Ontario Provincial Police: Among the 1,342 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads between 2012 and 2016, 266 involved transport trucks

One in five fatal road crashes in Ontario between 2012 and 2016 involved a transport truck, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reported late last week.

Among the 1,342 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads between 2012 and 2016, 266 involved transport trucks, provincial police said in a press release. During that same five-year period, 330 people died; the majority of victims were occupants of other involved vehicles. According to OPP data, 44 of the crash victims were drivers of the transport trucks, compared to 286 victims who were in cars and other smaller vehicles.

More recent data reveals that over the past three years, a significant number of collisions were caused by transport trucks in poor operating condition, OPP added in the release. Between July 2014 and June 2017, 344 collisions involved defective transport trucks, six of which were fatal and 37 of which resulted in injuries.

Damaged axles, blown tires or detached wheels, faulty brakes, defective hitches and unsecured loads are just some of the many factors in truck-related crashes, the provincial police reported. “At times, unsecured loads or truck equipment flying into the path of other vehicles produced tragic consequences,” the release said. The provincial police noted that “while the OPP sees many safe transport truck drivers on Ontario roads, those who are not safe have far greater potential to cause death in the event of a collision than drivers of smaller vehicles. Serious crashes often result in hours-long highway closures and traffic delays as police carry out collision investigations and clear these large vehicles from the road.”

The results came as OPP launched this year’s Operation Corridor campaign on June 15 and 16, to shed more light on the prevalence of transport trucks and their impact on other road users.

“A lot can go wrong when large commercial transport trucks are not driven safely or have unsecure loads and defective equipment,” OPP chief superintendent Chuck Cox, divisional commander of the Highway Safety Division, said in the release. “Our data shows that the outcome for other vehicle occupants involved in transport truck-related collisions is often fatal and catastrophic. For this reason, Operation Corridor is an important campaign to ensure transport truck drivers are safely operating and diligently maintaining their rigs at all times.”

A lightning bolt resulted in a three-alarm fire in Pocopson Township, Chester County; caused $750K in damages

Monday, June 19, 2017 11:22PM
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A storm moved through the region Monday afternoon bringing heavy winds, drenching rains, and powerful lightning.

A lightning bolt resulted in a three-alarm fire in Pocopson Township, Chester County.

Ted and Hope Sage spotted a lightning bolt leaving their childrens' home.

"We saw a huge lightning flash and instead of coming to a point, it was like two bars of the whitest lightning I have ever seen, hitting just behind the trees," Hope Sage said.

Neighbor Debbie Ventura witnessed flames coming out of the chimney of the home.

"They were breaking the windows in the front of the house and there was smoke billowing out of all the upstairs windows," Ventura said.

Officials now estimate the home sustained more than $750,000 in damages.

"The lightning strike we believe was to the chimney, which went down and compromised the structure areas between the basement and first floor levels," Chester County Chief Fire Marshal John Weer said.

The homeowners were apparently out of town. A woman who was house-sitting made it out safely and told Action News she's fine, but shaken.

According to neighbors, the home is under contract to be sold.

"They did all this work on the outside of the house, they finished it about three months ago and now they have to do the inside," Ventura said.

In South Philadelphia, the Planet Fitness had to close for approximately an hour and a half. An employee tells Action News around 5:30 p.m. lightning struck their side of the shopping center resulting in a total blackout inside the fitness facility. Power was restored around 7 p.m.

Storm knocks out power to Planet Fitness in South Philadelphia. Credit: Chris Augustin

In Allentown, the storm caused a tree to split in half.





