First Reach Foundation

06/21/2026

To the fathers serving as first responders, thank you for the sacrifices you make every day.

You work long shifts, miss holidays and milestones, carry the weight of difficult calls, and still show up for your families with strength, love, and dedication.

Whether you’re protecting your community, supporting your team, or being the steady presence your family counts on, you make an impact in more ways than you know.

This Father’s Day, we celebrate the dads behind the badge, the turnout gear, and the headset.

06/17/2026

The stress of the job doesn’t always stay at work.

Long shifts. Emotional exhaustion. Burnout. Tough environments. Carrying the weight of everyone else.

Eventually, it follows you home.

And often, the people carrying that weight with you are the ones you love most.

Strong marriages don’t happen by accident... they take intention, communication, and space to reconnect.

https://www.firstreachfoundation.org/services

06/16/2026

We have had the honor of sponsoring Guardian Training and love what they are doing for First Responders!
If your agency could benefit from Guardian Training classes, reach out and see how we can help

06/08/2026

Happy Birthday to the heart behind First Reach! 🎂

Today, we’re celebrating our Founder & Executive Director, Billi Jo Baneck , whose passion for supporting first responders and their families has helped shape the mission of First Reach from the very beginning.

Thank you for the countless hours, unwavering dedication, and deep care you pour into this work. Your leadership continues to inspire us and make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many.

We are incredibly grateful for you and hope this next year brings as much joy and encouragement as you give to others.

Help us wish Billi Jo a very happy birthday in the comments! 🎉

05/26/2026

We talk about the stress of the job, but workplace culture can be just as harmful. It costs nothing to be kind and look out for one another. 💛💛💛

I just saw there was another dispatcher who died by su***de. That’s 8 so far this year. While this is a layered topic, you want to know what’s probably the number one way we can help decrease the number of people considering this action that’s not a class or a book and is completely free?

Stop being a**holes to each other and treating each other terribly under the guise of “dark humor” and “coping with trauma”.

It may not be the kindest way to put it, but this is what’s been on my heart and honestly I just had to finally say it out loud. Your experience can explain your behavior, but it doesn’t excuse it. We all have moments where we’re not our best selves and feel the effects of this job, but instead of writing it off as just part of the role, we have to try to do better and apologize when we’re wrong.

05/25/2026

Today, we honor and remember the courageous men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

We hold gratitude for their sacrifice and compassion for the families, friends, and communities who carry their memory forward.

From all of us at First Reach, we remember, we honor, and we thank those who gave everything.

❤️🤍💙

05/21/2026

National EMS Week 🚑

To the providers surviving on caffeine, station snacks, dark humor, interrupted meals, and pure determination… we see you. 😉

But truly, thank you for showing up when people need you most.

Your work matters. Your sacrifices matter. And your mental health matters, too.

05/20/2026

Talk to end the stigma. Join us for the First Responder Marriage Retreat Oct 9-11 2026 in green lake wi

05/19/2026

Please share on your personal pages. We are looking for sponsors for our 2nd (hopefully annual) Marriage Retreat. This retreat is open to Police, Fire, EMS, Corrections, and Dispatch personnel and their spouses. 3 days-2 nights of rest, renewal and reconnection in their marriage.
First Responders give selflessly to their community every day. We need your help in taking care of them! Any 24/7 career is hard a family and especially on the marriage. These men and women are ready to put the work into their Marriage and reconnect with their spouses. Every $1 helps them on this journey; keeping this event possible and affordable for those ready to strengthen their commitment to each other.
Please follow this link to become a sponsor today! I thank you on behalf of all of our attendees in advance.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/marriage-retreat-sponsorship

05/18/2026

If you're a First Responder and in the Shawano area tomorrow, our Associate Director Chris Prochut is speaking at Zion Lutheran Church. Come out and say hello!