Making a difference on the worst day of someone’s life
- January 30, 2015
- / Staff Reports
- / leadership-tips
Barbara Goehring doesn’t meet people at their best.
But the former social worker and counselors knew that would be part of the job when she signed on to be a Trauma Intervention Program volunteer in 2009.
TIP volunteers are called to the scene of emergencies at all hours to help the family members of victims of a tragedy navigate the situation.
Like the young wife, Goehring remembers helping whose husband died unexpectedly of a heart attack.
[caption id="attachment_16077" align="alignright" width="234"]
Barbara Goehring, TIP of Northwest Florida volunteer.[/caption]
The woman wanted to see her husband one last time to say goodbye, but Goehring says she was getting resistance from authorities on the scene.
“I was able to advocate for her and it meant so much to her to be able to see and touch him before he left their home for the last time,” Goehring says. “I think this wife will never forget that horrible day, but at least she was able to start gaining back some control of the situation by saying goodbye in the manner in which she wanted.”
[sidebar]
TIP has operated in Northwest Florida since 1995. In 2014, volunteers from the group interacted with more than 3,400 people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Learn more about volunteering with TIP here.
[/sidebar]
Goehring sees her work with TIP as a way to continue to serve her community and God. Now TIP is working to recruit more people with Goehring’s spirit to become volunteers.
TIP is looking to increase its ranks with 35 hours of intensive training set for evenings and weekends from March 5-14 at the Pensacola Police Department. The training cost $45, but that expense is tax deductible.
“Our volunteers are usually on scene within 20 to 30 minutes of the 911 call,” said Deanna Smith, executive director of TIP. “The vast majority of our calls involve death, so our volunteers help with information pertinent to the individual circumstance.”
TIP responds to calls from law enforcement agencies, hospitals, fire departments, ambulance services and other emergency agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Some common calls include natural deaths, suicides, homicides, child deaths, car crashes, drownings, domestic violence cases, sexual assaults, house fires and home invasions, Smith said.
TIP volunteers are equipped with an encyclopedia of information to help the people they serve, including how to contact funeral homes, scene clean-up, military notification of deployed family members, some explanation of the criminal investigative process and information about where a body goes when the medical examiner is involved.
[caption id="attachment_16078" align="alignright" width="212"]
Deanna Smith of Trauma Intervention Program of Northwest Florida.[/caption]
“We familiarize trainees with what to expect on calls through role play, speakers from the first responder agencies, victim speakers and very thorough coverage of all aspects of the TIP volunteer relationship in working with the agencies,” Smith said.
Volunteers must have a clean criminal background and a safe driving record. While TIP welcomes all types of volunteers, Smith said, “We find that those with compassion and an innate ability to remain calm under pressure seem to thrive as volunteers.”
Once trained, volunteers are each responsible for their choice of three, 12-hour shifts per month. In addition, they must attend a three hour continuing education session the third Monday of each month.
A good volunteer has a special combination of compassion, calmness under pressure, ability to be sent out not knowing where one is going or what one will encounter, Goehring said.
“It also takes a personality that has a passion for helping people,” she said. “If someone thinks they have those qualities and are looking for a way to really make a difference on the worst day of someone's life, then they should take the training.”
Smith said while the victims may not always remember volunteers’ names, they remember the kindness shown to them.
“They will remember that a stranger was there and took care of things for them when they needed it,” she said. “It is one of the most gratifying things I have ever been a part of.”
Barbara Goehring, TIP of Northwest Florida volunteer.[/caption]
The woman wanted to see her husband one last time to say goodbye, but Goehring says she was getting resistance from authorities on the scene.
“I was able to advocate for her and it meant so much to her to be able to see and touch him before he left their home for the last time,” Goehring says. “I think this wife will never forget that horrible day, but at least she was able to start gaining back some control of the situation by saying goodbye in the manner in which she wanted.”
[sidebar]
TIP has operated in Northwest Florida since 1995. In 2014, volunteers from the group interacted with more than 3,400 people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Learn more about volunteering with TIP here.
[/sidebar]
Goehring sees her work with TIP as a way to continue to serve her community and God. Now TIP is working to recruit more people with Goehring’s spirit to become volunteers.
TIP is looking to increase its ranks with 35 hours of intensive training set for evenings and weekends from March 5-14 at the Pensacola Police Department. The training cost $45, but that expense is tax deductible.
“Our volunteers are usually on scene within 20 to 30 minutes of the 911 call,” said Deanna Smith, executive director of TIP. “The vast majority of our calls involve death, so our volunteers help with information pertinent to the individual circumstance.”
TIP responds to calls from law enforcement agencies, hospitals, fire departments, ambulance services and other emergency agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Some common calls include natural deaths, suicides, homicides, child deaths, car crashes, drownings, domestic violence cases, sexual assaults, house fires and home invasions, Smith said.
TIP volunteers are equipped with an encyclopedia of information to help the people they serve, including how to contact funeral homes, scene clean-up, military notification of deployed family members, some explanation of the criminal investigative process and information about where a body goes when the medical examiner is involved.
[caption id="attachment_16078" align="alignright" width="212"] Deanna Smith of Trauma Intervention Program of Northwest Florida.[/caption]
“We familiarize trainees with what to expect on calls through role play, speakers from the first responder agencies, victim speakers and very thorough coverage of all aspects of the TIP volunteer relationship in working with the agencies,” Smith said.
Volunteers must have a clean criminal background and a safe driving record. While TIP welcomes all types of volunteers, Smith said, “We find that those with compassion and an innate ability to remain calm under pressure seem to thrive as volunteers.”
Once trained, volunteers are each responsible for their choice of three, 12-hour shifts per month. In addition, they must attend a three hour continuing education session the third Monday of each month.
A good volunteer has a special combination of compassion, calmness under pressure, ability to be sent out not knowing where one is going or what one will encounter, Goehring said.
“It also takes a personality that has a passion for helping people,” she said. “If someone thinks they have those qualities and are looking for a way to really make a difference on the worst day of someone's life, then they should take the training.”
Smith said while the victims may not always remember volunteers’ names, they remember the kindness shown to them.
“They will remember that a stranger was there and took care of things for them when they needed it,” she said. “It is one of the most gratifying things I have ever been a part of.”
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