Credit: Matt‏ @hockeyplyr4/ Twitter



Credit: Matt‏ @hockeyplyr4/ Twitter



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Multiple house fires reported in Chester County after thunderstorms

Smoke pours out of the chimney of a house in the 100 block of Osborne Circle, Pocopson Monday afternoon after storms passed through Chester County. The original fire was reported in the basement. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which went to three alarms. The additional crews were required for tanker supply and manpower. PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA


By Pete Bannan, Daily Local News


 
Smoke pours out of the chimney of a house in the 100 block of Osborne Circle, Pocopson Monday afternoon after storms passed through Chester County. The original fire was reported in the basement. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which went to three alarms. The additional crews were required for tanker supply and manpower. PETE BANNAN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA

POCOPSON >> Chester County firefighters were kept busy battling three fires after a late afternoon storm passed through the area Monday. The first call was for a home on McCormick Way in New London, which was reported struck by lightning at about 4:20 p.m. Crews radioed a working fire with smoke from the attic, and requested additional tankers.

Around 4:30 p.m., a home in the 100 block of Osborne Circle, Pocopson was also reported to have been hit by lightning, with fire in the basement. Neighbor Debbie Ventura said she was on her way home when the homeowner, who was out of state, called to say the home was on fire. A caretaker who was staying there,safely escaped. Ventura said the home, which was for sale, had recently had an agreement of purchase. According to Zillow, the 9,300 square feet home was listed at $1,149,000.


Chester County Fire Marshal John Weer said three fire trucks each dropped 1,500 feet of hose to reach the blaze. Zoning codes in Pocopson do not require nearby hydrants. Weer said the fire went to three alarms for manpower and a tanker task force. Crews from Longwood, Po-Mar-Lin, West Bradford and all three West Chester stations responded. Additional units came from as far east West Whiteland and Concordville. Weer said he is unable to confirm the cause until investigators have a chance to examine the house.

Po-Mar-Lin fire chief Steve Nuse said the fire was in the basement and extended into the walls. Thick smoke poured out of the chimney and could be seen coming from the roof line. Firefighters could be seen opening a hole in the roof to allow heat and smoke escape. Shortly afterwards, flames shot out of the hole as well as from the top of the chimney. Firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after 6 p.m.

There was no estimate on damages.

Shortly after the Pocopson fire, a third house fire was reported in the 700 block of Marshalltown Thorndale Road in West Bradford. Firefighters reported wires down with a smoke condition inside, however crews were able to quickly control the blaze.

WOODLAND HILLS GAS EXPLOSION: a third-party contractor was doing sewer work when it hit and damaged a natural gas service line

SoCal Gas Worker Told Homeowners to Leave Before Dangerous Gas Blast: First Responders

A broken gas line caused the explosion and fire at the Woodland Hills home
By Beverly White and City News Service



First responders were praising a SoCal Gas worker Tuesday night after he urged homeowners out of a Woodland Hills house moments before a gas explosion and fire gutted the structure.

At least one explosion was reported at the two-story home at 4961 Marmol Drive, south of Ventura Boulevard, according to Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department, who said the fire broke out about 7:40 p.m.

Preliminary reports indicated a third-party contractor was doing sewer work when it hit and damaged a natural gas service line, according to Chris Gilbride of Southern California Gas.

When Jeff Catton, a seven-year veteran of SoCal Gas, responded to the broken gas line, firefighters said he wisely refused to enter the house and told the homeowners to leave.

Moments later, neighbors said the blast sent home furnishings and pieces flying from the structure.

Catton did not comment on his actions Tuesday night, but first responders are crediting him for saving the lives of the couple who lived in the home.

There were no reports of injuries.

It took 59 firefighters an hour and 50 minutes to knock down the blaze due to the continued burning gas line, Bastman said.

The house was engulfed in flames after reports of an initial explosion. The gas line was shut down by Southern California Gas, she said.

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Explosions were heard as flames overcame a Woodland Hills home Tuesday evening, forcing residents to evacuate as an “uncontrolled gas line” fueled the blaze, authorities said.

The fire was reported about 7:40 p.m. in the 4900 block of Marmol Drive, according to Amy Bastman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Crews from the gas company and a construction company were on the scene and assisting fire officials.

Images from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed the two-story home with windows and doors blown out and smoke coming from the roof.
 
The home’s foundation also appeared cracked, and Bastman said the home was “structurally compromised.”

Because of the home’s instability, firefighters were battling the blaze from outside the structure.

