When local law enforcement gets a call, they don't always know who they will be coming in contact with. That is where crisis intervention training comes into play. It teaches them how to recognize certain medical conditions and how to handle it.Â
"Can mommy have a hug, thank you," said mom and co-founder of JUSTin HOPE, Carol Reitz.Â
She knows what it's like to have a son with autism.
"I think a lot of people fear it because they don't understand it," said Reitz.Â
Her husband is also a first responder.
"I know there were a lot of questions that were being posed to him as to what is autism and how do deal with it," said Reitz.Â
JUSTin HOPE has been around for about a year now. We were there at one of their first outreach events last fall. Bringing together police officers, fire fighters, and those with autism.Â
"It's grown, we've trained well over 400 police and fire personnel," said Reitz.Â
Officers also have what's called crisis intervention training which allows them to recognize a variety of different behavior patterns. The training comes in handy more times than one may think.
"This is the kind of incident we respond to several times a day. Most of our calls are dealing with someone that is in some form of crisis," said Bob Harmon of the Washoe County Sheriff's Office.Â
JUSTin HOPE helps make that situation more comfortable for both parties. Filling out a form like this one gives the officer an idea of what to expect before they arrive on scene. Parents or caretakers answer questions like what are their fears, calming strategies, and do they have any behavior triggers.
"I think the fact that people aren't hearing about them even though they're happening so frequently is a sign of the success that our deputies have," said Harmon.Â
"It helps just knowing that there are people out there or that first responders are trained on it," added Reitz.Â
For more information about JUSTin HOPE or how to fill out a form you can visit their website or call Carol at (775) 453-9262.Â
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