NOCO style
Something Good in the Neighborhood – First Responder Trauma Counselors
Article by Dan England
Ed Rupert was a young police officer in his 20s when, on Jan. 14, 1974—he remembers the exact date—he was involved in a shootout where more than 100 bullets were fired at him. It was the first time he couldn’t shake the job when his shift ended. The second came two years later, when he was part of a team tasked with recovering bodies from the devastating Big Thompson Canyon Flood that killed 144 people. After that job, he called a therapist, said he wasn’t doing well and told him he didn’t want to be seen near his office. He didn’t want others to think he was crazy. The guy told Ed to meet him at Johnson’s Corner. Over coffee, he touched Ed’s hand and told him it was going to be OK. Ed began bawling. It always stuck with Ed how a gentle touch and a willing ear could help him feel like a normal human being again.
Now he and his wife, Joanne, also a former first responder, have spent more than 20 years trying to do the same thing for others. "Back in the day, if you weren’t strong enough to deal with it, the thinking was you should just get out of it,” Ed says. “We wanted to remove the stigma.” Read more...
Windsor city lifestyle
Light Beyond the Call of Duty
First Responder Trauma Services Provides Relief, Renewal, and Hope for Those Who Carry the Heaviest Burdens
Article by Dana Olson
There’s a place… on the edge of Windsor… down a quiet dirt road. It’s a special place… where healing begins, where people feel safe, maybe for the first time in a long time. It’s a welcoming space where there is no reproach but rather complete acceptance.
Two people are at the heart of this haven who know firsthand the plight of their peers for which they provide unceasing vigilance… because they’ve been there. Ed and Joanne Rupert are the founders of First Responders Trauma Services, and they are an ever-present light for those seeking reprieve from the shadows of trauma. Read more...
Harmony Residents Caring
Article by Phil Goldstein, Harmony Resident
We here at Stroll Harmony love to promote good causes, and one that surely is worthy of our attention has to do with First Responder Trauma Services (FRTS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2022 by Harmony residents since 2014, Joanne and Ed Rupert.
FRTS provides mental health support, crisis response and education for current and retired emergency responders and related frontline workers, including law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, health care workers, and their legal partners.
The FRTS team, experienced emergency services professionals, ensures that responders have the support, tools and resources needed to manage their well-being as they do the difficult work upon which communities rely. Read more...
At Good Day Pharmacy, we believe that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in community. And few communities are more deserving of care, compassion, and unwavering support than our first responders. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to partner with 911 Overwatch, an initiative led by First Responder Trauma Counselors, to support the mental and emotional wellness of the heroes who support us every day.
This partnership is more than professional—it’s deeply personal. First responders endure what most of us can’t imagine: long hours, life-threatening emergencies, trauma, loss, and the emotional toll of being someone else’s strength in their darkest moments. 911 Overwatch exists to ensure they never have to carry that weight alone. Read more...
Here are some ways you can get involved:
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DONATE: Make a one-time or recurring donation
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VOLUNTEER: Join our volunteer network to help with events or outreach
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SPONSOR: Partner with us to fund programs and expand our reach
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FUNDRAISE: Start your own fundraiser to rally your community around this important cause