The fire was among several that broke out Tuesday evening across Los Angeles, which has seen sweltering temperatures amid a regional heat wave.

In Montecito Heights, a fire erupted in one room of a two-story home, drawing more than 40 firefighters to control the blaze. Firefighters doused the flames in 38 minutes. A 21-year-old man was suspected of igniting the fire, Bastman said.

In North Hollywood, a one-story home caught fire in the 11000 block of West Emelita Street. Dozens of firefighters controlled the fire in about 20 minutes, Bastman said. No injuries were reported.

Oregon OSHA fines Ross Island Bridge paint contractor, Abhe & Svoboda, $189,000 for safety violations that led to near-fatal accident

Oregon OSHA fines Ross Island Bridge paint contractor $189,000 for safety violations that led to near-fatal accident

June 20, 2017 Worker safety

By Don McIntosh

Four months after a painter on the Ross Island Bridge fell 37 feet and landed on his own son, the state’s accident investigation is complete. Oregon OSHA found rampant safety violations on the bridge repainting project, which is overseen by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). And it’s issuing $189,000 in fines against non-union Minnesota-based bridge painting contractor Abhe & Svoboda. That’s the largest fine Oregon OSHA has issued since at least 2012. According to Oregon OSHA, Abhe & Svoboda knowingly and repeatedly exposed its workers to injury and death. OSHA administrator Michael Wood used his discretion to seek the maximum penalties in the case, “in order to provide a sufficient incentive” for “this large and well-resourced employer” to change its approach to safety.

According to the OSHA report, at 8:15 a.m. Feb. 8, 2017, Marco Dion Lilly, a sandblaster and painter, was working on a scaffold suspended from the underside of the Ross Island Bridge — using a compressed air hose to blow down dust, sand, paint chips and other material. The hose got stuck in a metal piece covering a gap in the scaffold, which caused him to lose his balance and fall through an unsecured 3-foot-wide ladder access opening in the scaffold. He fell 37 feet to a temporary platform below, landing on his son Christopher Montiel, who was scraping paint near the base of the ladder. After a fire department ladder rescue, both were taken to Oregon Health and Science University hospital with multiple injuries, including facial and other fractures and bleeding on the brain. The blue arrow points to the ladder access hole through which Abhe & Svoboda painter Marco Lilly fell on Feb. 8. (Image courtesy Oregon OSHA)

“In most cases this type of fall would have resulted in at least one of the two employees being a fatality,” OSHA said in its report.

Falls are the number one killer of construction workers, so OSHA rules are very strict about fall protection. But as detailed in the OSHA report, Abhe & Svoboda’s Ross Island Bridge project was ripe for a fatal accident.

OSHA found that no guardrail had been set up near the hatch to prevent Lilly’s fall. Nor was he wearing the required “personal fall arrest system” — a body harness with a lanyard that’s attached to a securely anchored safety line. In fact, no horizontal lifelines or fall protection anchors had been installed. Self-retracting lifelines had been installed at ladder access points, but employees were routinely disconnecting from them once they reached the upper level of the scaffold. Even when workers did wear and attach their harnesses, they were using — as anchor points — the aluminum braces on the bottom of the scaffold plank. Those braces weren’t rated for fall protection and would most likely have failed if a “shock load” was placed on them, such as when a person falls.


This is essentially an employer who ignored rules that we’ve had on the books for some time.” —Oregon OSHA spokesperson Aaron Corvin There was much more. Scaffolds had not been set up under the direction of a competent person qualified in scaffold erection, OSHA found, nor were they inspected for defects by a competent person before each shift, as required. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the scaffolds were supposed to be set up with diagonal bracing for stability. None of the scaffolds had diagonal bracing.

Working 37’ above the next level, at least eight employees had been exposed to an unsecured edge and floor openings with no kind of fall protection system. Workers had been using a 14-inch-wide scaffold plank as a walkway and working surface to do scraping, sanding, blasting and painting on multiple levels. OSHA says workers aren’t supposed to climb ladders more than 35’ high without a rest platform installed part-way up, but Abhe & Svoboda didn’t install any rest platforms. In fact, workers often didn’t have ladders at all: To access some work areas, they had to climb up or down the scaffolding system itself, as well as walk (foot to foot) along the outside support of the scaffold. They also had to step over holes ranging from 3 inches to 24 or more inches. In some cases, workers would avoid holes by sidestepping along scaffold ledgers while holding onto the ledger above their head. On top of scaffold platforms employees also routinely stood on top of makeshift 20” tall wooden boxes to increase their working height.

Nearly every one of those violations had been exposing workers to the risk of injury or death — eight hours a day, five days a week, for more than a year.

“For them to have nine violations, two of them ‘willful,’ is a pretty big deal,” said Oregon OSHA spokesperson Aaron Corvin. “This is essentially an employer who ignored rules that we’ve had on the books for some time.”

In Renton, Washington, Lilly and Montiel are still at home recovering from their injuries. The accident that sidelined them could easily have been prevented.

OSHA investigators said the company’s site safety manager, Thurman London, said he knew that the scaffolding system was not set up per OSHA rules. [As we reported in our April 21 issue, London is a former federal OSHA compliance officer who was convicted of theft of government property.] Meanwhile, Abhe & Svoboda’s corporate safety manager Rick Pendleton told investigators that the company follows federal OSHA rules, but he doesn’t worry about the state-level OSHA rules because they “change too much.”

OSHA says Abhe & Svoboda remedied some of the hazards shortly after the accident. The company has been given until June 23 to remedy other violations — such as having a qualified person to construct the scaffold.

OSHA’s fines can’t undo the injuries suffered by Lilly and Martiel, but they do vindicate one labor union’s campaign to expose Abhe & Svoboda as a serial safety violator at bridge painting projects around the country. For years, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades has tried to raise alarms about nonunion Abhe & Svoboda. Then in 2016 it sent in organizer Omar Rubi as an underground union “salt” on the Ross Island Bridge repainting project. At work underneath the bridge, Rubi and other workers witnessed and complained about serious safety lapses, but were ignored and even disciplined by company management. Rubi himself was sent home the day before the accident after telling co-workers at a company safety meeting that they have the right under federal law to talk to each other, and to government agencies, about safety concerns. A week later, he was terminated. A charge that his termination was unlawful is currently under investigation by the National Labor Relations Board.

ODOT’s reaction

Oregon Department of Transportation reacted to news of OSHA’s fines with an unattributed official statement: “Nothing matters more to ODOT than ensuring the safety of workers on our projects, whether they are ODOT employees or contractor employees,” the agency said.

Could OSHA’s findings lead to some loss of ODOT business for Abhe & Svoboda? ODOT spokesperson Don Hamilton said ODOT has the option to revoke or suspend a contractor from the “pre-qualified” bidder list.

“We’re going to have to take a look at the report and make some decisions about that as we go forward,” Hamilton said. “One violation is generally not sufficient to remove someone from the pre-qualification list, but we have to look at the substance of what OSHA has found here.”

Abhe & Svoboda has been fined before for safety violations in Oregon: Nearly $30,000 in 2011 for dozens of OSHA violations on the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The company was also fined $15,500 for three serious OSHA violations in Hawaii in 2012.

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A Minnesota bridge-painting firm faces $189,000 in fines after two workers were injured in a fall at a jobsite in Portland, Oregon, earlier this year.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued contractor Abhe & Svoboda the fines Monday (June 19) at the conclusion of an investigation into conditions on the Ross Island Bridge site after the Feb. 8 incident. Two employees, identified as father and son, were injured when the father fell from a scaffold onto the son.

Fall Protection, Scaffolding Cited

According to Oregon OSHA, the worker who fell was not wearing fall protection, and workers on the site were not correctly trained on when to employ their fall protection. The investigation, the agency says, revealed that workers on the site were told they only needed to wear harnesses when working near the edge of the scaffolding.

"Eight plus employees working on the Quick Deck were exposed to a fall of 37 feet to a lower level, due to the end of the Quick Deck and openings in the floor of the Quick Deck that were not protected by any type of fall protection system," the citation reads.


