Chaplains of Idaho volunteers learn CPR, Narcan training, and tourniquet application during academy
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IDAHO FALLS — A local nonprofit is training some of its chaplains to help support first responders in times of crisis.
The Chaplains of Idaho is an organization that provides law enforcement, fire and community chaplains who serve on the scene of trauma and crisis situations.
The organization held a Law Enforcement and Fire Chaplain Training Academy Thursday and Friday in Idaho Falls.
“This teaches them how to interact and work one-on-one with first responders in crisis and so these chaplains will receive a station assignment and they will be responsible for building a relationship with the first responders,” said Christa Trinchera, executive director for the Chaplains of Idaho.
Eight people from different counties including Jefferson County, Madison County, and Fremont County participated in the two-day training. There was additionally one from Payette County, which will be the first law enforcement chaplain for the Fruitland Police Department.
All eight of them served as a community chaplain before becoming a law enforcement or fire chaplain and have had extensive training.
“The community chaplains role is to work with members of the community during a crisis situation. Maybe there has been a traffic collision or a traumatic injury,” said Trinchera. “Firefighters and law enforcement will dispatch chaplains to come to the scene and help the victim’s family process what is happening and provide them with resources.”
Trinchera explained that law enforcement and fire chaplains are used for first responders.
“They are there to make sure our first responders are coping well, that they have a confidential resource to talk to after a major crisis situation, and that they have someone that they can trust,” she said.
Right now, Trinchera says there are 31 community chaplains. Prior to the academy, there were five law enforcement and fire chaplains but now eight will be added.
“All of the chaplains that are here have served as a community chaplain for a minimum of one year. Some of them have served a full three years and they have earned their way to promote up,” she said. “What that means is that they have proven themselves in the field that they are not only dedicated to service but they are trustworthy and accountable to be there for our first responders when they are in crisis.”
Chaplains are volunteers and are in the position for different reasons. Alyce Jeppesen is one of the chaplains at the academy training to help first responders.
She owns Ahhhsome Relaxation in Ammon, a company designed to provide relief from stress and pain. She was approached by the chaplains one day looking for a place to bring first responders post-incident and decompress.
She started working with them and then became a community chaplain. She has been one since last year and has enjoyed it.
“It is so wonderful to feel like you are making a difference in someone’s life,” Jeppesen said. “That’s the beauty of being a chaplain. We show up when other people can’t or don’t or won’t.”
Jeppesen is interested in helping first responders and explained that she is the daughter of veterans and her brother-in-law is a police officer.
“The trauma that our officers see on a daily basis is significant and I just want to be able to serve them in every possible capacity,” she said.
Jeppesen, among the other seven chaplains at the academy, was taught different skills like how to perform CPR, Narcan training and tourniquet application.
Johnny Hayden, a flight nurse with Air Idaho Rescue, taught the Chaplains how to apply a tourniquet in case they ever needed to help an officer who was shot or in a critical situation.
“It’s absolutely critical for them to know that based on that, they might be the first ones there and who knows how long until EMS gets there,” he said. “Stopping the bleed could very well save somebody’s life and the more people that know it, the better.”
Trinchera said this is the second Law Enforcement and Fire Chaplain Training Academy the nonprofit has held in the three years it has been around. The Chaplains of Idaho serves 18 agencies and it’s growing each day.
Jeppesen said it’s a great way to serve and there are plenty of opportunities.
“They can be a follow-up chaplain with resources or specific to responding to fires. They can be a chaplain in a lot of different ways,” she said. “It has been awesome.”
Chaplains of Idaho have a 24-hour hotline for support at (208) 471-8111. If anyone is interested in becoming a chaplain, click here.
