A three-day training course was provided for Hall County employees with tools and techniques for dealing with stressors particularly challenging for the public safety profession.
The Georgia Public Safety Resiliency Program, hosted by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office from October 21 to 25, is designed to equip those in highly stressful jobs, such as law enforcement, the fire/EMS service, corrections, and communications officers, with avenues to thrive in challenges.
The course gives practical tools and techniques that impact first responders and agencies physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Support is necessary to enable those who experience daily life-impacting stress in their profession to help others. The program gives employees the ability to maintain good mental health and healthy lifestyles.
Resiliency Program Manager, Nancy Greathouse has been an instructor for several years. “We were so happy that Hall County hosted the course. It was truly fantastic,” Greathouse said. “I really feel taking this course makes a difference in people’s lives.”
The Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) now offers the course that used to be under the State. “Often, it was only offered to police offers,” Greathouse explained. “Now, dispatchers, firefighters, EMS, anyone in the public safety area can take it.”
The Georgia Public Safety’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Center conducts the Basic Police Officer Training program, the Basic Jail Officer Training program, and selected advanced and specialized training courses. Investigator Kevin Angel left the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office to become the Director at GPSTC. “The Resiliency Program is vital to those who work in the area of public safety. It gives them necessary tools to enjoy life and manage the often harmful stress that comes with the job.”
The course gives those who work in the area of public safety the proper tools to manage the stress that comes with the job. “We have each person who takes the course write an evaluation of what they took away from it. One of the most meaningful ones talked about the person having never discussed any of his/her feelings before.”
Greathouse pointed out that when someone bottles it all up and never discusses it, eventually it is going to come out, and sometimes not in a favorable way. “The course teaches those in the field ways to have effective communication, meet physical and emotional needs, work through financial struggles, and mindfulness.”