Oregon DOT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr


The fines stem from an incident in February at the Ross Island Bridge jobsite (shown here during an earlier phase, in May 2016).


The scaffolding on the site was substandard, Oregon OSHA says, with holes in some spots that forced workers to step around them. "The person assigned to be the competent person did not correct the hazardous conditions and/or have the authority to correct these issues," the citation says.

The agency says that workers within the containment area and on the access platform were using makeshift items such as boxes and barrels to increase their working height, which is a fall hazard.

The worker-safety agency issued a total of nine violations to the firm; two were deemed “willful.”

The two "willful" violations, each of which came with a $70,000 fine, dealt with the safety of the access platform and scaffolds. One alleges that workers on the site had to climb on scaffolding and walk on the outside support in order to reach some work areas in the containment. The other says the contractor did not ensure that the scaffolding system was "constructed in accordance with the qualified person's design."

“Each and every year, falls are one of the major sources of serious injury and death in Oregon workplaces,” said Oregon OSHA administrator Michael Wood. “There is never a good reason to ignore the need to protect workers from such hazards. Yet, this employer brushed off time-tested fall protection rules that are designed to prevent injuries or deaths.”

Company Response

"Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. has a very strong safety culture and the well being of each of our coworkers is of the utmost importance," the contractor said in a statement issued to PaintSquare News. "We do not agree with the findings of the OSHA Compliance Officer(s) and we believe that when this all shakes out a more realistic view of our company and more specifically the Ross Island Bridge project site will emerge. Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. will continue working every day to improve safety at this site as well as all other active and future work sites while vehemently defending itself against the citations by OSHA.

"Unfortunately for the press and your readers we do not feel these issues are best played out in the court of public opinion. There have already been too many inaccuracies and presumptions conveyed which do nothing to improve workplace safety on our sites or any other sites."

Union Concerns

The incident came amid a campaign by the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council #5, which said it had filed a report with OSHA about safety measures at the Ross Island Bridge site just a week before the fall. Abhe & Svoboda is a non-union contractor.

At the time of the incident, a worker from the site, Omar Rubi, who is also associated with IUPAT, told PaintSquare News that he had concerns about the condition of the scaffolding, claiming that manholes were not sufficiently covered.

"The fact that OSHA fined Abhe & Svoboda the maximum penalty for this accident is a clear indication of how egregious this case is regarding safety violations," said IUPAT General Vice President Jim Williams Jr. "It was fortunate no one was killed in this accident, but if the violations found here are consistent with other job sites in the country, the workers might not be so lucky next time. The IUPAT will continue to be diligent in exposing such safety violations committed by not only Abhe & Svoboda, but for any company that puts the safety of its workers second to its bottom line."

Suicide remains a leading cause of New Jersey police officer deaths: they're 30 percent more likely to commit suicide than the general population

Illinois cop Charles Joseph Gliniewicz spent embezzled police money on porn, vacations before ‘carefully staged’ suicide

This cop shot himself in the head while driving

This cop committed suicide by train.


A Concerning Trend In NJ: Police Officer Suicides Nearly Double In Past Decade
The recent death of a cop brought renewed attention to New Jersey police officer suicides, which have nearly doubled over the past decade.


By Tom Davis (Patch Staff) - Updated April 7, 2016 10:35 am ET




Police officers suicides in New Jersey are on the rise, and the state's finest are looking to spread awareness - and perhaps find solutions - to the growing problem.

The New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association has reported that 19 officers committed suicide in 2015 - compared to 55 suicides involving N.J. law enforcement between 2003 and 2007, an average of 11 suicides a year.

Nearly a decade after the N.J. Police Suicide Task Force put together a report showing that the suicide trend was on the rise between 2003 and 2007, the union remains frustrated that the trend continues upward, noting that six have died so far this year.

"For every one officer killed in the line of duty (nationally), 6 will take their own life," said Capt. James Ryan of the South Brunswick Police Department, who has served as a spokesman for the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association.

