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June 22, 2015

Title: A War of Values
Topic: Serve and Protect

Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)

Part 1 of 2

Disclaimer: Use caution when listening to this segment around young children. Issues discussed might be upsetting or hard for little ones to understand.

What really happened at the pool party in McKinney, Texas? Will we ever know the real story? After all, it is the kids’ word against the officers’. It has even ripped strife among neighbors who have vastly different stories to tell.

New guest, Robert Michaels, is a former police office. He has been in tough situations before. What is his take on this incident? Well, first of all, Robert says, “After the first call he received [concerning a suicide] the officer should have been brought in to the station for a debriefing.” However, he was sent to another call – another suicide call! Then BAM! The pool party call.

Robert goes on to describe how emotional wounds (like from a suicide or bad car accident call) are just as important as physical wounds. Both need time to heal. The pool party incident would not have been easy for any officer to handle, let alone someone who had just been on two suicide calls. Listen in as Robert Michaels explains more of the situation and also makes a bold statement concerning the chief of police who reprimanded the officer before all the evidence was examined.

If you or someone you know is a first responder, please click [here]  to find out more information about their services.

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Title: Part 2 of 2 - A War of Values
Topic: Serve and Protect

Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)

“The biggest issue we’re facing in our nation today is not a war of races; it is a war of values,” Robert Michaels declares. Robert continues to describe the events of the pool party and the officer’s reaction to the teenagers charging at him, yelling at him, cursing at him, and the threat he felt during the heat of the moment.

It is Robert Michaels’ position that 100% of those in public safety positions, from dispatchers to the first responders on the scene, experience symptoms of PTSD. They will forever hear the screams for help. They will remember the bloodied baby still strapped in her car seat after a drunk driver slams in the family minivan. They will see the murder victim’s faces in their nightmares. They will remember. And so will their families.

Many officers believe they will be belittled or even fired if they express their mental state to their supervisors. This is why Serve and Protect exists: To give first responders and their families a safe environment to talk to someone about what they’ve witnessed and discuss their options. All calls are confidential. Please do not hesitate to call them at (615) 373-8000.

The American Psychiatric Association even recognizes PTSD in first responders. Robert points out that not everyone who sees the same trauma has the same reaction. “The point of doing a debriefing is to find out what their mental state is in that moment,” he says. Listen as Robert concludes his discussion on the McKinney incident and offers help to those who may be suffering from similar experiences.

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