ENFORCEMENT OFFICER DEATHS SO
FAR THIS YEAR HAS
BEEN STAGGERING.
BUT TONIGHT -- WE'RE
FOCUSING ON THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT
TO THOSE WHO SERVE WITH THEM.
TONIGHT ...
ONLY ON NEWS FIVE...
OUR MARK BOYLE IS LOOKING
INTO WHAT'S IN PLACE TO MAKE
SURE THOSE WHO PUT THEIR LIVES
ON THE LINE
FOR US EVERYDAY,...
RECEIVE THE PROTECTION AND CARE
THEY DESERVE.
GRAPHIC FLASHING "1 IN 4 FIRST
RESPONDERS SUFFER FROM PTSD"
OVER FLASHING LIGHTS
911 NATS
NINA ALLMOND- DISPATCHER,
WOODLAND PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT
12:27- IT'S HARD TO MAKE THE
DREAMS AND THE MENTAL VIDEOS
THAT YOU HEAR AND THAT YOU PLAY
OVER AND OVER IN YOUR HEAD OUT
LOUD, IT'S REALLY HARD TO
COMMUNICATE THAT AND HOW THAT
FEELS TO SOMEONE." 12:41
FIRST RESPONDERS COME TO OUR AID
...
NO QUESTIONS ASKED ...
AND AT A MOMENTS NOTICE.
THERE'S TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
IT RIGHT AWAY AND
THERE'S TIMES WHEN NOBODY SAYS
ANYTHING TO ANYBODY
TYLER LOWE- FIREFIGHTER/EMT,
FOUNTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENT "IT'S
NORMAL FOR US ALL TO BE BOTHERED
BY SOMETHING, I THINK IT'S THE
CARING PART OF OUR JOB."
BUT THE GROWING QUESTION AND
CONCERN.
WHO IS HELPING THE MEN AND
WOMEN...
WHO HELP US?
911 SUICIDE NATS
GLEN JARDON- WOODLAND PARK
POLICE OFFICER 53:00- IT'S
SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL NEVER
FORGET IN JULY OF
1991 WHEN WE GOT THE NEWS THAT
ONE OF OUR PATROL OFFICERS HAD
TAKEN HER LIFE AND IT WAS A
MAJOR BLOW TO THE ENTIRE
DEPARTMENT, SHE WAS WELL THOUGHT
OF, SHE WAS A WONDERFUL
PERSON." 53:23
SUICIDE IS THE BIGGEST KILLER OF
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
GRAPHIC FLASHING "196 FIRST
RESPONDERS IN COLORADO
COMMITTED SUICIDE FROM
2004-2014"
FROM 2004 TO 2014 ...
196 FIRST
RESPONDERS IN COLORADO ...
ENDED THEIR OWN LIVES.
DANIEL CRAMPTON- FIRST RESPONDER
THERAPIST, PARAMEDIC "WHEN A
FIRST RESPONDER FINALLY DECIDES
THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
SEEK HELP, THEY'RE IN A REAL
CRISIS, SO I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO
BE AT THAT POINT WHERE THEY'RE
LOSING EITHER THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS, THEIR JOBS, IF IT'S A
SUBSTANCE ABUSE RELATED THING,
THEY MAY BE LOSING
THEIR JOBS, FACING INCARCERATION
OR CHARGES." FIRST RESPONDERS
SAY THERAPY FOR THE TRAUMA THEY
FACE DAILY ...
IS UNDERFUNDED ...
AND AT TIMES HARD TO COME BY.
STATISTICS SHOW MORE THAN 90-
PERCENT OF DEPARTMENTS IN
COLORADO ...
HAVE LESS THAN 8-
THOUSAND-DOLLARS TO FUND FIRST
RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMS.
PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS
...
ARE STARTING TO SURFACE IN
DEPARTMENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
...
BUT ...
MIKE ORR- BATALLION CHIEF,
FOUNTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WE'RE
BEHIND THE POWER CURVE ALREADY,
I MEAN OBVIOUSLY, LOOK AT THE
STATISTICS, SO YEAH, HOW DO YOU
GET AHEAD OF THE GAME? I DON'T
KNOW THAT WE CAN, PEER-TO-PEER'S
A GOOD SOLUTION FOR THE ONES
THAT
WILL TALK TO SOMEBODY, IS
EVERYBODY GOING TO TALK? NO AND
THAT'S THE SAD REALITY."
VIDEO OF AURORA THEATER SHOOTING
IT'S SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED...
FOR THOSE STRUGGLING...
AFTER RESPONDING TO COLORADO'S
BIGGEST TRAGEDIES.
TRAUMATIC SCENES...
WHICH CAN LEAD TO POST TRAUMATIC
STRESS DISORDER...
AND OTHER MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL
DISORDERS.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD NATS
"CE 4" TO A FIRST RESPONDER...
MEANS EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT.
"STATUS CODE FOUR", A NEW NON-
PROFIT ...
NOW CREATING A
DOCUMENTARY SERIES TO PUSH
AWARENESS ABOUT THE MENTAL
HEALTH
OF FIRST RESPONDERS.
AND IT'S BEING USED IN
DEPARTMENTS ALL OVER THE STATE.
TIMOTHY DIENST- CEO, UTE PASS
REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
DISTRICT "---YOU GET OUT INTO
THE RURAL AREAS, THE ANSWER IS
NO, THERE ARE NO
RESOURCES FOR THEM, SO WE DO
NEED TO DEVELOP A CADRE OF
MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO
UNDERSTAND OUR INDUSTRY AND CAN
BE MORE READILY AVAILABLE
STATEWIDE."
COLORADO CONSISTENTLY RANKS IN
THE TOP TEN FOR SUICIDE
RATES AMONG FIRST RESPONDERS ...
LAW ENFORCEMENT DEATHS THE
HIGHEST.
AND IT'S CHANGING HOW P-T-S-D IS
TREATED.
STARTING IN JULY IN COLORADO...
THE CONDITION WILL QUALIFY FOR
WORKMAN'S COMP.
GLEN JARDON- WOODLAND PARK
POLICE OFFICER 04:08- AS WE
ANSWER 911 CALLS AND HELP THE
PUBLIC, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE
RELUCTANT TO HELP EACH OTHER
THAT SAME WAY." 59:39-OBODY
HAS TO DIE OVER ANY OF THIS,
LONG SIGH THAT CAN BE WRITTEN TO
RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, THERE WILL BE
NO INCREASE TO DEPARTMENT
BUDGETS FROM THE STATE TO FUND
FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMS.
STD OUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP RECENTLY
SIGNED A BILL TO PROVIDE FEDERAL
FUNDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH
PROVIDERS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT