First Responder Families

Stress and trauma are in inherent in the public safety professions. When first responders are impacted by the negativity they encounter, their family members are often impacted as well. Yet somehow, the needs of families are often discounted or overlooked completely. "First Responder Families: Caring for the Hidden Heroes" was written to help families understand what to expect during turbulent times and to give them tools to mitigate stress and trauma. In this book, Dr. Tania Glenn writes not only as a clinician with over twenty-eight years of experience working with first responders, she also writes as a loved one of a public safety professional. Tying together the clinical knowledge and insight to create this book has been one of the most inspiring things she has done.

Supporting the children and families of our First Responders. Helping Heroes work hard to help, save, serve, and protect others! This story is for kids and families of First Responders to learn about their Helping Hero's job. In addition to being a parent and/or part of a family, the focus is on the positive feelings, kindness, and resilience of a First Responder.

One woman's incredible story of life on the front lines as an emergency medical worker in New York City. On the streets of New York City, EMTs and paramedics do more than respond to emergencies; they eat and drink together, look out for each other’s safety, mercilessly make fun of one another, date one other, and, most crucially, share terrifying experiences and grave injustices suffered under the city’s long-broken EMS system. Their loyalty to one another is fierce and absolute. As Jennifer Murphy shows in the gripping and moving First Responder, they are a family. A dysfunctional family, perhaps, but what family isn't? Many in the field of pre-hospital emergency care have endured medical trauma and familial hardship themselves. Some are looking to give back. Some are desperate for family. Some were inspired by 9/11. Still others want to become doctors, nurses, firefighters, cops, and want to cut their teeth on the streets. As rescuers, they never want people to die or get hurt. But if they are going to die or get hurt, first responders want to be there. Despite the vital role they play New York City, EMTs are paid less than trash collectors, and far less than any other first responder makes, even though the burden of medical emergencies fall on the backs of EMTs and medics. Yet for Jennifer and her brothers and sisters, it's a calling more than a job. First responders are constantly exposed to infectious diseases, violence, and death. The coronavirus pandemic did not change that math; the public is just more aware of it. After 9/11, EMT training schools experienced a surge in applications from civilians wanting to become first responders, inspired by rescuers who responded to the terrorist attacks and rushed into the burning towers when everyone else ran out. The same will almost certainly be true post-coronavirus as people are moved by a desire to help in times of crisis in a more direct way. Funny and heartwarming, inspiring and poignant, First Responder follows Jennifer's journey to becoming an EMT and working during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. She will bring readers inside an intense world filled with crisis, rescue, grief, uncertainty, and dark humor. First Responder will move readers to a greater understanding and appreciation of those fighting for them—wherever they live—in a world they hardly know or could imagine.

If you are a police officer, firefighter, EMT, ER nurse, or soldier, or you love one . . . This book can save your life Suicide, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and many more emotional and stress-related problems plague the first-responder community. Hundreds of thousands of these brave public servants have unwittingly become victims of the professions they once loved. However, the suffering that results from a professional life of sacrifice and service can be prevented and mitigated. As a law-enforcement veteran, police captain Dan Willis has witnessed the damage of emotional trauma and has made it his personal mission to safeguard and enhance the wellness and wholeness of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency-room personnel, and soldiers. Bulletproof Spirit offers field-tested expertise designed to be used by all first responders — and their families — to heal themselves and continue serving with compassion and strength.

This edited volume provides mental health clinicians with knowledge to effectively work with current and former first responders. It provides strategies on how to best develop and adapt clinical assessment procedures and therapeutic interventions to better meet the unique needs found in these settings. Chapters synthesize existing literature to introduce the reader to profession-specific factors issues that exist in these contexts and describe the challenges that can present when working with police, firefighters, EMS, emergency communications operators, crime scene investigators, and corrections personnel. The book covers a range of topics that clinicians and trainees need to understand the relevant issues, develop effective treatment plans, and deliver appropriate psychological services in public safety settings. First Responder Mental Health: A Clinician’s Guide will be essential reading for mental health professionals working with first responders, as well as those in training.

#1 New Release in Military Families ─ Coping with the Stress of First Responder Life A traumatic way of life: First responders have the incredibly difficult job of running toward danger while the rest of us run away. No training can prepare them for what they will see and endure. Kim Colegrove understands what it’s like to watch someone go through that. After 30 years in law enforcement, her husband took his own life. This agonizing experience opened Kim’s eyes to the desperate need for an effective form of stress-relief and support for first responders. The power of meditation: No matter our profession, taking care of our mental health needs to be a priority. For first responders like cops and EMTs, ensuring that their heads are in a healthy place is crucial because each day can bring them face-to-face with another trauma. With 40 years of experience, Kim Colegrove is here to share with readers that there is a viable and practical resource for first responders found in meditation. A source of hope: In 2017, Kim founded The PauseFirst Project, Mindfulness for First Responders. Kim offers the PauseFirst block of training to organizations across the country. She teaches techniques that help reduce stress, regulate emotion, and improve overall health and well-being. Colegrove’s work to bring awareness is a tribute to both her husband and the countless other first responders who struggle with the realities of their jobs. Readers of Kim Colegrove’s Mindfulness for Warriors will find… • Evidence-based practices to help first responders and their families deal with stress • Interviews with first responders who share their stories of overcoming, surviving, and thriving • Colegrove’s own raw and intimate story of her husband’s troubles and how she continues each day fighting in his memory Readers who have looked for encouragement messages and aid in books like Bulletproof Spirit, Bullets in the Washing Machine, and I Love a Cop (Third Edition) will find a further source of healing in Mindfulness for Warriors.

Suicide, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and many more emotional and stress-related problems plague the first-responder community. Hundreds of thousands of these brave public servants have unwittingly become victims of the professions they once loved. However, the suffering that results from a professional life of sacrifice and service can be prevented and mitigated. As a thirty-year law-enforcement veteran, retired police captain, and police academy instructor, Dan Willis has witnessed the damage of emotional trauma and has made it his personal mission to safeguard and enhance the wellness and wholeness of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency-room personnel, and soldiers. Bulletproof Spirit offers field-tested expertise designed to be used by all first responders — and their families — to heal themselves and continue serving with compassion and strength.