ep59

In this Beyond the 1st Response episode, Christy and Ciara speak with Captain Dave Betz of the Chelsea Police Department and coping with the loss of his son to suicide. 

Police Family

Dave has served as a police officer for over 36 years. 35 of them with Chelsea Police Department. Dave speaks about his years of service, and the traumas on the job. How not just him but the department handled them. Like many others with years of service, he would compartmentalize and not deal with the things that happened and what he saw on the job.

All that changed on February 22nd 2017. Dave speaks openly about the day his son, David Betz III, died by suicide after serving as a police officer for 4 years. Dave speaks about finding his son and the traumas that caused him, along with bringing so many up to the forefront of his memory. Along with the department and how eye opening it was for them when David died. As he talks about it is ok to “have a check up from the neck up” and that mental health needs to be checked everyday. Ask the hard questions.

David’s Ribbon

 Dave talks about how his loss has sparked him to make changes. That is how he crossed paths with Karen from 1st HELP (at that time Blue HELP). They were at a state legislature meeting with another family of police suicide to make the change within their state together. 

Since then his voice and reach has grown larger, and he as he stated since David couldn’t continue to be a cop so he will and bring change to the policing world. 

He first created a blue suicide awareness ribbon to recognize that cop suicides do happen and it needs to be talked about. Then with his city, they created stickers and street signs that have the 988 number along with the police badge resting in hands. So it is out there to the public, that everyone is in this together and it is ok to reach out for help.

Lastly, the mental health miranda. Which applies to everyone, not just police officers or first responders. We all need to stop and remember we all have the right to go on living.

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I did a thing.  It's a Saturday and I had the Podcast on the brain...so I did a thing.  Hope you guys enjoy!  Gonna put the songs played at the bottom.  I'd suggest just going in blind and enjoying the ride, but, if you want to cheat and find out ahead of time what I play, they are all there. 

The Hear:30 podcast is a bi-weekly Podcast hosted by music lovers, Joe Kylman, Josh Adams and John Adams.   We are 3 middle age dudes from the Midwest who want to listen to music that we have never heard before...that we should have. A completely random album is chosen from THE RANDOMIZER and we talk about it...love it or hate it.

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Goat snake – Black cat bone 

 I Really Don't Know Anymore  - Christopher Cross 

 Outkast -  ATLiens 

 The Used – Taste of Ink 

 Scorpions – Still loving you