little comfort from leaning on others for support. They were seen as strong and capable so others assumed they could handle anything. Giving guidance, support and help to others comes so naturally to these people, but being the person in need is many times the greatest fear. Why?

People who are caretakers in the world do not take kindly to being taken care of. This comes from a sense of identity that formed quite early in life where giving was much more comfortable than receiving. Being the low maintenance child was the role in the family and wanting to make parents proud, because little problems and keeping anxieties secret were the M.O. 

Many times these people are high achievers who are the ones others turn to for support. What is not realized is caretaking becomes a great skill for caring for the other, but caretaking of the self is a very foreign concept. Not wanting to be an emotional burden is a feeling that developed early in life and as an adult it becomes the attitude of “I’m fine” even when he or she knows things are not fine at all.

The Alcoholic #1stresponder & Interventions

Safe Call Now® Intervention Specialist - Ken Seeley

Living with an alcoholic or being close to one often means living in a spiral of despair, guilt, and anger. When a person is addicted to alcohol, they are not in control of their behavior and often act in a way that is dangerous for themselves and those around them. It is a common myth that alcoholics are just people who do not have good character, but the fact of the matter is that anyone can be the victim of addiction.

It has nothing to do with a person’s moral character. If a person is chemically addicted to behavior, they are not in control of their alcohol consumption. This can be hurtful and frustrating for those around the alcoholic, who may not understand why a person cannot quit drinking. They may feel guilt for not being able to do a better job of stopping an alcoholic from drinking, or harbor resentment towards the alcoholic for not being able to drink.

Today... Cops Make a Difference in My Life!!!

By Cade Saurage - La Hacienda Treatment Center

I had the opportunity to sit down and have a long talk with my dear friend Cade Saurage from La Hacienda who at one point in his life and through his addiction was on the other side of the law, now he helps Safe Call Now® save the lives of first responders and is very blessed to do so.

So I pull onto the highway and head down the road, see him sitting in his patrol car as I fly by going 76 in a 70 and then watch as he slowly turns his car around to get behind me. I sit up straight like I did in grade school when my teacher spotted me passing a note. The muscles in my stomach tighten as my ‘anti-cop’ conscious starts firing out the facts…….

 “I’m only going 6-miles over the speed limit. Maybe he’s not even coming for me; maybe he is just turning around. Should I exit here and see if he follows me? Shit, I can’t afford a ticket right now. I hate defensive driving. My insurance is going to go up. Here he comes. Crap. What a dick. Doesn’t he have crimes to investigate? He must be short on his ticket quota. Isn’t this entrapment?”

Rescue Team Wellness

Sgt. Mark St. Hilaire - Rescue Team Wellness

Recently I had the honor to present at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) 2015 Conference in Chicago.  This year’s conference brought close to 800 law enforcement and military professionals and trainers from around the world. 

This year, Safe Call Now® was included in the 6 days of the best training on topics of self-defense, tactical training, legal issues, and inter-personal communications.  The topic that has expanded over the past several years is officer health and wellness.  Capt. Brian Nanavaty who is the Education Director for Safe Call Now® and a well-respected member of ILEETA did a great job educating our peers about Safe Call Now® along with members of his staff from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Office of Professional Development and Police Wellness. The Advisory Board of ILEETA created booth space in the conference exposition hall for Safe Call Now®. A special thanks to ILEETA’s Director, Harvey Hedden for this opportunity.

What happens when it all goes wrong???

Red Folder

I was talking to our friends at Aegis Identity Group about ways to help first responders that are in crisis, perhaps in recovery and just help keep them organized in their daily lives. I remember those times and while my life was in crises so was everything around it.  My finances, my bills, passwords, you name it.  Since we run into this frequently we needed solutions!!! 

The Safe Call Now® team was discussing identity theft protection with the guys at Aegis. (I’ll discuss this in a later blog.)  I remarked that it was impossible to keep every day affairs in order while juggling the chaos in my life in times of crisis. Aegis has a solution for this, Red Folder.

The co-creator of Red Folder, Christopher Burgess –created an actual “red” folder many years ago in his years of public service. He found that almost each time he was deployed, life still continued back home. There were daily tasks that still needed to be done, yet often in times of craziness—his family found something as simple as an insurance number or a water shut-off valve was easier said than done.

Change... I Don't Like It!!!

By Sean Riley President & Founder - Safe Call Now®

As we enter into spring and the changing of the seasons it got me wondering about “change” and how it impacts us.  Change can be scary, fun, exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  Do any of us like to change?  I propose to you… if we don’t embrace change, we don’t grow personally.  Change is something I’m not a big fan of but it is mandatory if I want to become the person who I want to be.  Genuine, loving, self-reliant and all those characteristics I admire.

I made the big geographical move this weekend.  After 25 years living in one place I packed up and moved 300 miles to the east (still near a large airport of course) to a city I’ve never lived in before.  I learned to dance in the rain all of those years and as my life has grown and I’ve seen the world out there, it is time to learn more about life and experience all it can bring.

When I was in my addiction I was the proverbial “people pleaser” as I never wanted to confront issues or upset the balance of my life.  I wanted everything to just stay “status quo” and not hurt anyone’s feelings or my own.  By doing so all I did was compromise my self-esteem to make others happy.  I sacrificed myself for the benefit of others.  I thought this was noble as I put others first.  You know the old saying when you’re on an airplane…  You can’t help others put on the oxygen mask until you put yours on first!!!

Dispatcher... and Proud of it!!!

Angee Bunk - 911 Dispatcher & Safe Call Now® Peer Advocate

What did you want to be when you grew up? If you are like most, you wanted to be a cop, firefighter, doctor, or astronaut. No one dreams about being a 911 dispatcher or call receiver. They are just a voice on the other end of the line, not a real person right? Well, that may be different now that Halle Berry has made it glamorous with her movie, “The Call”. I mean who wouldn’t want to take a call from a kidnapping victim, go rogue, save the girl, and solve the crime?! 

So how does one get into the 911 business? I had dreams of being a cop and used 911 to get my foot in the law enforcement door. Fast forward 17 plus years and I’m still here! I came to the realization that being on this side of the radio keeps me warm, dry, and (most importantly) alive! I do, however, still get to be part of the action. 

Living on the Fringes...

By Chief Scott Silverii

I was recently asked to speak at a book reading for the local library to discuss my latest work on cop culture, “A Darker Shade of Blue; From Public Servant to Professional Deviant.”

Unsure of what was expected, I looked for key sections or excerpts that might appeal to the civilian public. One of the selections discussed why cops fail to fit-in with the general civilian population.

I described the enticement of a fringe lifestyle, and the intoxicating draw of society’s margins. Their blank stares quickened my heartbeat and signaled that this first attempt by our community library to feature local authors was going south quickly.

Retooling the chronology of the presentation, I did as any experienced public speaker and supervisor of public servants would do. I lifted the microphone just under my mouth, lowered my voice and howled, “I’m a Sheepdog!”

Since that too did not go well, I launched into an explanation of the significance for a common cop term, “Don’t be sheep.” I’d like to share the same with you, sans the howling.

The police tradition is steeped in symbolism and imagery helping solidify officer ideology and public comprehension. Cops use the term “Sheepdog” to describe their position and role in society. It goes something like this;

I Always Have Time for First Responders...

By Cade Saurage - La Hacienda Treatment Center

No, I am not a first responder. I do not know what it is like to risk my life every day on the job. I have never held my co-worker in my arms as he lay dying, never shot a gun at anything but a deer, never been accused of being too aggressive by a company paying me to protect people, never ran into a burning building or had a high-speed car chase. Comparatively, my job is safer and my employer more appreciative and I do not feel like I am overworked and underpaid. And because I am not a cop, then my efforts to help the first responder community often go challenged with lack of identification and even a greater lack of trust. But, what I have learned is that most of the time that challenge exists from a third party. A superior officer feels like I won’t be able to help because he knows how he would feel if I was trying. Or, it is his wife who feels like her struggle to connect with her husband will be shared with me because I have never worn a badge and I am not part of the brotherhood. Co-workers, union members, police chiefs, department heads, political figures……they understand the mind of an officer because most of them are one and they know that cops trust cops…..period.

When is it not Post Traumatic Stress Disorder???

Safe Call Now®'s Dr. Laura Brodie

National statistics report that six out of every ten males and five out of every ten females will experience a serious, traumatic event in their lives. Although the trauma may be painful to experience, not every person who goes through a trauma will develop PTSD. Statistics also say that only 7-8% of these people will develop PTSD.   That is a relatively low number in the general population. The exact statistics of how many first responders develop PTSD is not known but to compare, it is estimated that 30% of Vietnam veterans developed the disorder.  It certainly does occur and is painful and devastating when it does occur but there is also a phenomena that occurs where people simply assume that since the individual has been through a trauma, then they have PTSD.

