Our Mission

WVFRC provides Chaplaincy support and services to all Law Enforcement Officers, Corrections Officers, Search & Rescue Teams, Firefighters, EMS personnel, Dispatchers, DOT Incident Responders, Medical Examiners, District Attorney's Offices, Hospital/Critical Care nursing staff, Care Facility nursing staff and Child Welfare Teams. Our Chaplains also provide compassionate care to members of the public as they experience life-changing crisis events.

WVFRC Chaplains are Crisis Response Specialists operating within the Critical Incident Stress Management guidelines, standards, and training per the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) and the International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) and the Federation of Fire Chaplains (FFC).

We partner with first responders

  • Response to Critical Incidents and Fatal Accident Scenes

  • Emotional Crisis Support During an Incident and Following

  • Assisting with Death and Serious Injury Notifications to Next of Kin

  • Building and Fostering Purposeful and Meaningful Relationships

  • Collaborating and Assisting with Peer Support Teams

  • Teaching Health & Wellness, Resiliency components

rationale

Our nation loses on average 1 First Responder hero to suicide each day. When our heroes achieve retirement, the situation and suffering worsens, resulting in the number of suicides being 10x higher!

In 2019 our nation lost 89 Law Enforcement Officers in the Line of Duty. The same year our nation lost 228 Law Enforcement Officers to suicide.

In 2019 our nation lost 49 Firefighters in the Line of Duty. The same year we lost 134 Firefighters to suicide. Worse still, the number of our First Responder heroes taking their own lives in retirement is 10 times higher!

This is why we have made it our mission to Help the Helpers.

what is a first responder chaplain?

A Chaplain is called to respond to fatal and/or life changing-critical incidents. On scene, Chaplains assist in any area of practical need, all the while observing the First Responders for critical stress overload and if needed render care immediately or immediately following the incident. As the call is completed, care develops into a possible defusing and debriefing – following ICISF protocol – to help personnel process the critical stress trauma of the incident, giving them better recovery rates and long-term mental health benefits. Chaplains might find First Responders call in the days following the incident.

One of the biggest challenges for Law Enforcement Officers is to provide Death Notifications to the family of the deceased. Chaplains consider this role essential to provide compassionate care in serving our neighbors on their very worst day. While the Chaplain will not speak of it - unless invited to do so - we consider it the moment to bring Christ into the crisis event, ministering in the moments of horror and absolute grief by simply providing a ministry of presence and serving the needs as they are revealed. As Romans 12:15 says; “Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.” After some time has passed, and usually relationship has been established, the families tend to say how much they appreciated the Chaplains presence in that horrible hour… how the words spoken touched them and comforted them, not necessarily what was said, but how they were said.

A Chaplain serves First Responders in four ways, they are:

Mentally – being trained in Critical Incident Stress Management and providing defusing's or debriefings as needed, and being available to talk, share and when needed, stage interventions, and connect them with a professional therapist specializing in trauma therapy and even first responder specific therapy.

Emotionally – having established a genuine relationship and being afforded the trust to allow compassionate care and provide comfort to aid in their healing and restoration.

Physically – logistical needs for families, childcare, financial needs, getting to work etc. Visiting with extended family members.

Spiritually (for those that are inclined) – having conversations, encouraging and maintaining accountability etc. to allow the Lord to minister directly to their heart, mind and soul.

Chaplaincy Standards

Our Chaplains are servants to all people and will not evangelize or proselytize in the course of providing service. As with all conversations, the First Responder and member of the public initiates the conversation for which the First Responder Chaplain will gladly engage per invitation. We do not exclude services to any persons and consider all people to be equal. The primary objective for WVFRC Chaplains is to serve according to the Critical Incident Stress Management and Crisis Intervention training and accreditation standards. Chaplains serve as Crisis Intervention Specialists.

Chaplains are provided - through the State - clergy rights and privileges, and will always maintain confidentiality with all people when serving in the capacity of Chaplain. Note: Chaplains DO abide by the same ORS mandatory reporting requirements as that of a First Responder.