Self-Care in the Face of Tragedy

Self-Care in the Face of Tragedy

First responders deal with tragedy on every shift. We are used to helping others. We are prepared to respond to the physical and emotional trauma of others with care and empathy. Yet, we are often lost when it comes to dealing with our own trauma. On June 29, 2025,...
Celebrating the Successes of Dispatch

Celebrating the Successes of Dispatch

When I was a 911 director, I sat in on many interviews for candidates wanting to be hired as dispatchers. One of the questions we always asked of them was “Why do you want to work here?” You could probably guess the most common answer to that question: “Because I want...
Reflections on the Healing Wall

Reflections on the Healing Wall

Not too long ago, I visited the Healing Wall, a three-quarter size replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, commonly referred to as The Wall. I needed to go. I was connected to it indirectly through my friend David O. Chung. When I met David, known better as...