A (Re)Connection Event for Heroes: Firefighters, Police, Corrections & Emergency Medical Services and their Spouses and Supporters
Sat, 5 October 2019 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
TransCanada Theatre
Olds, AB
Organizations are only as strong as the employees who serve in them and employees are only as strong as the people who hold them.
We’ve known that for a long time: If we look after our people, if we create a culture of collective effervescence, our teams will be strong, committed, and healthy. Police, Fire, Corrections, and EMS crews experience some of the most traumatic situations on the “front-line” in their job. There is also the continued focus on the “stigma” of talking about mental health and the often-feared PTSD in the first responder world. Let me be clear about one thing: PTSD is NOT a mental illness. It is a psychological injury. Just like a physical injury, if left untreated, it will cause significant pain and disruption. And here’s the kicker – it affects the whole family and it takes a family-effort to heal. There has been a long line of resources developed for the serving member, but very little effort has been directed to the support systems.
This day, we will look after all the heroes who do this brave work of helping people at their most vulnerable — those who do frontline work (paid or volunteer) and those who hold them. We’ll talk about how this job can affect a whole family — and remind each of you why you matter to our communities, and mostly to each other.
This day is about trauma, when and why it can be a big deal (and what to do about it). We’ll talk all about relationship and connection and timing. And we’ll wrap up this epic day with a plan to help each of you be better than you’ve ever been, and hear from you about what the “next steps” in shifting culture might look like.
Who should attend?
This event is made for all first responders, paid and volunteer, including firefighters, police, corrections and emergency medical services and their spouses and supporters. The initial purpose was to support the spouses specifically, as there is no service in this country that has created a formal program for spouses. We have learned, in our early days, that the conversation needs to involve everyone who wants to be a part of it – you’re all heroes to us.
What do you get?
During our day together, we want to look after you. Expect a delicious lunch and energizing snacks throughout the day. A kick-ass swag bag and a full day of inspiration and tools to take moving forward.
