By
Jim Marshall, MA
911 Training Institute
Greetings 9-1-1 Family!
THE CONFERENCE…
I know that most of you were not able to join us at the inaugural joint Michigan “NENAPCO” Conference on Mackinac Island, May 21-24, 2018. So I’m not going to blather on about what you missed. My point in writing is different…Frankly, I came to the conference already exhausted after pushing hard the past several months to finish The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional (more on the book below). But within the first 10 minutes of day one, talking with dispatchers and directors, the joy of our service together completely reenergized me.
I can’t count the number of priceless encounters shared with our NENA-APCO members. Some were very brief and others were so in-depth updates about steps of personal growth folks had taken since our last meeting—but every conversation, whether hilarious or with tears, powerfully affirmed that the 9-1-1 Family is pressing on and gaining traction in pursuit of better self-care and peer support!
MY PEEPS!
Ryan Dedmon (see picture), my 911 Training Institute Outreach Director, flew in from California to share his extraordinary personal story: “Survive & Thrive: A Path through Trauma into Resilience”. The room, filled to overflowing was deeply moved by Ryan’s story and urged me to bring him back to Michigan to train. (Stay tuned. We’ll work on that!) Of course, for me, the highlight of the conference was the chance to introduce my wife, Linda, (see picture) to so many. As one dispatcher said: “her sacrifice each time you leave to train, is what makes your contributions to 9-1-1 possible.” That’s it exactly!
THE BOOK WE WROTE FOR YOU…
At the conference, we also had the chance to unveil the book for 9-1-1 that I’ve been quietly working on for several years. Think about this: conference presentations and articles on 9-1-1 resilience, prevention of PTSD, and stress management, are all truly helpful to raise basic awareness of 9-1-1 stress risks. They can inspire and trigger important thinking. But they cannot go in depth to meet folks providing nitty-gritty guidance for personal growth. My 2-day clinically developed course Survive & Thrive does help 9-1-1Pros begin this in depth equipping.
Yet I have strongly believed that we must reach and equip every 9-1-1Pro and PSAP leader with a comprehensive guide they can hold in their hands, read on their own, reflect on; a guide that provides even deeper and broader insight about all the major stress-related risks faced by our Very First Responders and real solutions—not “cookie cutter solutions”! That’s what The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional is all about. Twelve different authors joined co-editor, Tracey Laorenza, and me to tell their stories and offer up nitty-gritty help to prevent and overcome PTSD, compassion fatigue, chronic stress, obesity, addictions, and more. Every word of this book was written for you, driven by the belief that the work of the telecommunicator is unique and that you as an Extraordinary Care Giver deserve Extraordinary Care. So, please check it out and Enjoy! (If you bring your copy to our next training or conference it would be my privilege to sign your copy.) The book is available now on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions. CLICK HERE to order your copy today!
Peace to you, friend. Please keep taking good care of yourself as you care for everyone else in your life. And as always, I’m here to cheer you on, and I welcome your email!
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