“People may forget what you said or what you did, but not how you made them feel.”
randi.
Coach. Mental Health Clinician, Co-Responder, First Responder Counselor
Understanding the impact SERVICE has on our relationships, our community, and our brains is instrumental in preparing First Responders and their families for healthy longevity. I have been a fire spouse for 26 years and this journey has brought me struggles, triumphs, and purpose. I believe in the health of the family unit, and I have learned along the way, how to best serve my community, my husband, and most importantly, myself. I want to impart camaraderie and unification on first responder spouses and children. I want to share wisdom through mistakes, on how to build family resiliency, connection, patience and mental fortitude.
I am a Colorado Native, and loyal to my roots. I have been a social worker since 2009 with experience in working with at-risk youth and their families. For the last 15 years, I have dedicated my service to working with my family’s population. I was a co-Responder and clinician with Denver Police Department, am currently a co-Responder in the district my husband is a Battalion Chief at. I am a First Responder counselor as well, and see families and responders from all over the Denver Metro area for support.
My motivational determination is to provide the understanding and skills that I did not possess in my early years as a fire spouse. I want couples and individuals to succeed, and I want them to build mental fitness around the trauma they will inevitably experience. I will always remember the day I asked my husband’s Chief, “When do you ask your members to get help?”, and his response was when it starts to affect their job. In that moment, I realized, the job will never be sacrificed, mostly because it can’t be, and where the struggles present themselves are in the safety of the family and the home. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a part of this change for our community to prioritize and take care of our homes and our safety.
I am so thankful for the fire service and what it has given us, I wouldn't change our choice for anything. I love this gig and hope to keep doing it for as long as I can.