The decision to become a first responder is one made with helping others in mind, but the career can quickly take an emotional toll on those who choose it.
Police, firefighters, and paramedics are expected to take in all levels of carnage when called to collisions. The effects of those scenes can stay with emergency service workers long after the traumatic event, doubling the rate with which they suffer post-traumatic stress compared to the average individual.
"Whenever an officer pulls up to the scene of a serious collision, whether it's the collision itself, involves injury or worse death, it is just overwhelming," said OPP Sergeant Dave Rektor. "Over my 29-year career, I have been to lots with my colleagues and I can say your heart just sinks when you go to these collisions."
Over the weekend, provincial police in Middlesex County were called to two fatal crashes within less than 24 hours. An 81-year-old woman was killed and three teenagers injured in a three vehicle crash Saturday afternoon at Vanneck Rd. and Egremont Dr. The following morning, a 35-year-old man was killed in a single vehicle rollover on Centre Rd. that left the vehicle teetering on the south side of the Ausable River.
Officers from the same platoon were called to both collisions and were responsible for notifying the deceased's family.
In London, police responded to a head-on collision early Thursday morning at Richmond St. and Sunningdale Rd. to find one of the drivers, a 60-year-old Thorndale woman, had been killed. The other driver, 23-year-old Jinghao Zhou, faces several impaired driving charges.
On Sunday night, a London woman was killed and her infant son critically injured when their vehicle was rear-ended on Hwy. 7/8 just west of Kitchener. Impaired driving charges have been laid against the other driver.
"Whether you are the officer left at the scene to investigate the aftermath or you're the officer at the door, everybody knows what's happening next and it is probably the toughest part of our job, having to go up and do that next of kin notification and tell somebody someone they love has been killed," said Rektor.
Since Rektor began his policing career, he has noticed a shift in the way police break the news to families. Gone are the days an officer would deliver the heartbreaking news and then leave.
"We have evolved as an organization. We realized the impact that it has not only on the victims and the families left behind but the officers doing that notification," said Rektor. "To that extent, victims services comes with us, often times a clergy member will be involved. We don't just leave people with that terrible, devastating, life changing news, we have resources that will help them through the journey. We also have resources within our own police services, that help the officers cope with that afterwards too."
In the days that follow serious and deadly collisions, critical incident responders reach out to officers who were involved in the investigation. Any officers feeling post traumatic effects are provided additional support.
"The police industry use to be very different than it is now. We are getting way better and continue to get a lot better than we were in years gone by. There is no stigma attached to mental illness or mental health needs within our organization," said Rektor. "We realize the importance of ensuring our peoples health - mentally and physically."
The video shown below was produced by CMHA Middlesex.