We are providing free informational cards to any individual or department that would like to hand them out to their members. These cards bear our logo and the website and are a handy reminder that you are never alone. Contact contact@bluehelp.org to have some shipped to your department
When I began writing about law enforcement in 2014, I had no idea where it would take me. There was no way for me to know that I would listen to officers and their families choke back sobs while others wept openly telling me their stories. No idea that I would lose sleep, have panic attacks and nightmares. No idea that I would learn so many of them don’t know where to find help.
A first responder's career costs them dearly: it costs all of them their lives – the lives they knew before their careers. It costs some of them their physical lives, and they are now buried beneath the ground. Others pay with their emotional well-being, their normal bodily functions, their friends, families, sense of security, and financial well-being. It costs them their future, their identity, and some of the things they love most. It can also cost them their dignity. Our mission is to help the living, the ones who don’t know where to look for help when they need it.
When former Okaloosa County Deputies Jeffrey M. McGill and Steven Hough told me of their dream to form an organization that would reach first responders across the country, I balked. It sounded like a huge undertaking and I just wasn’t sure it was something that could be accomplished. After giving it a lot of thought, I devised a simpler solution: a database that first responders could use to find the help they need BEFORE they need it. Something they could look at and save for later, so when they weren’t feeling safe, they would have a starting point for help.
Building the database was easy; finding a place to keep it, promote it, and have it serve greater purposes wasn’t easy. That’s when I realized Jeff and Steve were right – we needed to form the alliance. We needed to bring everyone together, because collectively we have a larger voice. So while the first responder is here, finding their way to recovery, we’re over at 1st Alliance collecting data on suicide and post-traumatic stress and most importantly, making sure these organizations are easy to find.
We’re giving first responders easy, quick access to organizations that can assist them with a range of problems related to their jobs. From peer support to mental health care to financial aid – everything first responders need can be found by answering a short questionnaire. Agencies from all around the world, equipped to answer the first responders' calls, have provided their information and are standing by ready to assist.
Wishing you physical and emotional safety always,
Karen Solomon
Creator, 1stHelp
Co-Founder, Blue H.E.L.P., Inc.
Author, Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay