Every job comes with a certain amount of stress. For first responders that stress may be a little tougher to deal with. The events that firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians experience on a daily basis can lead to things like post-traumatic stress and other neurological disorders if they are not properly addressed. To keep the members of your station happy and mentally healthy, you should establish a safe zone. AFBA has outlined some ways you can make your station a place where your fellow first responders can address their problems.
Hold group sessions
You and your coworkers may not always have time to get together and chat, but if possible, set aside a time when you can all come together. This will be a time when you can vocalize the stresses of the job and help each other work through them. Even the members of your crew who are not experiencing stress can participate by sharing positive stories that may help someone else in the group.
Create a stress-free environment
Even though stations may be full of hustle and bustle, it is important to keep the workplace free of unnecessary stresses. By keeping the station clean, organized and clutter free, you can help things run smoother. Your coworkers will appreciate the effort you have put into reducing the number of things they have to worry about.
Encourage them to leave the job at work
As a first responder, you understand the drive to serve your community. It can be difficult to stop serving when the shift is over. You can help your team reduce their risk of mental stress by reminding them to leave the job behind when they go home. Let them know that it is OK to enjoy time at home and leave the station behind.
Have helplines available
Sometimes your coworkers who need help or advice may not want to talk to you or other first responders. Keep information like suicide prevention hotlines, depression counseling numbers and PTSD resources readily available and easily accessible around the station. This way coworkers can use it when they need to.
Being a first responder means that you may experience some difficult situations in your career. However, knowing that you have a safe space to return to can help you cope with the stresses of the job. By establishing your station as a safe zone for you and your fellow coworkers, you could help reduce the risk of PTSD and other stress-related disorders.
While many college students are taking big trips or going out with friends, Tyler Skluzacek of Saint Paul, Minnesota, used his time to create a smart watch app to help veterans who suffer from night terrors. Skluzacek, a senior at Macalester College, entered a computer coding contest with his team and ended up creating an app that helps veterans with PTSD get a better night's sleep.
Skluzacek got the idea for the technology when he saw how his father, an Army veteran, was struggling upon his return from service. The college student told People that his father would wake up with night terrors, and he wanted to find a way to help him sleep peacefully.
Skluzacek and his team came up with myBivy, an biometrics monitoring systems that tracks veterans' while they sleep.
"After a couple weeks of tracking the soldier we can find the exact symptoms of the onset of the panic attack and try to use the watch or use the Android phone to disrupt that or take them out of the deep sleep but keep them asleep," Skluzacek told USA Today.
According to People magazine, myBivy uses sound and vibration to partially wake the veterans when it senses an oncoming night terror. The news source reported that the app would be entered into clinical trials next Spring.
During the Oct. 13 Democratic debates, the presidential candidates took on topics like health care reform and guns laws. One of the more hot button subjects covered was veterans' issues. Former Marine and Vietnam veteran Jim Webb and Bernie Sanders were especially focused on this area.
Debate moderator Anderson Cooper questioned Sanders on his avoidance of military service during the Vietnam War, but Sanders was quick to respond. According to Stars and Stripes, the candidate once worked with John McCain as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee where the pair drafted the Veterans Choice, Access and Accountability Act of 2014. Sanders argued that his act had the most effect on improving veterans' health care than any act before it.
Webb worked hard to outshine Sanders in terms of veterans issues.
"In government service, I've fought and bled for our country in Vietnam as a Marine," Webb said. "I spent years as assistant secretary of defense, secretary of the Navy – in the Reagan administration."
Stars and Stripes also reported that Webb was one of the government officials responsible for resurrecting the GI Bill. While Webb and Sanders pushed to connect with veteran voters, other candidates remained silent on the issue. For example, Hillary Clinton never said the word "veteran" during the entire debate, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
First responders are trained to deal with a variety of situations, but until recently, very few had received training on how to handle emergency situations in which a person with autism was involved. A Northern Nevada group called JUSTin Hope is trying to change that.
Nevada-local Justin Reitz is the inspiration for the foundation. When Reitz was diagnosed with autism, his family wanted to create a safer world for him and those like him. The foundation is committed to helping first responders better understand autism, so that they may be better prepared should an emergency situation involve a diagnosed person.
The training explains that people with autism may have difficulty following commands like, "Put your hands up," and they may panic when confronted with an unfamiliar situation. According to KOLOtv.com, first responders were taken through a crash course on autism and possible symptoms. During the two-hour session, Training Coordinator Jeannie Dwyer showed first responders the most effective methods for communicating with people with autism.
The purpose of the JUSTin Hope training sessions and others like it is to create a better understanding of autism so that first responders are adequately prepared when they encounter individuals with the spectrum disorder.
In 2013, The Huffington Post reported that over 1 million former servicemembers and their dependents had enrolled in college after service. For many of those veterans, the GI Bill and other service-based scholarship made it possible for them to pursue higher education. Such was the case with Daniel Ybarra.
While serving in Iraq as a Navy medical corpsman, Ybarra helped his fellow servicemembers and locals with their injuries and illnesses. When he returned to the U.S., Ybarra decided to return to school to pursue a medical degree.
"To be honest, the thought of becoming a doctor had never crossed my mind before," Ybarra told the UCLA Newsroom. "Anything that required school was just a no-go for me. But I had some awesome mentors and came off of active duty thinking, 'I'm going to enroll in community college and keep pushing until something disqualifies me.'"
Ybarra found help in his pursuits from the Tillman Foundation, an organization that was founded by former NFL player Pat Tillman to provide veterans with scholarships and other support.
Thanks to the scholarship from the organization and academic support, Ybarra, who was one of five to receive the financial award, will graduate with an M.D. and a master of public health degree in 2016, according to the news source.
Most people are familiar with the phrase "pay it forward." It simply means that when something kind is done for you, it is your responsibility to do something kind for someone else. A pizza shop in North Tonawanda, New York, took this concept and applied it to the veterans in the community.
Submasters, a local pizza and sandwich shop, decided to start a program aptly named the "Pay It Forward Program." Whenever a customer comes in to purchase a lunch card, they have the option of purchasing an additional ticket. According to ABC News 7, the customer then places the extra ticket on the bulletin board, so that when a veteran comes in, he or she can take a ticket, show his or her military ID and receive a free meal.
"I just thought this was a good way to say to the veterans, thanks for what you have done for us," Submasters owner Tommy Daniels told the news source.
Many veterans in the community have not only received a meal from the program, but they have also purchased one for another former servicemember. In addition to the "Pay It Forward Program," Submasters also hosts "The Grunt Gut Program," where locals can drop off nonperishable items and toiletries for soldiers' care packages.
For many veterans, one of the most important things they learned in their time in the military was the service to others. A large percentage do not want to stop helping their communities even once they have been discharged. The commitment to service is so ingrained in their personalities that many seek alternative ways to continue helping those around them. AFBA has listed several ways veterans can continue to serve their communities after they leave the military.
1. Volunteer with local veterans groups
One of the most rewarding things former servicemembers can do is to help other veterans with the transition to civilian life. Seek out veteran advocacy groups in your community and find out what you can do to help them out.
2. Participate in fundraising activities
Whether it be a bake sale for your kid's elementary school class field trip or collecting donations for local first responders, getting involved with fundraising can be an excellent way to help promote development in your community.
3. Be a listening ear
As a former servicemember, you have likely experienced some difficult things in your life. You could use those memories and your coping methods to help others who may be struggling. Host a support group for fellow veterans or community members who need a little extra help getting from day to day.
4. Join a nonprofit
The goal of nonprofit organizations is to provide a service that will improve the community in some way. These programs often have difficulty finding volunteers to help run things. Your military experience made you highly organized and prepared to tackle tough projects. Lend your valuable skills to a nonprofit of your choosing and watch how your help can make a difference.
5. Organize a community event
As a veteran, people look to you for leadership. You can use your influence to organize an event like a community clean-up, a family-friendly activity day or a block party. Not only will this strengthen community relations, it may give you a chance to reconnect with neighbors and friends you missed during your service.
6. Become a mentor
Children need positive role models to look up to. You can fulfill that role by mentoring the youth in your community. Consider coaching a Little League team, tutoring at the local high school or volunteering to help at-risk teens.
7. Donate blood
This may seem like a simple act, but you would be surprised how helpful it can be. Many blood banks are often low on supplies, and your donation may even save someone's life. This is an especially useful form of service if you have one of the rarer blood types.
8. Lend a hand to the homeless
Veterans homelessness is a big issue in the media right now. However, former servicemembers are not the only group of people affected by it. You could help your community in a big way by raising the money for a transitional housing community. By fundraising and organizing a build, you might provide housing for the less fortunate members of your community. You could also donate your time to a local food bank or soup kitchen for more immediate results.
Life after service does not have to mean life without service. There are plenty of opportunities for veterans to get involved with their communities and continue serving. In the words of author Howard Truman, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." If service is what makes you come alive, then that is something you should pursue.
On Oct. 11, Tony Constanzo completed his mission to run across Texas in honor of fallen first responders. Constanzo was inspired to make the journey so that people would remember the sacrifice of first responders everywhere. Battling shin splints, blisters and many more ailments, Constanzo pushed on to complete his mission, drawing inspiration from the sacrifice of his fallen comrades.
"I want to make sure we never forget them. As a 31-year firefighter I don't want to ever forget them," Constanzo told Fox 13 News.
The former firefighter ran over 420 miles, according to the news source. During his journey, he raised awareness for Footsteps for the Fallen, an organization he founded to remember all fallen first responders and honor their families. His run also served as a fundraiser to provide scholarships for children of first responders who died in the line of duty.
Along the route, he stopped at museums and took in the sights. While he is proud of his accomplishment, Constanzo told Fox 13 News that he does not plan to run again next year. Instead, he is hoping to complete a road trip, during which he would order two beers at every bar he stopped at and leave one for a fallen first responder.
When football players take the field, they are usually deep in their own thoughts and focus. They may be psyching themselves up for the game or running through assignments in their head. However, one high school football player in Louisiana recently chose to direct his attention to the veterans in attendance at the game.
Chase Hill, #83 on the Parkway High School team, left his teammates as they were rushing onto the field for the second half to individually thank all the veterans who were at the game. The Oct. 9 game in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, was dedicated to servicemembers, veterans and first responders. However, Hill took the time to shake every veteran's hand and thank them for their service.
According to KSLA 12 News, one of the people at the game took a photo of Hill's actions and posted it to the Bossier Parish Police Department Facebook page. The photo quickly went viral, receiving thousands of comments and shares, all of them praising Hill's respect for the veterans.
The Daily Caller reported that the police department praised Hill on their website, calling him a class act.
On Oct. 24, the VA in Prescott, Arizona will host the 2nd annual Veterans Olympic Day. Servicemembers and veterans from every branch are invited to bring their families and participate in a day of sporting competition. This year's event will be sponsored by the Arnold Air Society at Embry-Riddle University, the Marine Corps League and the local VA.
According to The Daily Courier, the main events of the day will be held at Northern Arizona Veteran Affairs Health Care System's sporting venues. The competition categories include dodgeball, basketball, pickleball and cornhole. Aside from the sports, there will be music, free food and other activities for those in attendance to enjoy.
This is a great way for veterans and current military personnel to let loose for a day and enjoy themselves. It is also an excellent opportunity for servicemembers to meet and influence some of the ROTC students at Embry-Riddle University.
"This is the second year we are hosting this event and our veterans really seemed to enjoy the sports and activities," Dr. M. Keith Piatt, the VA's chief of staff, told The Daily Courier.
The 2015 Veterans Olympic Day will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is required.