The recent death of a Sayreville cop brought renewed attention to New Jersey police officer suicides, particularly since they're 30 percent more likely to commit suicide than the general population.

Ryan acknowledged that stress is always an issue, saying the union and others are doing everything they can to address the problem.

"It's the inherent nature of our job," he said. "It's the highs and lows of our job."

Detective Matthew Kurtz, 34, who once saved an 83-year-old man in a fire, was found outside the Amboy Cinemas building off the Garden State Parkway last month, the victim of suicide, authorities said.

Sayreville Police Chief John J. Zebrowski said the officer's death "sheds more light on an insidious predator that has taken his life and so many others in law enforcement as well."

"Sadly, suicide remains a leading cause of police officer deaths," he said. "Thus, the method by which he lost his life does not make our loss any less tragic. In fact, it leaves only a greater void as many questions will remain unanswered."

He also said on the department's Facebook page, following Kurtz's death:


"I am reminded of the last paragraph in the Police Officer Prayer to Saint Michael which reads: 'We will be as proud to guard the throne of God as we have been to guard the city of men.' The men and women of the Sayreville Police Department are confident that Matthew is now on that Watch and adeptly handling those duties.

"Once again, we greatly appreciate the respectful and considerate support that has been received."

In a recent study, the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health noted that the problem is not confined to New Jersey, though national numbers of suicide have actually dropped.

A six-month sampling - July through December - of suicides was taken during 2015, showing a total of 51 police suicides nationwide.

In the journal's 2012 study of police suicides, there were 141 in 2008, rising slightly to 143 in 2009 before dropping to 126 in 2012.

"This is encouraging news that we tentatively attribute to the increased number of departments adopting peer support programs and the increased willingness of officers, many of them younger, to seek professional assistance—not only when they have a problem, but before problems develop," according to the The Badge of Life website, a police officer support site that published the study.

Indeed, the New Jersey suicide task force report identified the prevalent causes of suicides involving the state's police officers - even as it's still not clear what drove Kurtz to end his life, despite the fact that he was considered a "hero" among police officers.

The report noted that the most common risk factor for suicide is a mental illness, particularly depression or bipolar disorder, which can often act as silent and undetected problems among police officers.

Other issues, according to the report (http://www.nj.gov/oag/library/NJPoliceSuicideTaskForceReport-January-30-2009-Final(r2.3.09).pdf), that are considered lethal include the fact that police officers have easy access to firearms, which could explain why the suicide rate among cops is so much higher than that of the general public.

Others issues identified include relationship problems, particularly with intimate partners, as well as acute crises on the job.

"Stress stemming from upsetting or critical incidents present a unique occupational hazard for law enforcement officers," according to the report. "Finally, factors related to shift work and the consequences of officer schedules for family relationships are also significant."

The NJSBA noted that they're working to spread awareness of the problem through the media, in schools and also on the web, providing police officers with the tools they need to deal with stressful situations.

While the work of the task force ended with the Corzine administration, Ryan noted New Jersey has a Cop 2 Cop crisis intervention hotline that offers police confidential peer counseling. It's also staffed 24 hours daily by volunteer retired law enforcement personnel and mental health professionals.

The NJSBA provides a 24-hour emergency number for Dr. Eugene Stefanelli at (732) 609-3554.

The state also provides the New Jersey Critical Incident Stress Management Team and the New Jersey Crisis Intervention Response Network, which also provide hotlines and counseling to emergency responders.



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In 2015, 19 law enforcement and corrections officers committed suicide in New Jersey. That's a substantial increase from years past, when the numbers were closer to 10.

This jump in police deaths comes well after the state released the Police Suicide Task Force report and increased mental health resources to law enforcement back in 2009.

Cherie Castellano is the head of Cop2Cop, a peer-to-peer, 24-hour hotline for cops in pain. While the number of suicides has risen, so too have the numbers of calls to her hotline, she said.

"We're still continuing to see them using the line and averting suicides and using the services, so it's very confusing, even to me, who's supposed to be this national expert," she said. "I'm confused."

