Another newsletter filled with messages of hope and healing. Thank you to all who contributed to our content this month.
Please pass this issue along to others. Interested in sharing your story? Email me and I'll send you the guidelines.
Stay safe and HUGS,
Peggy Sweeney, Editor
830.377.7389
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On Being a Firefighter For 26 Years
by Shannon Pennington
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 We are the tablet upon which is recorded the memory, the sacred memory, of those of this life, our fellow human beings who have chosen us in their last gasps of breath, as their death diary. The last story to be told of their leaving of this life journey and of their beginning into the next.
Our duty to them is sacred and honor bound. We are the priests of pain and suffering, hearing the last confessions of a biology that will cease to be as they struggle to experience their last minutes of life, bleeding out from severe wounds; wounds which are far beyond the remedy of any surgeon's scalpel. They try, if they can, to speak and impress us with the urgency of their need to stay here in this life, whole of body, whole of mind and whole of spirit.
We cannot tell them that we can make them better, for they are already dead and don't know it yet. Some, never know that they will die and not be alive much longer.
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Police suicide is the number one killer of police officers. A police officer is more likely to be killed by his own hand than the hand of a criminal. These are sad, but well published statistics.
As we approach Police Week, we are reminded once again of President Kennedy's proclamation recognizing Police Memorial Day. And again, I see that those citing the proclamation apparently never read it. Following is the section of the proclamation that concerns me:
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Crossing the Line
Blog Series by Maryanne Pope
 When Maryanne Pope's husband, Constable John Petropoulos, died in the line of duty in 2000 as the result of a preventable fall at an unsafe workplace, Maryanne went into a freefall of her own into grief and depression - and a determination to ensure positive change came from tragedy. Crossing the Line is a blog series about Maryanne's experience of coming to terms with her husband's death and working with the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund to help create a culture of safer workplaces for everyone, including emergency responders. Though Maryanne's professional commitment has been as an advocate for the physical safety of first responders, much of her writing and public speaking has been about the emotional, psychological and spiritual impacts of learning to accept the unacceptable and transform hurt into hope. Third in the series:
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 I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I always believed that people lean toward a job they find is a good fit for them and that was the end of the story. I didn't know how wrong I could be. Every single one of them show up on that first day with dreams of saving others. And some of them already kind of know at what expense it will come to them to do it. While some others are completely caught off guard. Blinded by dreams of making the world a better place they don't see it coming when a child dies in their arms. Or their partner who they were joking with five minute ago is suddenly bleeding out right in front of them. Or they themselves are being shot at by someone who really wants to kill them. To end their life. Take them from their family and friends because of....... Because of why? It comes right down to none of it making any sense. But it is the world we live in today. Scary as hell.
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We Are Not Damaged Goods (officer PTSD)
by Rick Neeley
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In 2006, my best friend and fellow police officer committed suicide while he was on the phone with me. I viewed the in-car camera footage of him shooting himself which lead to the onset of PTSD. I lasted on the department another six months, and have struggled through PTSD which has led me on a path of suicidal thoughts , hospitalization, separation from my wife for a year and many struggles and battles on the road through the valley of the shadow of PTSD.
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What Does She Know About PTSD?
by Deborah Ortiz
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My name is Deborah Ortiz and I am the wife of a retired state trooper suffering with work related PTSD. I am also producing the documentary, Code 9 Officer Needs Assistance. Over the four years that I have been working on completing the film, I have taken a very active part voicing my opinion and doing all that I can to reach other police officers, first responders and family members to offer hope.
There have been a few times that I have been told that there are some people questioning what I know about PTSD due to police work? She isn't a cop. I decided to write this not to explain my actions to anyone, because those who feel a need to challenge my motives are not worth my time. I believe strongly in sharing our stories in order to help others, and it is time to share my story and what I know about PTSD. What you are about to read will give you some insight into my private world and how PTSD has been a very real player in my life, that of my husband, and our marriage.
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When Police Use Force: Life and Death Decisionspresented by the Canadian Broadcast Company
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Listen to a recent CBC interview with Syd Gravel as he describes the 56 seconds that changed his life forever.
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Paid and Volunteer EMS Services: How Do Their Resources Differ?
by Rebecca Heick
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 There was always that moment, right before the tones dropped on the pager, that the "air" around it seemed to open up - rousing my mind even if my body still seemed to be sleeping. I never knew what the next minute would hold or what I might be called to do. What I did know was that whatever the call, whatever the weather, whatever else I might have been doing, I would go. I was a volunteer, a key piece of the EMS puzzle in my community. An important link in the chain of survival for neighbors, friends, and even family. There were nights when it seemed that I would never get to sleep, the pager a constant interruption to much needed rest - and the reason I was dragging when it was time to head to work in the morning. Other times, our service might go a week without a single call. The years I spent as an EMS provider (both volunteer and paid) helped to shape me in so many ways - and ignited a passion for ensuring that all EMS providers were as safe and healthy as possible.
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Paradigms Lost: Fighting Stigma and the Lessons Learned
by H. Stuart, J. Arboleda-Flórez, and N. Sartorius
Paradigms Lost: Fighting Stigma and the Lessons Learned illustrates the long standing stigma attached to mental illness and its continued prominence today. Although the problem of stigma appears daunting, the authors offer an innovative approach to help combat social exclusion. Their proposed new paradigm constructs an optimistic and practical way to break down the social barriers to recovery.
Click HERE to View Our Full Booklist
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 The Sweeney Alliance, a Texas-based 501(c)(3) corporation, has been a leader in educational resources addressing the emotional needs of families and emergency responders since 1992. In the last 2+ years, we have published over 385 articles on loss and grief, post traumatic stress and other "hot topics". All newsletters are free of charge for our subscribers. Your donation today will help us continue as a FREE publication. Thank you! |
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