Essentials of Fire Chaplaincy

A sixteen hour course designed as a “Survey of Fire Chaplaincy”. It is appropriate for new chaplains, experienced chaplains, and those who just want to learn what fire chaplaincy is all about. The course includes classes in Ministry to Firefighters, Ministry to Fire Victims, Critical Incident Stress, Fire Department Funerals, Fire Chaplain Operations, and many others. This course serves as the foundation for credit with the Federation of Fire Chaplains.

This course is HIGHLY recommended by and for fire/rescue chaplains throughout North America and around the world. For members of the FFC, this course is the one that provides the foundation for our FFC Training Certificates.

Two-Day course-Instructors TBA

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"ESSENTIALS"

CISM: Spiritual and Psychological First Aid

Course Description:
Research validates that the help and support people receive in times of crisis matters. Providing effective emotional and spiritual care to individuals, families, and communities in difficult times is critical and can help promote resiliency and recovery. This two-day course endeavors to build helping skills and a better understanding of the unique role of the crisis responder and trains participants in the fundamental principles of spiritual and psychological first aid (SPFA). Care provided in SPFA may be defined as a practical, compassionate and supportive presence designed to mitigate acute distress, assess needs, provide essential supportive care, and link with other support systems as needed for ongoing spiritual, emotional, and mental health care.

Course Highlights:
At the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:
• Identify evidence-informed foundations for SPFA
• Articulate an understanding of the “ministry of presence” and “companioning.”
• Define the essential elements of connecting and communicating with people in crisis
• Prepare survivors to understand commonly experienced psychological/ behavioral reactions and the process of recovery
• Identify indicators of resiliency, recovery and post traumatic growth to encourage help, hope and healing
• Identify how meeting basic human needs is foundational to providing SPFA
• Demonstrate essential interventions to help stabilize and protect people in crisis
• Create a safe environment that facilitates effective listening and crisis communication
• Link those served with existing community support services and develop an ongoing care plan.
• Demonstrate skills for assessing spiritual and psychological needs of individuals in crisis
• Utilize a spiritual assessment framework to identify ways to help an individual draw on spiritual and religious resources to cope and foster resiliency

Two-Day Course led by 
Chaplain Ed Hatcher.

The Rev Dr Edgar Hatcher is a retired Air Force chaplain with more than 35 years of pastoral experience. He is an approved instructor for more than 15 different International Critical Incident Stress Foundation courses and holds all ICISF Certificates of Specialized Training. A lifetime member of the National Organization for Victim Assistance, he also teaches courses in Psychological First Aid, Theodicy, and Clergy Sexual Assault Response. Chaplain Ed Hatcher is the Associate Director of the Midwest Region of the Federation of Fire Chaplains and Secretary/Treasurer of the Missouri Fire Chaplain Corps. A Licensed Professional Counselor, Ed holds a Doctor of Education in Community Pastoral Counseling from Argosy University, specializing in trauma, EMDR, and play therapies. He serves as pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Sullivan, Missouri, and is active in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s outreach to veterans and their families.

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"SPFA"

FFC Advanced Studies

This year we are fortunate to offer two, eight hour courses in Advanced Studies. 

Winning the Other Battles

Instructor Dr. John Babler

This course is designed to enable the Chaplain help their Firefighters who are dealing with the many complex issues of life.

Developing a Firefighter Funeral Message

Instructor: Chaplain Jim Cook

The second day will help attendees learn to develop an appropriate funeral message for firefighters. The course will focus more on development of the funeral message than with LODD funeral protocols. Learn how to develop a message that is meaningful, memorable, impactful, and appropriate.

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"Advanced"