HOMETOWN HERO: AMBER HALL

They are there when you need them.  A calm, cool, collected voice on the other end of the line.  911 Communicators are usually the first, First Responders in times of crisis...expertly accessing the situation, keeping callers focused and providing instruction…often in life-threatening situations.  It’s not an easy job and not everyone has what it takes.  Amber Hall has what it takes.  She is good at her job.  She is well-liked and respected by her peers.  But the reason she was nominated for the hometown hero award is for something she does above and beyond the call of duty.
 

In 2011, Amber Hall founded a non-profit named  “Lovie Central”.

Lovie Central loves on the children who live at the Urban Ministries shelter in downtown Durham.

For those of you who don't know....that's the Homeless Shelter.

Most of the kids at the shelter have lived all their lives in places where domestic violence, drugs,  and gang activity are an everyday fact of life.  Their trust has been violated.  Love and acceptance always has strings attached.

That's where Lovie Central comes in.

Twice a year, sometimes more, Lovie Central throws a party at the shelter.  Each child receives a stuffed animal that has a handmade security blanket, a hat, and even a scarf and other extras. They also give them care packages that includes personal hygiene products and even a toy or two.

Through Amber and others who participate in “Lovie Central” these young children learn that there are nice, giving, and loving people who care about them.

Amber gives abundantly of herself and her own resources to love on these kids.  She accepts donations but most of the money to pay for the work of Lovie Central comes straight out of her pocket.

She considers it a small price to pay to be able to go and love on children who so desperately need to know that they are loved.

It is for this reason that Emergency Chaplains is delighted to present the Hometown Hero Award to Amber Hall.  Thank you Amber for everything you are doing for our community and most of all for the unconditional love you show these children.

CELEBRATING OUR TELECOMMUNICATORS!

Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as Public Safety Telecommunicators.  This year it’s April 13-19.  (In Durham, you can send letters of appreciation to Durham Emergency Communications Center, 505 West Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701.  If it is easier, you can e-mail notes to 911week@echap.org and we will forward those to the center.)

Telecommunicators probably have the least glamorous job in Public Safety.  They are seldom heard by the public and never seen.  Day after day they answer the phones and dispatch help with little fanfare.  The only time they get media coverage is when they make a mistake—and the news hounds jump on that like a dog on a ham bone.

The training process for a new telecommunicator can take up to a year and each month requires a full day of continuing education training.  It’s a lot to learn and a lot to keep up with.

It’s a very stressful job, too.  When answering incoming calls, a telecommunicator is often expected to be psychic—to take screamed, unintelligible words and somehow magically make a police car, ambulance or fire truck show up at a location that is unknown even to the caller.

Chaos is a word well known to every telecommunicator.  It happens most every day.  Sometimes several times in a day.  Some days it happens all day long.

Even a minor wreck on the interstate can cause chaos in the center.  Imagine that 50 people witness a wreck on I-40.  All 50 people call at one time.  25 of them are headed East.  25 are headed West.  None of them know exactly where they are and most don’t even know their own direction of travel. None of the callers currently on the line stopped to check on injuries.  When the ones who did stop and get a chance to call they can’t get through because all the lines are tied up with people telling the communicators what exit they are passing three miles down the road.

On one side of the room there might be several call takers trying desperately to get useful information simultaneously about the same event.  On the other side of the room there might be Police, Fire and EMS units yelling for more information about the location of the very same event the call takers are still working on.

It all happens fast.  One minute things are under control and the next minute it seems as if the world is coming to an end.  But it doesn’t.  The telecommunicators always get the job done and help always arrives.  They never get the thanks they deserve but we at Emergency Chaplains want to give a shout out to our Telecommunicators—our 9-1-1 Operators—they are the best in the world.

We love you guys!  Thanks for being the first in line of our First Responders and THANK YOU for always answering the calls and making sure that we get the help we need, when we need it and where we need it.

Emergency Services Chaplain Video

Chaplain Jeff DeGrow's Story

NCSHP Swearing In Ceremony at the Capitol on 3/28/13

HOMETOWN HERO STEVE KINCAID

Steve Kincaid received the Brantley Pearce Memorial Award at our banquet in November 2012.

Steve Kincaid joined the Stanton, VA Junior Rescue Squad when he was 16 years old. 

Steve Kincaid

On his very first call he was part of a crew that resuscitated a cardiac arrest patient.  He was hooked.  EMS was in his blood.

