Response team seeks volunteer victim advocates

By Dan MacArthur
North Forty News

From the time the ambulances arrive until the deputies depart, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Victim Response Team provides emotional rescue and assistance to crime victims and others suffering from traumatic events.

This close-knit and dedicated team is now recruiting additional volunteers --particularly in the Livermore and Red Feather Lakes area--to be there for neighbors during their time of greatest need.

"What you get out of it is way more than you give," said Becky Hess of Wellington, a team member for five years. "There's the satisfaction of helping people who really need help."

Some volunteers come from a tradition of community service such as Cathy O'Malley, whose family has long been involved in the Wellington Fire Protection District.

Others such as Glacier View Meadows resident Kathryn Shepherd were drawn to serve through personal experience. She still clearly recalls the shock suffered as a young woman when her father died in a 1970 airplane crash. He was killed along with 74 other players, coaches and boosters of the Marshall University football team from Huntington, W.V. That excruciating experience reinforced her commitment to help others.

Herself the victim of an abusive home, Hess said she became a volunteer after witnessing the value of the victim advocate comforting the family of a teen who committed suicide.

"We're the emotional EMTs," Hess said.

The officers and fire and rescue crews usually are consumed with the matters at hand, she said, and often "don't like to do the emotional stuff."

"They just love us. It allows the deputies to do their job," said fellow Glacier View resident Linda Heffernan, whose husband is a sheriff's investigator.

"No call is the same," said O'Malley.

The victim response team answers calls to a range of incidents including suicides, domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault cases. They are also called in on unattended deaths, death notifications, accidents, rescues, fires and drownings. And in extreme cases such as the Windsor tornado, the entire 16-member team was summoned to assist.

Team members usually are the last to leave, staying until victims are calm, comfortable and safe. "We're pretty much on the scene until it's all over," said Shepherd.

In addition to the on-scene assistance and emotional support, advocates provide victims with information on referrals and resources such as the safehouse, food vouchers and short-term housing. They also are charged with informing victims about their rights and explaining any associated legal proceedings.

Hess said two volunteers are on call at all times. They carry pagers and are expected to respond within 30 minutes of receiving a call if they are able. That might sound demanding, but "after you've been doing it for a while, you learn to go about your normal life," Hess said. And she said there is flexibility with volunteers typically covering for one other.

While advocates are expected to respond to any location in the county, further flexibility comes into play for those living in the hills. They are not expected to travel so broadly, but at the same time, they can be requested to respond to situations in their turf even when not on call.

Volunteers are required to undergo a background check and attend 40 hours of training. The next session is scheduled to start Jan. 19, according to coordinator Susan Johnston. Uniforms and mileage reimbursement are provided. Call her at 498-5149 for further information.

While serving on the victim response team is no small commitment, it's one the volunteers passionately embrace.

"It's rewarding," said O'Malley. "You make a difference in people's lives."