First Responder Safety & Wellness Seminar - Preparing for Life’s Ambushes

First Responder Safety & Wellness Seminar - Preparing for Life's Ambushes

This impactful seminar is designed to help first responders build resilience and stay healthy throughout their careers. Life’s ambushes—both personal and professional—can strike without warning. Learning to prepare for them means you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

Through real-life experiences, presenters will share lessons from critical incidents, substance abuse, Line of Duty injuries and deaths, and the effects of cumulative stress. You’ll gain insight into how poor sleep, lack of exercise, and inadequate nutrition impact mental and physical health—and learn practical ways to overcome them. Finances can be one of the biggest stressors in your life. The presentation “Financial 911” will get you on track for success.

The seminar draws on proven programs like the mE2We Program: Choosing Individual Wellness and the Below 100 Program Tenets: Wear Your Belt, Wear Your Vest, Watch Your Speed, WIN: What’s Important Now? Remember: Complacency Kills! These programs focus on practical approaches to individual wellness and prevention of the leading causes of Line of Duty Deaths and injuries.

Whether you’re just starting or decades into your career, this seminar offers tools, perspective, and techniques to help you, you families, and your peers live well and stay mission-ready.

Why Attend?

• Empower yourself with tools to thrive through adversity
• Learn from experienced peers who’ve lived through the challenges
• Build a network of support and shared purpose
• Commit to a life of service that doesn’t come at the cost of your health

Build strength. Build resilience. Be ready for life’s ambushes.

Baltimore County Police Training Facility

Community College of Baltimore County – Dundalk Campus - Roy N. Staten Building

7200 Sollers Point Rd, Dundalk, MD 21222

Info: Check-in and attendees meet & greet.

Info: Welcoming remarks from Baltimore County Police Department Chief of Police Robert O. McCullough. Seminar introduction by Eric Brennan. Greetings from the Seminar Headline Sponsors, Shultz Legal and Cigna Healthcare.

Info: The Below 100 Program identifies the five key tenets by which we can improve officer safety—areas where we can make a difference. Below 100 isn’t about statistics. It’s about each and every officer, trainer and supervisor taking individual and collective responsibility for the decisions and actions that contribute to safety.

Below 100 means supporting a culture of safety throughout your department. Make doing the right thing so ingrained in your personnel that it becomes the norm and not the exception. Just as importantly, hold accountable those who stray outside what should be common sense. Often, a private word with a misguided officer is all it takes to correct Finally, Below 100 is a challenge that recognizes each officer death as a tragedy. It’s our duty to face down death and protect the innocent when called to do so. It’s a fact: Good cops will die each year. But working together—and only by working together—we can keep our streets and ourselves safer.

Info: The mission of the Jake Baker 27 Fund is dedicated to raising awareness on mental health and suicide by reducing stigma, and providing resources to individuals, teams and organizations. Our aim is to prevent suicide through education, advocacy, and support.
Jake Baker was our beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend to many. On May 23rd, 2024, our lives changed forever when Jake tragically and unexpectedly took his own life. His passing was a devastating shock to all who knew him. In response, we established The Jake Baker 27 Fund with the hope of making a difference.

Info: From the Ashes... Phoenix Advocates was born out of unthinkable grief and shared trauma. We have a strong desire to make first responders' jobs safer so that other families don't have to live the nightmare of a Line of Duty Death. As a first responder planning is your job- you are expected to be prepared, equipped and in control when you show up for someone else's worst day. Have you done that for your own family - have you educated and empowered them to pick up the pieces should the unthinkable happen to you? www.phoenixadvocates.org

Info: Enjoy an hour long beginners level yoga session with Vance.

Info: Compassion on 4 Legs: The Power of a Facility Dog's Presence after the Midair Collision at Reagan National Airport – On January 29, 2025, a tragic midair collision occurred at Reagan National Airport, claiming 67 lives. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police Department and Virginia State Police were among the responding agencies.

Lt. Blayman and his canine partner, Tiller—a 4-year-old black Labrador facility dog—were among the first on scene. Tiller is specially trained to provide psychological and emotional support to individuals and groups experiencing stress, anxiety, or trauma. Following the incident, he offered comfort and support to law enforcement personnel, family members, and airport staff for more than three weeks. Placed by Mutts with a Mission in 2023, Tiller’s unique training and calm demeanor help reduce stress, foster communication and positive interactions, and promote well-being among officers in high-pressure situations.

Info: When the Call Doesn’t End: Interrupting the Impact of Critical Incidents with EMDR Therapy –
Center for Trauma, Stress and Anxiety (CTSA)

Info: Brian Shea, Tactical Financial Group – Financial 911 – Brian is a licensed financial advisor dedicated to the specific needs of the Law Enforcement, Fire/ EMS and Military communities, as well as others in the public service industry. Financial literacy is a large part of what Brian does on a daily basis with First Responders. During Brian’s Financial 911 class, students will be informed about preparing for life’s financial speed bumps and preparing for retirement from the job. tacticalfinancialgroup.net

Info: The Hidden Call: Off-Duty Trauma and The Law Enforcement Officer - Officer Jeff Albanese began his career with the United States Capitol Police in October of 2008. In that time, he has worked for many different detail assignments within the department. Officer Albanese joined the Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness in December of 2021 to begin development and implementation of the United States Capitol Police Peer Support Division. He has been the Unit Leader for the program since that time. Officer Albanese also spends times outside of USCP working for Warrior’s Rest Foundation as a part of their National Peer Support Team.

Info: Enjoy an hour long beginners level yoga session with Vance.

Info: During Sue's presentation, she will outline statistical information regarding job stress, discuss the limbic system of the brain, and cover the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She will also highlight the functioning of the vagus nerve and show how trauma-informed yoga and meditation can help your brain.

Info: In this presentation, “Calming My Stormy Seas, How Yoga Calmed the Storm Within”, Vance describes how police culture and stress led to potentially catastrophic results. Vance now speaks on topics related to suicide prevention, alcohol abuse, and overall wellness for those in all First Responder Communities. Ultimately, his story shows the power of yoga in resilience and why Vance wants to use yoga to combat First Responder/ Military Suicide.

Info: You can’t help anyone until you help yourself. The establishment of individual purpose, ownership, and accountability is a cornerstone of the mE2We™ program. This training helps individuals “drown proof” themselves for their journey “on life’s ocean”. The course is anchored by a unique approach to balance, consistency, and validity applicable to anyone interested in a practical approach to his or her own wellness. www.marcjunkermanconsulting.com

Info: MARK JUNKERMAN CONSULTING --- YOGA RESCUE --- PHOENIX ADVOCATES

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Baltimore County Police Department: Training Section, 7200 Sollers Point Road, Baltimore, United States

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