App caters to health, wellness of first responders and law enforcement - KOLD
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - A new app has been designed to provide resources and support for those who put their lives on the line every day, made possible through funding and the 100 Club of Arizona.
Nearly 50 first responders have died since January of 2021 in Arizona due to COVID-19, suicide, or other circumstances. Angela Harrolle, president and CEO of 100 Club of Arizona, said Bulletproof Support Services Wellness App was designed to help save a life and keep law enforcement and first responders on their A-game.
“They show up at our door when we’re having our worst day. You call 911, you expect a firefighter or a police officer to show up with their A-game, but who supports them? That’s us,” Harrolle said.
Currently about 250 police and fire departments utilize the wellness app. On the app, there are resources for mental health, financial wellness, substance use and addiction, and a variety of other categories.
“We have these resources available to them to make sure they can have their A-game every time they show up to the door or the scene, because you don’t want someone showing up on their C-game, being like, ‘Yeah my back hurts; I’m having issues with my spouse at home.’ You don’t want that,” Harrolle said.
Within the 12 categories provided, there is additional information and resources for specific topics as well as self-assessments.
“My favorite part is ‘find a therapist near me.’ Now, that’s not just any therapist, these are culturally vetted resources and individuals who already work with public safety or have been vetted with our team,” Harrolle said.
Once you open the app, you will see a home page that has three buttons at the bottom: 24/7 support resources, Health and Wellness resources, and the 100 Club assistance page. Police or fire departments provide staff with a unique agency code that allows people to access the resources. Family members of public safety personnel can utilize the app as well.
“We have a kids corner, and as you can imagine, being a child of a police officer last year was really hard because it was very definitive,” Harrolle said. “We have the kids corner so we can help guide them and have fun little activities so they can be included. Also on the spousal side, it talks about financial struggles, marital struggles, concerns with the kids and exposure they’re having every day.”
Harrolle said the app only tracks which agency the first responder or law enforcement officer is a part of, so individual information is confidential. She said the increased security is an added bonus and incentive for public safety personnel to take care of themselves and their families.
The app is free and can be downloaded through the app store.
“We consider this like a third party, so someplace where people can go to that isn’t involved with the department so maybe they feel a little more secure,” Harrolle said. “This is a complement to the agency resources that are already offered.”
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source: https://www.kold.com/2021/10/21/app-caters-health-wellness-first-responders-law-enforcement/
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