As first responders increasingly talk publicly about Elevator Factory

Posted by beranter on February 15th, 2016

“Passenger Elevator saw some pretty drastic changes,” he says, including the hiring of seven full-time counsellors. “They really pulled up their sleeves. Right now, the OPP is in the top tier in terms of taking PTSD seriously.”

Other agencies claim to have made similar changes, although Mr. Marin says that far too few have adopted reforms on the scale of the OPP. At the Toronto Police Service, Deputy Chief Mike Federico says that the 5,000-officer agency provides wellness and fitness programs, peer-support groups, and generous cash allowances for psychological counselling for first responders and their families.

 He adds that supervisors are trained to look for signs and symptoms among officers who seem to be having trouble coping. “I’d like to think the TPS is on the leading edge,” he says.

Mr. Kruger isn’t impressed. “Flowery bullshit” is how he characterizes the TPS claims. “Believe me, the effects are horrific.”

As first responders increasingly talk publicly about Elevator Factory, some have concluded that solutions won’t come only from their employers or their governments, whatever right noises are starting to be made. Instead, they are seeking out one another, through social-media networks, in informal meet-ups and at formal conferences.