This is a true story. It recently occurred outside of Kalispell. Night has fallen. A senior adult traveling south on a rural two lane paved road hits a deer. The animal dies immediately, remaining in front of the car, with the driver staying in her automobile. A citizen traveling in the north bound lane stops … Read More
When a resident awakens and quickly discovers significant smoke in her home, it is a shock. In this case, it is also a tragedy because the smoke source was a fire in the garage. The bewilderment and grief were even multiplied because their home has now caught fire two winters in a row. Many of … Read More
Traumatic situations always involve people, property, or both. When the property damaged by a fire relates to a business owner’s livelihood, then it causes a very high level of concern. The stress of such a situation can be somewhat reduced by verbally processing the trauma with someone on scene. This is one role I … Read More
Quick response. Training. Skills. Experience. Wisdom. Knowledge. Teamwork. All of these terms are a part of what it takes for responders to effectively deal with traumatic situations. This particular scene involved 911 Dispatch, Somers Fire, South Kalispell Fire, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Motor Carrier Services, A.L.E.R.T. air ambulance, Lakeside QRU, Braveheart Chaplain … Read More
Death notifications are difficult. There is no other way to describe the process of sharing with strangers that one of their loved ones has unexpectedly died. While following some proven guidelines certainly benefits the recipients and makes the entire experience more professional, nothing can soften the blow of receiving such shocking news. Following this accident, … Read More
At around 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, I declare to my family I am going to bed. Almost immediately, one of them announces my work phone is ringing. It quits doing so before I can answer it. I notice it is dispatch’s number. While attempting to call them back, my personal cell begins ringing. A 911 … Read More
This month I was again summoned by Glacier National Park to provide chaplain services to employees who had responded to a traumatic situation. I met with Park rangers and another crew member to help them process their response to a tragedy where a 15-year old Idaho tourist had fallen 100 feet to his death. This … Read More
Fellow Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Randy Olson called me Wednesday morning to share that Alex Beltran, a local 23 year old female who had been missing for two weeks, had been located. Her car was in the process of being pulled from a pond located on private property on the west side of Kalispell. I met … Read More
In my 13 years of serving as an emergency responder chaplain, this was the worst motor vehicle accident I had ever been to. Beyond the indescribable damage done to the two trucks as a result of both the head on collision and the fire that ensued, there was the instant, unexpected loss of two lives. … Read More
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