Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical responders and military personnel are trained to help victims in traumatic circumstances.
However, despite their training, these professionals often suffer from the aftereffects of their regular exposure to life-and-death emergencies.
Luverne’s Diane Sherwood and her Remember Rally nonprofit will host a conference April 20 to bring awareness to the fact that emergency responders are human, and they need to protect their mental health.
“I, along with so many people, understand the concerns related to mental health. We hope that attendees of the conference will benefit from the training and resources that will be provided,” Sherwood said.
“Some of the speakers will be telling stories of their experiences as a first responder, what issues they went through, and what they did to reach out for help.”
The event begins with registration at 8 a.m. at the Luverne Pizza Ranch, and the program begins at 9 a.m.
The lineup of speakers includes professionals from around the nation who will talk about mental health, PTSD and suicide prevention for an audience of invited law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS, clergy and counselors in Luverne and surrounding communities.
•Ann Jensen, director of southwest Minnesota EMS in Dawson, will talk about “The importance of Debriefing Teams”
•Samantha Bruening, Yankton, South Dakota, Police Department will share “From Crisis to Calm” about a tragic incident that affected her life, how she reached out for help to get out of darkness and the importance of support.
•Wayne Kewitsch, Minnesota Fire Initiative Twin Cities, will speak about the “Hometown Heroes Assistance Program.”
•Dennis Proffitt, former Virginia State Trooper, will talk about his work in law enforcement and crisis response counseling and about his podcast, “Badge To The Bone.”
•Brad Shepherd, public safety director and alumni for Chateau Recovery, a mental health and substance abuse residential Treatment facility, will speak on “The Impact of Trauma on First Responders.”
Jonathan Hickory, law enforcement officer in Virginia, wrote a book about his depression, alcoholism and thoughts of suicide. The book, “Break Every Chain,” was made into a movie.
A private screening of the movie for emergency responders Thursday will be at 3:15 at the Palace Theatre.
A public showing of the movie will be at 7 p.m. as a fundraiser for Luverne first responders. Tickets are $7.
Pre-register for the conference by emailing promos@iw.net or texting to 507-920-5349. There is no cost to attend the conference, and food is provided for those who register in advance.
“We feel that by having first responders and related fields able to come together for training, a bond from various agencies and communities can be created,” Sherwood said.
There will be volunteers on Maple Street behind the Pizza Ranch that will help attendees on where they can park.
The event is presented by Remember Rally, a nonprofit that Sherwood started after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The organization honors military personnel and first responders and raises money to help those affected by service-related trauma and health problems.