Working in the mental health field and teaching doctoral students I see this a lot. Because there is a trauma, the therapist simply assumes that all of the problems the individual is having are due to that trauma and they slap the diagnosis of PTSD onto the person. This is wrong and harmful. None of an individual’s psychological issues are caused by one defining moment. Individuals are much more nuanced and multifaceted to have every problem come from one source. It may make the individual feel better initially to believe that if they simply solve the one problem they will be “fixed” but it is a naïve belief and they are soon letdown when not everything is fixed.

The Police Psychologist... Now Who's Crazy???

With my dear friend an co-presenter Forensic Psychologist Dr. Laura Brodie

I always enjoy seeing my dear friend and co-presenter Forensic Police Psychologist Dr. Laura Brodie (I’ll talk about her later).  As many first responders know, being ordered to visit the psychologist is usually not a career enhancer.  First off they’re commonly sub-contracted by the department and the perception is that they may be biased for the department because that’s who’s paying the bill.  Right, wrong or indifferent the door is wide open to challenge this as the first responder knows that some kind of report is going back to their agency.

With that in mind, do you really think the first responder is going to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets that may jeopardize his/her employment and their ability to provide for their family?  Hence the double edged sword.  If I do reveal myself I could potentially be impacted in a negative manner with my employers.  If I don’t, I suffer inside.  Either way it’s a system set up to fail.  There are going to be a lot of police psychologist out there that are going to “rip” me over this post but I can only tell you about my experiences and those that are reported to me throughout the country by first responders and their experiences with fitness for duty evaluations.

I speak at many conferences and we address the departmental psychologist at great length.  The overall consensus from the first responders is that you’re not trusted, you’re arrogant and egotistical and the only job of the first responder is to “beat you” in all aspects of the session.  Let me explain further.

You're Just a Cop. For what it's worth.

Melissa Littles - The Police Wife Life

What will it take to see the truth about law enforcement?
Our Law Enforcement Officers are being murdered as well as laying down their lives on duty every 58 hours. They are being shot while sitting at traffic lights. Executed in coffee shops and on their lunch breaks. Lured into ambushes and blown away while removing debris from the roadway, or while responding to an alarm call which was a set up. They are being killed in their own driveways, while off duty. They are being shot inside their own precincts.
If celebrities or professional athletes were being targeted, shot and murdered to the tune of one dead every 58 hours there would be an instant demand for answers and protection. There would be a national cry to stop the violence before it impacted reality tv or sports center.

Safe Call Now® - Bringing you America's Finest!!!

Safe Call Now®'s Captain Brian Nanavaty, 2015 recipient of the Destination Zero Project Award

Our own Safe Call Now® Director of Curriculum and Training, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Captain Brian Nanavaty is the 2015 recipient of the Destination Zero Project Award. The Destination Zero Project is a cooperative effort between the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). The Destination Zero Project serves to acknowledge effective safety and wellness initiatives that help drive down the risk factors that are proven to lead to officer injuries and deaths. Captain Nanavaty and his agency will be presented the award at a ceremony in Washington DC during National Police Week. From all of us at Safe Call Now®, Congratulations Captain Nanavaty!

For more information on the NLEOMF and the Destination Zero Project go to http://www.nleomf.org/programs/destination-zero/

Safe Call Now® and Harford County: Employee Development, Wellness and Peer Support

Safe Call Now®'s Captain Brian Nanavaty

Just last week Safe Call Now® President and Founder Sean Riley and Director of Curriculum and Training IMPD Captain Brian Nanavaty trekked to Maryland to present Emotional Body Armor and the Bulletproof Administrator at training hosted by the Harford County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Invited and participating were local, state and federal law enforcement, fire service, EMS, federal, state and local human resources officials and local prosecutor’s office.  

Harford County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark “Junk” Junkerman opened with a welcome and a thank you to his agency leadership for having the foresight to bring the unique and innovative training to the region. Sean Riley next gave a thorough introduction into his background and what experiences prompted him to found Safe Call Now®. Riley explained the founding and the mission of Safe Call Now® and how the Safe Call Now® 24 hour toll free confidential crisis hotline and referral network was created and how it is maintained by a dedicated group of trained and experienced volunteer Peer Advocates.

Captain Brian Nanavaty, a 30 year veteran of local law enforcement (Indianapolis PD) followed Riley with a discussion of the development and wellness program he created that partnered his agency with its 1600 officers to promote healthy personal lives and careers from the first day of hire. Topics addressed were educational programs and strategies aimed at new hires and veteran employees that identify potential destructive paths and behaviors and how to develop resources to reduce the numbers of employees experiencing personal and professional crisis.

How to Survive a Traumatic On-The-Job Experience...

By Karen Solomon: Author, Hearts Beneath the Badge

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.