Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to applaud the unanimous Senate passage of his bipartisan legislation to help police, fire, emergency medical, and 911 personnel cope with the stresses of responding to crisis situations. The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2023 would establish mental health programs for America’s first responders who often have long-term consequences from providing life-saving services in moments of crisis. Brown first introduced the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act in May 2022 and reintroduced it in January 2023.
“Law enforcement officers and other first responders put their lives on the line each day, facing stressful and often dangerous situations, to protect Ohioans. This legislation will ensure that law enforcement professionals have access to the care they need to deal with the trauma they experience on the job, and keep our communities safer,”Brown said.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
“Law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 dispatchers routinely encounter high-stress situations, putting them at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which increases the risk of suicide,” according to Brown’s office. The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish evidence-based treatment programs for first responders across the country. These programs would be similar to services already available to military personnel who develop PTSD or acute stress disorders. The bill requires the DOJ to consult with stakeholders, including public safety officer organizations, to develop the program, which would be available to serve first responders from communities of all sizes.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Chris Coons (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Kennedy (R-LA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Text of the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act is available HERE.
Cassie Mattia is a columnist for Loveland Magazine and a resident of Historic Downtown.
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – Have you even taken a minute and thought about what you or a loved one would do if an active shooter came into where you work, where you get your morning coffee or even where your child attends school? The question has been asked in many conversations that I have partaken in, which made me wonder; what exactly are the Loveland Police and Fire Department doing to help our community not only be safe, but feel prepared in an active shooter scenario. In the interview below Loveland Police Officer Jessie Moore (Loveland School Resource Officer) and Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s Deputy-Chief Mike Books (EMS Chief of Operations) talk to Loveland Magazine about the active shooter training they will be teaching in schools, churches and local businesses!
Watch this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV interview hear how your safety as well as your family’s safety is Loveland’s number one priority!
Active Shooter Event – An active shooter event involves one or more persons engaged in killing or attempting to kill multiple people in an area occupied by multiple unrelated individuals. (https://bit.ly/2RFpPV0)
EMS – Emergency Medical Services
The acronym for Emergency Medical Services. This term refers to the treatment and transport of people in crisis health situations that may be life threatening. … EMS are staffed by trained medical professionals, called EMTs, or emergency medical technicians.
ALICE – Active Shooter Civilian Response Training
ALERT is your first notification of danger
LOCKDOWN is to secure in place, and prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER, if needed.
INFORM is communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.
COUNTER is to create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction with the intent of reducingthe shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.
EVACUATE is to remove yourself from the danger zone when it is safe to do so.
Department of Homeland – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security works to improve the security of the United States. The Department’s work includes customs, border, and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and manmade disasters, antiterrorism work, and cybersecurity.
Ohio Homeland Security is established to “Improve statewide terrorism prevention and protection programs by maintaining appropriate policies, developing staffing plans, and providing for continuity of operations”. They, “Maintain a process for intelligence analysis and production that emphasizes the development and distribution of strategic and actionable intelligence. Strengthen the resiliency of Ohio’s critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) by collaborating with public and private partners to identify vulnerabilities, share information, and facilitate the development of protective programs”.
The Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency (EMHSA) is authorized by Ohio Revised Code to coordinate and administer countywide all-hazards emergency management and disaster preparedness functions for Hamilton County and its political subdivisions.
Run – Hide – Fight
RUN. • Have an escape route and plan in mind. • Leave your belongings behind
HIDE. • Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view. • Block entry to your hiding place
FIGHT. • As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger.
See Something, Say Something – “If You See Something, Say Something™” is a national campaign that raises public awareness of the indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime, as well as the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement.
To report suspicious activity please contact your local law enforcement. Describe specifically what you observed, including:
• Who or what you saw;
• When you saw it;
• Where it occurred; and
• Why it’s suspicious.
If there is an emergency, call 9–1–1.
