Friends of Vulcan County Emergency Services

03/04/2026

We’ve done a thing 😃! Mark your calendars and save the date for our 3rd annual first responders wellness event January 30,2027. We will share more details as the planning progresses.

02/26/2026

We are grateful to collaborate with partners, support and be a part of this great event. We will pre-order the sunshine now!

02/26/2026

We are grateful to collaborate with partners, support and take part in this fun day. We will pre-order the sunshine and good weather now!

02/15/2026

On Saturday, February 7, we hosted our 2nd Annual First Responder Wellness Event at the Vulcan Lodge Hall. The event brought together first responders from across Vulcan County and surrounding communities for a day focused on mental health, resilience, nutrition, and connection.

Many thanks to our keynote speaker Jim Brayshaw. His career in fire service and expertise in psychological health and safety gave our responders a calming, relevant guided discussion on recognizing personal and work related stressors, coping resources, and the importance of human connection after shared experiences.

Attendees also had a session on nutrition education led by registered dietitian Raina Beugelink, whose professional knowledge and experience with first responders kept it very relatable.

An added bonus included a tactical breath work session led by Sue Brown of Carmangay.

The day concluded with remarks from our own Director of Protective Services, Doug Headrick. He spoke on the importance of connecting our responders to resources available for their health and wellbeing.

Our amazing meals provided by Kim McLean of Champion kept everyone fueled and nourished for the day.

Many thanks to our sponsors who help make this day possible - Arrowwood Coop, Vulcan County, Mossleigh Hall Society, Milo Fire Association, 911 Tactical Supply, Sobeys, Leanne Sydenham, and our partners at Vulcan County Health & Wellness Foundation.

Our group is committed to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of first responders. They give so much of themselves, it’s the least we can do.
We’re already planning our 3rd annual event.

If you’re curious about our society, or would like to help out, reach out to some of our members. Tiffany Wyatt, Diane Smith, Jessi Dick, Leanne Sydenham.

09/23/2025

Save the date in your calendars!!
Our second annual First Responders Health and Wellness event date has been set!
February 7th 2026
Starts at 8:30 am held in the Town Of Vulcan.
Speakers have been booked and more details on location and more to come to you soon!

09/23/2025

We’re proud to welcome Community Peace Officer, Kaley Dick, as the newest graduate of the Community Peace Officer Induction Program!

After months of dedicated training, commitment, and hard work, he is ready to serve our community with integrity, respect, and compassion.

Please join us in congratulating our newest CPO, Kaley Dick, on this incredible achievement. Your journey is just beginning, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact you’ll make.

09/23/2025

09/17/2025

Hidden Weight: Disenfranchised and Cumulative Grief in EMS

When most people think of grief, they picture funerals or family loss. What they don’t picture is the quiet, unacknowledged grief carried every day by first responders. In EMS, grief rarely gets space or recognition and that’s part of what makes it so heavy.

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Disenfranchised Grief: Grieving Without Permission

Disenfranchised grief is grief that isn’t recognized or validated. For responders, that looks like grieving a patient but being told it’s “just the job,” or carrying the weight of a pediatric death while the expectation is to “move on.” Even the loss of a colleague can go unnoticed if it doesn’t fit society’s idea of a “line-of-duty” death. That silence leaves providers feeling like they don’t have permission to hurt.

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Cumulative Grief: The Stack That Never Goes Away

Cumulative grief is the layering of unprocessed losses. Every failed resuscitation, every su***de, every family you’ve had to face… it all stacks up. Maybe you don’t grieve each one, but your body remembers. Over time, it shows up as fatigue, numbness, irritability, or detachment from the job you once loved.

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Why It Matters

Unseen grief doesn’t vanish… it festers. That’s when we see burnout, moral injury, and even people leaving the profession. Grief itself isn’t weakness; it’s proof of our humanity. The danger isn’t the grief, it’s the silence around it.

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Moving Forward Together

We have to start naming grief in EMS. Leaders must acknowledge it, peers must validate it, and responders must know it’s okay to feel it. Because grief carried alone turns into weight. Grief carried together turns into healing.

08/26/2025

Some awesome info here