Mary Ellen responded to a crisis call at an Orange County residence on April 18, where four local fire authorities waited in the front yard for her to support a grieving man whose wife of 75 years had passed away 20 minutes earlier.
When she arrived on scene, she did what she always does when handling these types of situations—provide an “emotional first-aid kit” to help the man grieving through his sudden loss.
Losing a spouse is one of many traumatic events first responders call upon the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) volunteers, like Ellen, almost immediately after tragedy strikes.
“When I arrived, one firefighter said to the others, ‘Thank goodness TIP is here—they are our savior,’” Ellen, a 5-year veteran volunteer with the organization’s Orange County chapter, told The Epoch Times.
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