GROUP CRISIS INTERVENTION --JUNE 16-17, 2017

Emergency Chaplains is hosting ICISF Group Crisis Intervention Training, on Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, 2017.

Designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, this ICISF Group Crisis Intervention course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services.

Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings, and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD).

What You Will Learn:

·        The spiritual, psychological, and physiological impact of traumatic stress.

·        The prevalence and cost of traumatic incidents.

·        OSHA’s post incident (CISM) response guidelines.

·        Means of integrating one’s Christian faith into crisis response intervention.

·        How to coordinate CISM intervention.

·        How to conduct debriefings and defusings.

Two-Day ICISF Course:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,  14 Contact Hours

Location: EChap Office @ Braggtown Baptist Church | 3218 N. Roxboro Road | Durham, NC

Cost: $99 if registered by June 2, 2017 (after 6/2/17: $119)

25% discount available for First Responders, Chaplains, Clergy, Students and Retirees

Register online at www.EChap.org/training

Contact Chaplain Ralph Thompson if additional information is needed:

(919) 280-8908

Ralph@EChap.org

Banquet Time Again!

It's hard to believe but it's banquet time again!  Last year's banquet was a great success and we believe that this year will be even better. 

Our banquet this year is being held in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Imperial at RTP on the evening of October 24th.  The banquet will be a ticketed event with our Table Hosts handling those tickets.  If you are interested in serving as a Table Host this year we would love to hear from you. 

Our Table Hosts will be responsible for filling their table of 10 and serving as an ambassador of Emergency Chaplains.  If you would consider partnering with us to raise awareness and funds please contact me today.  I would love to hear from you. (Table Hosts will also be considered for partial tables if we have enough space.)

If serving as a Table Host is not for you but you still want to attend the banquet, there are a couple of other ways that you can be a part of the celebration on October 24th:

• ·         Contact our office and we will connect you with a Table Host who has space at their table

• ·         We will also need several volunteers to help with greeting and hospitality.  If you would like to volunteer to help please let me know today.

Again this year, the cost of our banquet will be paid for by our Banquet Sponsors.  Would you consider being one of our sponsors this year?  Would you ask your church, civic club or a local business to also support our Hometown Heroes Banquet as we recognize our First Responders for their service and seek to raise awareness and support for the ministry of Emergency Chaplains?

Each Banquet Sponsor will be listed in our Banquet Program.  Gifts may be made in memory of, or in honor of a loved one.  Gift levels for our banquet this year are:

Bronze Level: Banquet Sponsorship of $50 or more

Silver Level: Banquet Sponsorship of $100 or more

Gold Level: Banquet Sponsorship of $200 or more

Platinum Level: Banquet Sponsorship of $500 or more

Diamond Level: Banquet Sponsorship of $1,000 or more

The ministry of Emergency Chaplains continues to grow.  Right now, we have 38 volunteers, serving 19 agencies, in 10 counties across central North Carolina.  Our chaplains now offer our services and care to over 2,000 First Responders.  We continue to press on toward our goal of having a chaplaincy presence in all 100 counties of our state.

Another goal that we have is to expand the services of our Crisis Response Team (CRT) here in Durham and establish CRTs in the other counties that we serve.  This is a vital part of our ministry where we serve side-by-side with our First Responders to care for citizens who are in crisis.

A goal that we have talked about often but still have not been able to establish is our Grief Ministry Team (GMT).  We envision dozens of volunteers taking part in this ministry to those in our community who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  Individual and group counseling, an annual memorial service and immediate care and assistance during a time of loss are just some of the ideas that we have for the GMT.

In order to establish these new ministries and maintain our current ministry growth we need to raise an additional $60,000 annually to pay salaries for one full-time and two part-time employees. 

Our goal is to partner with 200 new Monthly Comforters by the end of 2014.  (A Monthly Comforter is one who donates $25 or more each month.)

Would you consider becoming a Monthly Comforter to help us establish and expand these ministries?  If you are already one of our Monthly Comforters, would you encourage others that you know to join you in partnering with Emergency Chaplains in our efforts to turn those in crisis towards Christ?

Emergency Chaplains does not receive financial compensation or support from any of the agencies that we serve.  We are a faith based ministry dependent upon the support of God's people to carry out this ministry to First Responders and citizens in crisis.  Several of us, banded together by our desire to serve and love others in Jesus' Name, have the potential to touch thousands of lives each year through our service and our giving.  Please pray about how the Lord would have you partner with us!

Thanks for taking time to read this.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.  Together we are making a difference in the lives of many.  Blessings to you!  

Serving Jesus Together,

 

www.echap.org

e-mail: ralph@echap.org

Phone: 919-280-8908

Emergency Chaplains

PO Box 14762

Durham, NC  27709

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.