Joining Durham County EMS in 2002, Steve brought with him a great heart for his work that is noticed by his superiors and his peers.

Steve is one person that other medics like to see when they are working a difficult call.  No matter how stressful or crazy the situation might be, he is going to stay cool under pressure and make sure that every patient gets the best care possible. 

Another place where other medics like to see Steve is in the classroom.  When he teaches, he teaches from the heart.  He makes learning fun, interesting and almost effortless because of his enthusiasm.

It's easy to tell that Steve Kincaid loves being a paramedic but it is also easy to tell that he loves the people that he works with.  He makes it his personal business to be an encourager to those around him.

Like any other medic, Steve has seen his share of tough calls.  One time his crew was

VIDEO: STEVE KINCAID HOMETOWN HERO

dispatched to a child birth call and arrived to find the newborn in cardiac and respiratory arrest and the mother bleeding to death.  Steve doesn't take credit for doing anything special on that call but he names the others from A-Squad who were with him for their "dynamic, professional and intense teamwork that saved 2 lives that day."

While medics are skilled in taking care of their patients, they can also find themselves in situations where there is nothing they can do to help.  This can cause a great deal of emotional trauma for the family of a patient but it takes a toll on the medic, too.

Responding to reported cardiac arrest, Paramedic Kincaid arrived to horrified children in the front yard of the residence.  Entering the house he discovered a gruesome murder-suicide scene.  Realizing the magnitude of the situation Steve called for a chaplain to respond.

Steve said that as he watched two chaplains minister to those kids he suddenly realized how important it was to have chaplains who were available and willing to come on the scene and take care of the emotional and spiritual needs of those affected by tragedy.

Later, Steve wrote a note about the incident stating, "For EMS and other responders, it is good to know that we have the Chaplains on our team. It is good to know that we have back up, support and someone who understands.  I owe a great debt to the Chaplains for the work they did that day."

Emergency Chaplains is proud to honor Sr. Medic Steven Kincaid of Durham County EMS with the Brantley Pearce Memorial Award and to thank him for his commitment to providing quality Emergency Medical care...and for being a "Peace Maker" in our community.

Two Chaplains Added at Emergency Chaplains

RICARDO CORREA (CHAPLAIN)

e-mail: ricardotcorrea@gmail.com



Rev. Ricardo Correa joined Emergency Chaplains in December 2011 and has been assigned to serve the Durham Police Department in District 1.  Ricardo moved to North Carolina from Puerto Rico in 1997 and he has lived in Durham since 1999. 

Once a popular DJ on the local night club circuit, his life drastically changed on October 29, 2005 when he asked Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior.

Chaplain Correa is married to Carina and he pastors at United Nations Worship Center Ministry in Durham. 

---

CHRIS O'GUIN (CHAPLAIN)

e-mail: pastorchriso@windstream.net

Rev. Chris O’Guin became a member of Emergency Chaplains in December of 2011.

Chris is the appointed Chaplain for the Kannapolis Fire Department.  He is married to Crystal and he is the pastor of North Kannapolis Baptist Church.

Chris gave his life to Christ when he was 17 years old and he has faithfully served in full-time Christian ministry for the past 36 years.

Chaplain Chris has prior chaplaincy experience with the NC National Guard and local law enforcement.   He has served as the volunteer chaplain for the Kannapolis Fire Department since 2010.

MORE NEW CHAPLAINS!

MIKE WHITE (CHAPLAIN)

e-mail: mwwhite@bikerider.com

Effective June 22, 2011, Rev. Mike White joined Emergency Chaplains and has been assigned to serve the Durham Police Department in District 2.

Mike was born in Orlando, FL. He spent his early years in the St. Petersburg area before moving with his family to Durham when he was a teenager. 

Raised in church, Mike continued to live what he called a ‘religious’ life even as an adult. One day in 1980 he finally surrendered his life to Jesus and became a true follower of Christ.

Chaplain White trained for ministry through Grace Presbytery School of Ministry and was ordained into the Christian Ministry in August of 2000.

Diane is Mike's wife and they have been married since 1978. Mike and Diane are members of Christian Assembly in Durham and make their home in the northern Durham area.

**************************************************************

ANDRE GILLIARD (CHAPLAIN)

e-mail: gilliards5@yahoo.com

Rev. Andre Gilliard is now associated with Emergency Chaplains. Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Gilliard lived there until relocating to the Triangle area last year. He transferred here with Procter and Gamble, where he has worked for the last 15 years.