Stop the Bleed Program – Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and call-to-action. Stop the Bleed is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Stop the Bleed Kit – A Stop the Bleed Kit contains basic products for emergency responders or civilians to address a traumatic bleeding situation. Many kits for civilian use are available for on-line purchase.
Tourniquet – A device for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery, typically by compressing a limb with a cord or tight bandage.
Loveland PD – Loveland Police Department is located at the Loveland Safety Center, 126 S Lebanon Road Loveland, OH 45140 and can be reached at: 513-583-3000
Loveland-Symmes Fire Department – Headquartered at the Loveland Safety Center,126 S Lebanon Road Loveland, OH 45140. For non-emergencies they can be contacted at 513-583-3001. Located throughout the city and township there are four firehouses, which house personnel and equipment that respond to emergencies when needed.
Relaxed atmosphere and friendly service welcomes you back time and time again! Located in the heart of the Historic Loveland District Just outside Cincinnati.
The Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) selected the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department (LSFD) as an awardee of five Samsung/Android tablets.
The advancements in technology have allowed for improvements in the ability or firefighters to document the care that they provide to their customers. Tablets can be utilized to assist in the process of documenting critical patient care more effectively. In addition, tablets can provide valuable information to emergency responders during critical incidents. The ability to decrease the amount of time spent documenting actions allows for an increase of focus to be given to the actual patient care being provided.
Jon Frye, Deputy Chief of Communications and Technology for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department stated, “These tablets will allow our firefighters to continue to provide the highest quality of care to our customers. LSFD continues to remain on the cutting edge of technology.”
Captain Bruce Hawk is the Public Information Officer of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department
The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is continuously seeking methods to improve the emergency response capabilities for our EMS. These tablets will directly impact the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ability to effectively document the care we provide to our customers. LSFD continues to adhere to their mission statement, “to provide the most technologically advanced fire and rescue service with the highest trained professionals and to deliver that service to our customers with loyalty and compassion.”
Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems will give firefighters and paramedics assistance with the lifting of patients up to 700 pounds
Photo above is a sample of the Stryker Powerpro XT Cot System
Loveland, Ohio – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has awarded a Safety Intervention Grant (SIG) to the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department (LSFD) for assistance with purchasing two Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems.
The Safety Intervention Grant is available to any Ohio state-fund or public employer who wishes to purchase equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries associated with a particular task or operation. The Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems will give firefighters and paramedics assistance with the lifting of patients up to 700 pounds from the ground to a rolling transport level.
Lieutenant Kyle Riley, EMS Lieutenant for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department said, “The awarded grant funds provide our firefighters with a major equipment upgrade that will provide a safer and more effective system. This will help them provide the highest quality service to our customers, while reducing the potential for injury to our personnel.”
The SIG Grant was a matching grant and it was nearly $40,000.00
According to the press release issued by the Department, “The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is continuously seeking methods to improve the emergency medical services that are provided to their residents. The funds received from the SIG will be utilized to purchase essential EMS equipment that will improve the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ability to provide critical care to their customers, while reducing the risk of injury to our members.”
PRIORITY ONE EMS GRANT
The purpose of the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services Grant Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Medical Services, is to improve and enhance EMS and trauma patient care in Ohio through the provision of grant funding for equipment, training, and research. There are six types of grants (Priorities 1-6) available. The amount awarded for each priority is determined by the State Board of Emergency, Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services and by the amount of funds available during the award year.
The Priority One Grant was for $3,075.00.
Deputy Chief Michael Books, Chief of EMS for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department said, “The Priority One Grant is a grant offered by the State of Ohio to assist fire departments with the purchase of equipment, supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that would not normally be able to be purchased.”
According to the press releases issued by the Department, “The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is continuously seeking methods to improve the emergency medical services that are provided to their residents. The funds received from the SIG will be utilized to purchase essential EMS equipment that will improve the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ability to provide critical care to their customers, while reducing the risk of injury to our members.”
