Blog Posts
We welcome your stories, perspective and important information regarding suicide in first responders.
Suicide to be Recognized for Federal Death Benefits
Friends and Families, Today we received the call we had been waiting for. H.R.6943 - Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 PASSED and is on its way to the President’s desk for signature. We have been proud to support and endorse this bill for the past three...
Additional Articles and Posts
EP 22: Shawn and Jeff Thomas – 1st Responder Conferences #BT1R
In this episode of Beyond the 1st Response, Christy and Robyn talk with retired police officer and 1st Responder Conferences founder Shawn Thomas and her husband Jeff Thomas on what inspired her to form her company. I Don’t Care What People Think Jeff grew up in the...
Mission Ready Retreat (#MRR) – East
Charles Town, WV | 21-27 July, 2022 First H.E.L.P. in partnership with FirstNet built with AT&T brought together ten strangers from around the country. The reason: first responder mental health. The result: Comradery/ Education/ Networking/ Acceptance.Public...
EP 21: Jim Schlicher – The One Thing We Know Is Death #BT1R
In this episode of Beyond the 1st Response, Christy and Robyn talk with retired Police Sergeant/Firefighter-Paramedic Jim Schlicher current training instructor for Calibre Press on what it is like to experience death on the job and off the job. Don’t Be Afraid...
First HE.L.P. Conducts the First #MissionReadyRetreat in D’Hanis, TX
D'Hanis, TX - Our first Mission Ready Retreat/Texas is a wrap! Nine strangers were brought together from around the country to spend a week on a ranch in Texas learning about and working through operational stress and trauma. Resiliency, suicide awareness and peer...
Where are you Hiding?
Do you remember playing hide-and-seek? After the first game or two you know who you wanted to play with again, you know who was fun and who wasn’t. You knew who you could beat and who you couldn’t. In our childhood innocence, we didn’t want to play with the kid that...
Police Week – Honoring Those We Lost
Police Week, a place of honor, camaraderie, and a wonderful tribute to the law enforcement profession. Established to honor all law enforcement "designated the week in recognition of the contribution the police officers of America have made to our civilization through...
#ResponderReadiness Training in Elyria, OH
FirstNet, Built with AT&T, teams with First H.E.L.P. to support First Responders in Lorain County with #ResponderReadiness Training ELYRIA, Ohio – Apr. 11, 2022 First H.E.L.P. (Honor, Educate, Lead and Prevent) and FirstNet®, Built with AT&T, are teaming up to...
Keeping your Composure in 5 minutes or Less
Let's talk about keeping your composure in 5 minutes or Less. Maintaining focus in composure in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) situations is an essential skill for first responders. The thing is, when you’re about to respond to a call, you can’t...
First H.E.L.P. Announces a Strategic Partnership with ICISF.
I completed my first International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) course in 2014 and used the skills I learned there to help first responders mitigate operational stress injuries so they could become more resilient and find a new normal following a...