Gilliard accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior when he was 12 years old and has served in Christian ministry since he was a teenager. Ordained in 2004, he has served as an Assistant Pastor in the Baltimore area and also served as a volunteer chaplain with the Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments.

Currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry at Duke School of Divinity, Chaplain Gillard is married to Veronica and they are the parents of Andrea, Amari and Reina.

Chaplain Gilliard will be serving the Durham Police Department.

MEET OUR NEWEST CHAPLAINS!

Art Klose

Art Klose joined Emergency Chaplains as a Chaplain Intern on June 1, 2011 and will be serving the Durham Police Department. He is originally from Pennsylvania but has called North Carolina home for the last 15 years.

Chaplain Art is active in the Men's Ministry at Triangle Community Church in Apex. He has participated in mission trips to Biloxi, Mississippi and Guayaquil, Ecuador plus he sang in the Harvest Crusade Choir at the RBC Center in 2007.

Currently working in security management, he has prior experience in Law Enforcement and Fire, Rescue and EMS.

September 11th, 2001 was a wake up call for Art and caused him to examine his life closely. Accepting a friend's invitation to church during that time, Art heard and responded to the gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in January of 2002.

Art holds a BS in Business Management from Clarion University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Liberty University. He lives in Holly Springs, is married to Christina and they have 3 children. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, music and playing on the church softball team. His goal in life is to be a faithful servant of the Lord and to especially be a husband and a father who brings a smile to God's face.

Grant Bennett

Grant Bennett joined Emergency Chaplains on May 20, 2011 and has been assigned to serve District 1 of the Durham Police Department.

Chaplain Grant was born in Greenville, Texas, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas and came to know Jesus Christ during Vacation Bible School when he was 7 years old. Shortly after that time he knew that God had called him to ministry.

At the age of 17, Grant joined the U.S. Army and served in Special Forces. Counting his 4 year enlistment and time spent in the Army Reserve, Grant recently retired at the rank of Command Sergeant Major with 28 years of service to our country.

After leaving active duty, Chaplain Grant graduated from East Texas State University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. He was preparing for his dream job in the CIA but God had other plans and Grant soon found himself serving as a pastor in Commerce, Texas while attending Dallas Theological Institute.

Through the years, Grant has been involved in ministry wherever he has been. He currently serves as the Director of Emergency Response at First Assembly of God in Raleigh while working full-time at Fidelity Investments.

Grant is married to Dawn and they have 4 children. He is excited about the ministry opportunity that the Lord has given him with Emergency Chaplains and believes that God has called him to make a difference in the lives of the officers that he serves.

KEITH KIMBALL ENJOYING ROLE AS POLICE DEPARTMENT’S CHAPLAIN

By PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT C-T Staff Writer pboatwright@roxboro-courier.com

Posted: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 5:00 am

"They're equipped for facing danger. We're trying to equip them for facing life."

That's what Roxboro Police Department Chaplain Dr. Keith Kimball said of his volunteer job and those who support him in his effort to spiritually support the community and law enforcement officers.

Police Chief Todd Boycher said he was happy to have Kimball, a certified crisis counselor, available to, not only officers, but the citizens of Roxboro as well.

"We looked at the type of work we do, and the type of calls we go on," Boycher said this week, "and determined that there was a need in the department for somebody who could specialize in counseling" those hearing the news that a loved one had died in a car accident or by violent means.

Kimball's training allows him to better deliver the news and to help family members cope with it, Boycher said.

Kimball has ministered to Durham Police officers, North Carolina State Highway Patrol officers and served as a chaplain at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville. He is a member of an emergency chaplains' group in Durham.

While serving as a pastor in Johnston County, Kimball said he volunteered as a chaplain at Johnston Memorial Hospital, where he often encountered cases in which law enforcement was involved.

"I've always had a heart for police officers," Kimball said, adding that his uncle was a police officer.

"I know what they go through," he said, "and it's more garbage than you can imagine. They have to maintain their cool when faced with mortality," Kimball added.

He said law enforcement officers must remain calm and respectful, and treat people fairly when arresting them, even though the suspects may be resisting or trying to verbally or physically attack the officer.

"It makes me wonder how they put up with it," Kimball said of the way some in the community treat police officers.

