First Responders Bridge cofounder speaks to Rotary Club
Firefighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, dispatchers and paramedics assist the public through high-stress and sometimes life-altering situations on a daily basis, with the backing of rigorous training and their personal passions for pursuing justice and protecting citizens from harm.
Considering the stresses and trauma that first responders encounter in these occupations, the First Responders’ Bridge non-profit organization was formed in 2018 to help first responders move from “hurting to healing” by offering free three-day retreats, co-founder Mick Yinger told Bellefontaine Rotary Club members Monday at a regular club meeting at the Hilliker Y.
A retired Columbus Police Department officer who served for more than 23 years with that department and the Clinton Township Police Department, Yinger said he was talking with Officer Mike Pavolino from the Westerville Police Department following the tragic line of duty deaths of Westerville Police Department Officers Anthony Morelli and Eric Joering in February 2018.
Yinger explained that the pair discussed how much support is provided when officers are killed in the line of duty, which should continue to be offered. However, they observed that additional assistance is needed for law enforcement and other first responders when dealing with their day-to-day duties that can lead to issues in their personal and professional lives.
They learned that approximately 85 percent of all first responders experience mental health issues related to post traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, Pavolino and Yinger were especially troubled to discover that in 2007 in the U.S., the number of law enforcement officers who committed suicide — 140 — was triple the number of officers who were fatally shot in the line of duty that year, 46.
Also during their research, they found that from a survey of 4,000 first responders, approximately 6.6 percent reported attempting suicide.
So they set off on a mission to form the First Responders’ Bridge, a non-profit made up of first responders who have experienced traumatic events first hand, clinicians who have counseled numerous first responders and business and community leaders who have a heart for helping first responders and families.
Since the founding, two confidential retreats have been offered for active and retired police officers, dispatchers, corrections officers, firefighters, paramedics and their spouses at a Dublin, Ohio, hotel, and have been well-attended, with attendees coming from around Ohio and several other states as well, Yinger said.
An upcoming retreat in February is already full, and a wait list has been started for a June retreat. For first responders who are interested in attending an upcoming retreat, they can sign up at www.firstrespondersbridge.org, or call (614) 271-4981.
The co-founder said the retreats are for any first responder who has experienced “a traumatic or life altering event or are experiencing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or are just feeling lost or hopeless.”
Spouses are invited and encouraged to attend free of charge. Yinger said one first responder and his wife spoke to him after one of the retreats to tell him that this experience had saved their marriage.
“His wife told me that she had every intention of filing for divorce once the retreat was over, but this had changed her mind,” Yinger said. “We’ve been able to keep in touch with this couple, and they’re doing well today.”
Attendees at The Bridge retreats will learn about their health and well-being as it relates to experiencing trauma or traumatic events and their significant others who have supported them. There will be keynote speakers and peer speakers who will share their knowledge and experience with first responder trauma.
The Bridge offers services to assist first responders in finding counseling services, but does not directly provide counseling, according to the website.
Generous business and corporate sponsors provide the funding for $60,000 in retreat expenses, Yinger noted, with sponsorship opportunities also available on the organization’s website.