“So, we’re doing this debrief, and they’re like, ‘You know, no one wants to talk. Everyone either wants to go catch the bastard, or they’re still in shock.’ So, like alright, if no one wants to talk, you guys can go 10-8. I have no reason to keep you here.” – Officer Charles
It’s stressful to contend with the public’s emergencies day in and day out, especially in a culture that can be less than supportive of first responders’ work. But when the trauma they experience is personal, the compounded crises at home and at work can force them to examine how they handle pressure and even to question whether to continue their career. For Charles, it was the losses of his sister, a friend and colleague shot in the line of duty, a field training officer who got COVID, and a friend and colleague who died from a self-inflicted injury that led him to redirect his path and his approach to serving others.
Join former paramedic/firefighter and host Phil Klein as he sits down with Officer Charles, a former law enforcement officer and current dispatcher and podcaster. Charles details how he discovered his true passion – helping the people who help others – and how it inspired him to provide peer support through a crisis intervention team and to go back to school to study psychology.
Click here to listen to “Ten Eight Podcast” and to learn more about Charles's efforts to openly discuss mental health and burnout among first responders and to illuminate the work they do.
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