CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
The average person experiences about four events in their lives that could trigger post-traumatic stress disorder.
The average career police officer encounters between 100 and 400 incidents that could trigger PTSD. Retired Abbotsford police chief Bob Rich knows this all too well.
In early 2015, Rich lost two members of the police department by their own hand. Their deaths shook him.
He was forced to look inward at his leadership, at the culture within his police department and in the first responder community. What was happening that pushed PTSD and stigma rates so high? Rich took on the responsibility of identifying the source and changing the culture.
His first priority became the wellness of his team. “These are women and men who put their lives on the line every day to keep their community safe. In return, it is my job to keep them safe.”
He identified that a “suck-it-up” culture was one of the causes and it was counterproductive, putting everyone at risk. He and his team went to work to implement those needed changes.
Then came the slaying of Const. John Davidson in 2017.
Vancouver police and other officers took over law enforcement duties in Abbotsford for more than a week, so that city’s police could take a knee, psychologically, physically and emotionally, Rich said. “As a result we didn’t lose another member … which can happen.” Rich is determined to help other police departments do what Abbotsford has begun to do: create a culture that understands the trauma of horrific incidents and supports one another.
We invited Rich to join us for a Conversation That Matters about caring for the well-being of all first responders who care about us. See the video at vancouversun.com/ tag/conversations-that-matter Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of viewers like you. Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge at goo.gl/ ypxyds