Many of my peers have an annual ritual of poking fun at me in the late fall when I break out the “light” long johns or undergarments as they are referred to today. Many of the younger and inexperienced officers give me a grin when I explain the benefits of dressing appropriately when we are on duty outside or in the cruiser. They learn the hard way like I did years ago. Many sections of our town have open spaces along the roadways and state highway which comes though and nothing is more of an attention getter than freezing your tail off while working a vehicle crash, backing up another L.E.O. and other duties and you are exposed to the elements and the wind.
When you dress for duty, do you dress for the outdoors?
What if you get stuck in a situation you are outdoors like a crowd control situation, a building fire, a traffic control post, chasing a suspect or looking for a lost person?
Dressing for duty is vital for your health and well-being. Along with our ballistic vest and the issued equipment that we must wear, please consider wearing… Continue reading
In December 2011, a study was released by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston which reported that about 40% of police officers in the U.S. have a sleep disorder. From my experience over the past 27 years as a cop, my thought is this: “TELL ME SOMETHING, I DON’T ALREADY KNOW”. Seriously, I am thrilled with this study as we are once again getting scientific facts which will help our profession advocate for better working conditions.
Dr. Bryan Vila in his book: TIRED COPS has already been educating us on this serious issue.
As law enforcement officers know most of our duty time is during the night hours. I worked midnights for many years and I can tell anyone first hand that it was tough especially during those shift hours between 0300 to 0600 when we as human beings have a natural dip to fade physically as our human biological clock tell us we should be sleeping. We have other cops who work swing shifts, rotating shifts, 10-12 and some 16 hour shifts. Unbelievable!
The conflict is the public we serve and police administrators expect us to be bright eyed and bushy tailed during these hours. Put on top of this expectation: rotating shift schedules, forced overtime shifts, court appearances and training are some of the professional conflicts that police officers face. This contributes to the problem. I mean let’s face it; there are very few court sessions or in-service training being held during the night time hours with an exception of the large communities or agencies.
John Marx along with three other speakers have been invited to present an eight hour program on Comprehensive Survival Skills at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) conference this April 11-16, 2011 in Chicago Illinois. This conference is huge, offering more than 150 courses (including more than two dozen instructor certification/armorer courses) with up to 20 sessions running simultaneously!
John Marx, Christian Dobratz, Lisa Wimberger and Dale Graff will present four two-hour blocks entitled:
“Tactical Wellness: To Serve with Valor, Protect Yourself Now” (Marx);
“The Cumulative Effects of Stress – Recognition, Intervention and Survival” (Dobratz);
“Emotional Survival and Stress Management” (Wimberger); and
“Optimizing Survival: Enhancing External and Internal Awareness” (Graff).
Please join us for what is going to be an eye-opening discussion on Law Enforcement Wellness and Career Survival.
John S. Marx, CPP is Executive Director of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute;
Lisa Wimberger is the CEO of Trance Personnel Consulting Group;
Christian Dobratz is a retired police officer and an Assistant Professor at Minnesota State University at Mankato;
Dale Graff is a Facilitator, author and former Director of the U.S. military’s Stargate Project.
In John’s Tactical Wellness for law Enforcement session he will show… Continue reading
It has been a tough year for law enforcement officers around the world. Here in the United States, Line of Duty deaths are up 42% according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and the number of officers killed by gunfire is up 19%.
It is our mission at CopsAlive.com to “Save the Lives of Those Who Save Lives” and we do this by helping law enforcement officers around the world plan for safe, happy and healthy lives both on the job and beyond.
As this year comes to a close we are planning big things for 2011 to include on-line education programs, as well as on-site training, to help you survive this very dangerous and toxic career in law enforcement.
Until then we wanted to send you all our thanks and best wishes for a Happy, Safe and Healthy Holiday Season whereever, and how ever you serve.
We are including a wonderful poem from the great people at www.PolicePoems.com
Stay Safe!
“Angels In Blue”
I had this friend you see, who loved
God, Country, You and me.
My friend went to work day or night
the peace to keep, so you and I could sleep.
He worked the holidays and weekends,
away from family and friends.
To keep this peace for you and me.
Each day this friend put his life on the line
to spare yours and mine.
Then one day he paid the price, he gave his life.
You’ve done well my friend, patrolling these earthly streets.
Now it’s time to walk on Heaven’s beat.
The next time you see a Police Officer or two,
remember they are one of God’s Angels in Blue.
And God said; “Blessed are the Peace Makers.”
By Lieutenant Stanley Hascher
(Department Unknown)
Photo Credit: Imp_4897 by Meri Tosh as Creative Commons on Flickr.com
CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers. We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence.
We do this by Helping Law Enforcement professionals plan for happy, healthy and successful lives on the job and beyond. We think the best strategy is for each officer to create a tactical plan for their own life and career.
The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) works with individuals and organizations to help them create and sustain success in their lives and careers as law enforcement professionals. It is the primary goal of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to become the preeminent source for training, resources and information about how to create and sustain a happy, healthy and successful life and career while providing superior law enforcement service to your community.
Matthew Petz is the Director of the School of Justice Studies at Rasmussen College, leading programs in law enforcement, corrections , paralegal studies, and human services. Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University and a Master’s degree from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, and has been a full-time licensed Minnesota peace officer since 1996
Rasmussen College’s School of Justice Studies focuses on many different aspects of the legal process — from law enforcement to the courts, and through the corrections process. By earning a degree from Rasmussen College, you will be prepared to enter into the justice field with the knowledge and ability to be successful in your future career.
You can earn a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree through many of the justice studies programs offered at one of their multiple campuses. Their School of Justice Studies also offers courses in Law Enforcement Investigations, Corrections Client Services, Criminal Offenders, Homeland Security, Corrections, Law Enforcement and Psychology.
CLICK HERE to link to the Rasmussen College School of Justice Studies
CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers. We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence.
We do this by Helping Law Enforcement professionals plan for happy, healthy and successful lives on the job and beyond. We think the best strategy is for each officer to create a tactical plan for their own life and career.
The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) works with individuals and organizations to help them create and sustain success in their lives and careers as law enforcement professionals. It is the primary goal of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to become the preeminent source for training, resources and information about how to create and sustain a happy, healthy and successful life and career while providing superior law enforcement service to your community.
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It has been a tough year for law enforcement officers around the world. Here in the United States, Line of Duty deaths are up 42% according to the 