Of the 19 who died in 2015, Castellano said, only one officer had reached out to Cop2Cop.

The organization needs to think critically about how to combat stigma — a factor that keeps those with mentally illness from seeking help, she said.

Law enforcement carries with it certain risk factors for suicide.

"Easy access to a firearm has been demonstrated in a variety of research projects as being a potential element in someone's ability to both consider and complete suicide," said Castellano. "I think it's also a thankless job that has a lot of stress, a lot of vicarious trauma, which can lead to a deterioration in your health and well–being." 

==========

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often called an “injury” because it actually causes dysfunction in parts of the brain that control memory (the hippocampus) and fear (the amygdala).  This causes them to operate at cross-purposes, leading to a host of often disabling symptoms.

Nonetheless, PTSD is a hidden injury because it leaves no visible scars, such as those left by a gun or knife attack.  There are no broken limbs from PTSD alone and the victim is not confined to a wheelchair.  They walk, they talk and often act in ways that seem “normal enough” yet, inside, they are a cauldron of disturbing thoughts, emotions and anxieties.

Where does PTSD even come from?  As the name implies, of course, it comes from that thing called trauma.  To understand this, however, one must recognize some simple definitions.  First, “stress” and “trauma” are two entirely different things—yet we tend to use them interchangeably as though they mean the same thing.  Stress alone does not cause PTSD—stress is a routine, daily part of life. It can even help you get that promotion you’ve been seeking, finish a marathon, or plan a vacation.  It’s “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances,” and can result in an abundance of stomach problems, headaches and ulcers. Over fifty percent of doctor’s visits are from stress related conditions and ailments.

“Trauma” is entirely different.  Put simply, trauma is “the result of a perceived threat that exceeds one's ability to cope.”  It goes far beyond mere stress alone.  The person senses a life-threatening danger physically or emotionally from an event or events.  There is a sense of helplessness that goes with it, far exceeding that experienced from mere stress.  This is where PTSD comes from.

It’s important to remember that there are two types of trauma that result in PTSD, however—critical incident trauma (such as a gunfight or violent child death) and cumulative trauma (a series of events, such as accumulated screams, fights, or repeated exposure to disastrous scenes). 

We’re all familiar with the trauma that results from a critical incident—it can be compared to a Mack truck running over you on the highway.  It’s a “headliner,” in which everyone in the office—and even the public—knows you’ve been involved in something traumatic.  Help is, in many cases, immediate.

Cumulative trauma is more insidious, however.  A good comparison is a bumblebee sting.  One is irritating, two or three are more painful, and too many stings require medical attention.  Cumulative trauma may show itself at any stage of a career and can build over the years, sometimes manifesting it just before—or after—retirement.  It can be just as destructive to the psyche as critical incident trauma.  Help is usually delayed or non-existent because the onset is unseen.

How do you know if you’re suffering from one of these injuries?  There are a few characteristics that are common to both.

Insomnia

Nightmares and night terrors

Uncharacteristic anger and displays of temper

Substance abuse

Flashbacks

Depression

Anxiety

Scattered thinking

Suicidal thoughts

For law enforcement, there are two keys to avoiding the impacts of critical and cumulative trauma: prevention and treatment.  “Prevention” means doing something proactively for yourself.  One must first recognize that police work is one of the most toxic, caustic career fields in the world.  It is rife with potential trauma.  One must—and can—head off the trauma before it impacts you permanently.  This is why we at Badge of Life recommend a voluntary, annual “mental health check-in” with a licensed therapist of your choice. You do this with the same diligence as seeing your doctor once a year for a physical exam or your dentist for a cleaning and dental check.

To do this, you may want to choose your department’s psychologist, if there is one, or partake of the services of your employee assistance program.  Some officers are suspicious of these avenues, however, and if you fit that category we recommend you go “outside” a select a therapist on your own or as recommended by others.  Here, with a small co-pay, your confidentiality is absolute (unless you’re a danger to yourself of others).  

