The upcoming Peer Support Lock-Up is a fundraiser for members of local law enforcement, as well as those at the Price City Fire Department, that took the Peer Support course.
The course teaches first responders how to speak with other first responders in a therapeutic manner. It is like a very quick, condensed degree in counseling to school first responders on how to adequately speak with their peers to find out what may be troubling them, give them coping mechanisms and help to determine if they need to escalate to speaking with a therapist.
This fundraiser, organized by Savannah Eley and T.J. Robertson, is for first responders at the Emery County Sheriff’s Office, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Price City Police Department, the Grand County Police Department, the Price City Fire Department and more.
The Peer Support system provides all public safety employees in an agency the opportunity to receive emotional and tangible support, which is important in such an environment.
“We are not advocating for the people that are on the front line,” Eley stated.
Amanda McIntosh, Vice President of the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties, also stressed that there is still a stigma around mental health in general, particularly with men. This makes it difficult for those in law enforcement to have healthy coping mechanisms. McIntosh and Eley stated that, by providing this internal support system, there is a way to assist in alleviating the stigma.
This fundraiser is slated to take place on Friday, Oct. 2 at the Price City Fire Station. It was stressed that, though this fundraiser will be housed by Price City, the accumulation of funds will be available for all Carbon, Emery and Grand officers.
Those participating will be locked up and can be “bailed out”. Businesses can sponsor a cell for $250 and the sponsoring business is able to decorate the cell for the allotted time frame. There will be three time blocks for those locked up. The first time is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the second from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the final time will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
During these time frames, there will be three officers or first responders that will be locked up. During these hours, the business sponsoring the cell and the individual that is locked up will be given the opportunity to call friends, family and more to raise the funds to be bailed out.
At the end of the time blocks, the funds will be counted to determine who has raised the most. That first responder and the business will then be highlighted for their hard work.