Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What does Willamette Valley First Responder Chaplains do?
A: WVFRC provides professional, highly trained, culturally competent First Responder Chaplains to Public Safety agencies, to serve their personnel, along with utilizing Community Resource Chaplains to provide compassionate care to members of the public who are experiencing or have experienced a crisis event.
Q: What is a First Responder Chaplain?
A: A First Responder Chaplain (FRC) is essentially a Crisis Response Specialist. FRC’s are persons who are Ecclesiastically endorsed and have the endorsement from a Public Safety Agency. FRC’s are highly trained and credentialed in Public Safety specific chaplaincy components with the International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) and/or the Federation of Fire Chaplains (FFC), and trained to Advanced standards in Critical Incident Stress Management and Crisis Intervention – along with additional components – with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). FRCs typically have service background in military, fire, medical, law enforcement, corrections, dispatch service etc., who serves First Responders by way of assisting with and addressing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the individual, and their families. FRCs also serve members of the public who have encountered crisis through life changing events.
Q: What is a Community Resource Chaplain?
A: A Community Resource Chaplain (CRC) is a person who is Ecclesiastically endorsed, and is trained in Pastoral Care and Crisis Response & Intervention. CRCs serve members of the public who have encountered crisis through life changing events. The service of CRCs is critical in the provision of compassionate care to our neighbors, oftentimes resulting in years of relational service.
Q: Where does your funding come from?
A: We are fully dependent on donations from individuals, churches, corporations and Grants. WVFRC does not require agencies pay for Chaplaincy service and support, as most public safety agencies have a limited budget, thus we do not want cost to prohibit the agency from engaging our chaplaincy support and services. Some agencies do choose to donate or pay WVFRC, which we humbly accept their gift. Without the two Grants we received, we would not have the operational capability we currently have.
Individual: 30.2%
Churches: 4.5%
Corporate: 3.7%
Agencies: 11.7%
Grants: 48.6%
Fundraisers: 1.3%
Q: Can I donate to a specific Chaplain?
A: WVFRC is not an umbrella organization, therefore we do not maintain individual accounts for Chaplains. All Chaplains are required raise support to help WVFRC fund their salaries and operational expenses. As we serve our Fathers mission as one family, we all pour into the same pail from which we are all able to draw.
Q: Which churches are partnered with WVFRC?
A: We have North Albany Community Church, Oakville Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church Corvallis and Suburban Christian Church who are our mission partners. We are always hoping to build relationship with our community churches to train leadership teams in Pastoral Crisis Intervention etc., along with finding those called to serve within this mission field, along with finding prayer partners and financial partners.
Q: Which agencies do you serve?
A: We currently serve in Linn, Benton, and Marion counties. We have Service Agreements with: Albany Police Department, Albany Fire Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Philomath Fire & Rescue, Turner Fire District, Turner Police Department, Jefferson Fire District, Stayton Police Department, Marion County Medical Examiners Office, Marion County Fire District, Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
We also serve without a Service Agreement: Linn County Medical Examiner’s Office, Benton County Search & Rescue, Mary’s Peak Search & Rescue, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transport.
WVFRC will serve any First Responder or agency upon request with or without a Service Agreement.
Q: What other developments are you working on?
A: By mid-2023, we want to have two Mobile Resource Vehicles (MRV) equipped to provide on-scene support. A team of two chaplains will provide hot and cold food and drinks, facilitate a place for First Responders and community members involved within the critical incident to take cover from weather, along with being a place for First Responders to converse privately with members of the public, use a bathroom etc. The MRV will be optimized on Search & Rescue missions, house/commercial fires, fatal/critical incidents and incidents involving lengthy investigations.
By mid-2026 we aspire to establish a Wellness Center in the City of Albany/Linn County area, where we will have in-house licensed – culturally competent – Mental Health Professionals, a certified health & nutritionist, a licensed personal trainer, a licensed nurse practitioner – with focus on pain management and medication management, a licensed nurse practitioner - with focus on family medicine. We will establish homogeneous group support for addictions, grief, and healing and recovery workshops such as art therapy etc. applicable office space, conference/training room for hosting trainings, kitchen for hosting dinners (holiday get-togethers etc.), space for storing the MRV etc. The Wellness Center will also be a location which any agency can use for matters such as an Officer Involved Shooting, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing etc. and for a rest-stop/sub-station.