Having a checkup like this is for “healthy” officers as well as those experiencing problems—it’s an opportunity to look at the past year, see what has worked well and examine what hasn’t.  It’s a chance to identify any trauma that has occurred or is in the process of catching up with you.  It’s an occasion to do something good for yourself and counter the unhealthy things you’re running into on the streets.

If you need help—if the anxiety, sleeplessness or other symptoms are catching up with you, don’t delay.  This is where “treatment” comes into it.  Get help for yourself as soon as possible.  Doing so can save your career.  Getting help can mean seeing that licensed therapist and, if they so recommend, getting the services of a good psychiatrist for medications.  PTSD and depression go hand-in-hand, and a simple anti-depressant combined with therapy can make the difference between a long, healthy career versus a disability retirement or discharge.

If you find yourself in immediate danger, such as contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  They’re staffed by compassionate professionals who are local to you, will listen, and can direct you to appropriate assistance.

You owe these things to yourself.  Fifteen to eighteen percent of police officers in the United States are estimated to suffer the symptoms of PTSD.  You needn’t be one of them, but if you are, there are some things you can do about it.

Andy O’Hara is the founder and a board member of the Badge of Life organization. Andy has co-authored one book and has written numerous articles for publication. He is an advanced peer support officer, working with individuals to find appropriate help and ways to deal with law enforcement issues. Andy is a 24-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, was suicidal and retired with PTSD.

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Illinois cop Charles Joseph Gliniewicz spent embezzled police money on porn, vacations before ‘carefully staged’ suicide

Fox Lake Officer Charles Joseph Gliniewicz "carefully staged" his own suicide, police said.

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BY Meg Wagner

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2015, 12:37 AM

The Illinois cop whose September shooting death set off an intensive manhunt for his alleged killers “carefully staged” his own suicide after spending seven years stealing thousands of dollars from his department’s youth program, police said.

Fox Lake Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz used the laundered “five figures” of funds on adult websites, vacations, gym memberships and other expenses.
The cop — an Army veteran affectionately known as “G.I. Joe” — died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on duty Sept. 1.

“There are no winners here,” Lake County Major Crime Task Force Cmdr. George Filenko said. “Gliniewicz committed the ultimate betrayal to the citizens he served and the entire law enforcement community. The facts of his actions prove he behaved for years in a manner completely contrary to the image he portrayed.”

DEATH OF ILLINOIS POLICE OFFICER TO BE RULED SUICIDE 
Gliniewicz, 52, withdrew funds from the Fox Lake Police Explorer program, which trains teens who aspire to go into law enforcement, authorities said.
They estimated the cop took about “five figures” from the program's bank account, which saw at least $250,000 flow through it.

Gliniewicz treated the fund “as his personal bank account,” Filenko said.
At least two people were involved in the years of crime, police said. They did not provide further information citing the ongoing investigating. But detectives are looking into whether Gliniewicz’s wife Melodie and his son D.J. are involved with the scheme, sources told WFLD-TV Wednesday night. 

The Gliniewiczes declined to comment on that report through a statement their lawyer issued.

Gliniewicz was found shot to death in September.

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"Today has been another day of deep sorrow for the Gliniewicz Family," the statement said. "The family has cooperated with the task force’s investigation and will not comment at this time."

ILLINOIS COP'S DEATH HAS MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

Gliniewicz helped manage the Explorer program — and his years mocking up crime scenes for the trainees helped him stage his own death, officials said. He took elaborate steps to try to make it look like he died in a struggle, including shooting himself twice in the torso.

Gliniewicz's death set off a large, expensive manhunt for his alleged killers.

(Stacey Wescott/AP)

The officer’s death became part of the national discussion about excessive force by police, and he was held up as a hero.

Just before he died, Gliniewicz radioed that he was chasing three suspicious men on foot. Backup officers later found his body 50 yards from his squad car.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Gliniewicz was the subject of a federal sexual harassment lawsuit.

Fox Lake Police Officer Denise Sharpe accused Gliniewicz of offering to protect her job at the department in exchange for sexual favors. A judge later dismissed the lawsuit.