Having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty — that, according to Miriam-Webster’s online dictionary, is the definition of brave. While many situations require bravery, the majority of Central Missouri’s population will not have to face the events requiring the courage that Boone County’s first responders face every day. Danger, fear, and difficulty are all in a day’s work for the police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and dispatchers.   

What It Is?

The year 2020 is undeniably memorable as the year the world shut down, but it is also the year that First Responder Support (FRS) was born.   

“The idea started with our president, Johnny Wingate, who has a passion for serving first responders,” said Rick Rowden, FRS executive director. “He got together with (current board members) Don (Weaver) and Matt (Nichols), and they began to talk.”  

Board member and retired Columbia chief of police Geoff Jones added, “He (Johnny) has been very passionate about making sure the first responders and the realities they face are in the forefront.”   

FRS exists to offer both hope and resources to first responders in Boone County and also to spread awareness about what first responders regularly face. The general public watches the news or reads the newspapers and learns the facts of an event. The public knows the first responders are there. What is still a mystery to most of the public is the emotional and psychological impact that event is having on each of the responders.   

In the past, the subject of emotional and psychological health has been taboo in first responder circles. Fear of job loss was — and to some extent still is — real. Previously the only option first responders had was “peer support.” That amounted to, “Well, let’s just go get a beer,” Jones said.  

FRS seeks to change that perception and demystify the topic through resiliency seminars and scholarships. The organization aims to increase the health and longevity of the 650 first responders who serve Boone County.   

In The Community   

From the first known police force in Egypt circa 3000 BC to the relatively recent addition of 911 emergency dispatchers in the late 1960s, first responders have been, and continue to be, vital to the life and safety of a community.   

To provide that security, Jones said the public servants must be calm, reliable, and steady.  

“I think it’s about bringing stability … being healthy enough to show up to a critical incident and maintain stability, not just in yourself but in those around you,” Rowden agreed. “What’s expected of first responders when they show up is to take control and stabilize things. I think having healthy first responders is critical to the future of our city. The healthy first responder is at the forefront of what we do because they sort of manage everything that happens in our community. It’s just so critical that they’re able to be resilient.”   

In offering first responders a path to that strength, FRS simultaneously offers the community a path to a more stable future with first responders who stay in their jobs longer. Longevity equals experience and experience equals first responders who know how to respond with strength and integrity.  

“First responders on the job without so much turnover is now more important than it’s ever been,” Jones said. Referencing his experience on the police force, he added, “The younger the officers are, the higher likelihood of mistakes, which we can’t afford, so the need is even bigger now with short staffing. We need to keep these people healthy.”   

The Challenges   

As a nonprofit still in its early years, FRS faces many challenges. Hard-pressed to name the most important, the FRS leadership might opt to place them all on a wheel and give it a spin to see which one comes out on top at any given moment.   

The task before them is big but not insurmountable, leaders said. It includes raising public awareness.  

“Recognition from the community that this is a much-needed resource, that it has value to them (the community) and that the resources we provide to first responders is going to give them better service from their first responders when they don’t expect that they’re going to need it,” Jones noted.  

In addition to public awareness, first responders must be educated about the effects of stress; and FRS wants to get the message out that there are resources available. To do that, they need funds, donations to pay for educational materials, marketing, and seminar supplies; but the funds are needed for much more than education. FRS offers counseling scholarships (anonymously) and emergency assistance. As funding increases, the board plans to add more programs.   

With increased public awareness, FRS hopes that its volunteer base will grow. The biggest need it has for volunteers right now is for the annual gala, which will be held in 2025 at the Boone County Fairgrounds. 

Timeline: 

2020: First Responder Support is co-founded by Johnny Wingate and Donald Weaver. 

Feb 2023: The first and now annual First Responder Support “You Have My Heart Gala” 

July 2023: FRS establishes the Resiliency Scholarship for mental health services for Boone County first responders. 

 Dec. 2023: The first “Shop With A Hero” event at the Grindstone Walmart. 

June 2024: FRS sponsors the 8th Annual Columbia Memorial Stair Climb. 

Aug 2024: Rick Rowden becomes FRS’s executive director. 

Oct 2024: FRS appreciation event at Lakeside Ashland.