He explained that the officers must deal with "a lot of stress," adding that the divorce rate among law enforcement officers was "higher than that of the rest of the public. Someone needs to do something" to help the officers and their families, Kimball said.

The chaplain said of his work with the RPD officers, "I go where they go. They're armed with bulletproof vests and weapons and all I have is a Bible."

One of the things Kimball hopes to achieve through his work with the police department is for "more people to understand exactly what it means for God to work in their lives."

A bit of that work was evidenced on April 15, when Kimball, riding with an officer, responded to a disturbance call. He wrote in his monthly report that he and the officer arrived on scene to find a "small white man from Durham, claiming to be a white supremacist . . . engaging in an argument with several large black males. The white male was advised to leave the property and Roxboro," Kimball said, and a gun was reportedly involved in the incident. While the RPD officer Kimball was accompanying searched around the house for a firearm, the argument escalated, Kimball stated.

"One officer advised the men that their chaplain was accompanying them, to which they asked that I get out and join them," Kimball wrote. After joining the group, he was "invited to pray for them," he said, adding that he "did not know if they were serious or mocking. I simply stepped up and agreed to pray."

He said everyone at the scene "joined hands and [Kimball] prayed for peace in the community and the homes and for all involved to be drawn closer to the Lord Jesus."

Kimball finished his report of the April incident by writing, "Last I heard, at the end of the month, that area was still quiet and peaceful."

Kimball told The Courier-Times that he had already seen many good things happening within the RPD and hoped to continue to help improve the lives of the officers and Roxboro citizens.

He is a member of North Roxboro Baptist Church and said the men of the church had agreed to order a case of Bibles, the NIV Peacemakers New Testament, so that all officers would have one.

"It's something that I think will be a great encouragement" to the officers, Kimball said.

He said he hoped to see more churches in the community step up and support officers and their families and let them know they are appreciated.

Kimball hopes to soon hold a special family day for law enforcement officers from the RPD and the Person County Sheriff's Department, as well as firefighters and EMS members.

Boycher said, when he first talked with Kimball about serving as chaplain, he thought Kimball would be most valuable in helping officers notify citizens of the death of a loved one.

"He's also there for the officers if needed," Boycher said. "He's also available to any city department that needs his services. He is certainly called from above to minister to and counsel folks."

Emergency Chaplains 10-33 Fund to help family after tragic fire loss

Durham, NC
August 17, 2010


The Ledwell family needs your help.

On Sunday morning the Ledwell family was awakened to find their home in flames. Today they are staying in a motel provided by the Red Cross and planning the funeral services for their 12-year old daughter, Destiny, who died in the fire. The grief they are facing today is almost unbearable.

There were three generations of the Ledwell family sharing the home that caught fire on Nebo Street. Destiny lived there with her brother, her parents and her grandparents.

Destiny's brother, Chris, was the first to be alerted to the fire by the smoke detectors going off. Everyone else in the house was awakened by Chris as he frantically tried to get into Destiny's room to save her. When it was too hot inside, he went outside and tried to get in through her window. Although he doesn't feel like a hero today, Chris is a real hero for saving the lives of his family and for his valiant effort to save his sister.

Right now, the family is receiving help from their church, friends, family and neighbors...but they desperately need the help of the community to make it through this. They want to give Destiny a proper funeral and burial. They need to replace burned items. They need to find a new place to rent that is large enough to hold their family. They need to replace lost income. Can you help them today?

Emergency Chaplains has an emergency fund for situations like this. It is called The 10-33 Fund. 10-33 is radio code for "Emergency--help needed immediately at this location."

For the rest of the month of August, all donations to The 10-33 Fund will be used to assist the Ledwell family with their expenses as they struggle through this most difficult time.

Please consider making a donation to Emergency Chaplains 10-33 Fund today. Make your checks payable to Emergency Chaplains 10-33 and mail to PO Box 14762, Durham, NC 27709. Donations can also be made via Pay Pal. Go to www.echap.org and follow the link to make a donation with Pay Pal.

The Triangle community is home to almost one million people. If only 1,000 concerned neighbors were to send $10 each today, we would be able to help the Ledwell family with $10,000 to help toward their expenses. Your gift, no matter what size, is significant. Would you consider being one in a million today to help this family make it through this tragedy?

Praying for the Ledwell family,

Chaplain Ralph