Utah FOP's Critical Incident Response Team

A prominent "peer support" group, by cops....for cops

On February 7th, 2013, the Board of Trustees authorized the creation of the Utah FOP Critical Incident Response Team, primarily to act as a peer support group.  Dave Edwards has been appointed as the chairman of this committee.  We are seeking to form a partnership with the Utah Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which is structured and organized on the clinical side of assisting all first responders, under strict guidance of a medical professional.  The FOP is not attempting to recreate what the Utah CISM has done, but to partner with them as a way to assist and strengthen our members who are involved in critical incidents.  Watch for more information.

 "The bathtub model of stress is a useful tool for understanding the long-term effects of stress. We use this to help West Point freshman, the plebes, deal with the stress of their new environment, and believe me they definitely need it. Think of your body as a bathtub and stress is the water that pours in. Now, the drain can only release so much, so if water comes in so fast that the drain cannot handle it, the water begins to rise. If it rises too high, it overflows and damages the floor. If five gallons are suddenly added to the tub, you have got to get out from under the faucet for a couple of days to let the waterthe stresssubside.

You have to be able to control your stress throughout your entire life. Life is a paced marathon, not a sprint; think of it as a four-quarter game. If you are in good physical shape, your tub is a little larger and you can handle a little more water before you overflow. The best way to make your drain bigger, so that you process stress out faster, is to engage in appropriate management dynamics, specifically, daily vigorous physical exercise."

Lt Col. Dave Grossman, On Combat