Sisters fire district's chaplain retires

John Gerke is no stranger to the trials and tragedies that emergency responders deal with every day. 

He joined the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District as a firefighter in October of 1999. A year later he trained as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, and then five years after that he took on the added duty of being chaplain with the district and for local police agencies.

Last year Gerke stepped down as a firefighter/EMT and focused on his role as chaplain. The job is challenging in its complexity, requiring Gerke to access all of his training, both as a member of the district and as a man of God.

Becoming a chaplain requires a calling to help others during some of the worst times of their lives. Along with a desire to serve, hours of intensive training are required to handle the myriad responsibilities the chaplain may be asked to perform. Duties include death notifications, dealing with suicide - from threats to attempts and completions - deaths of children, accidents or disaster scenes, violent crimes, structure fires, visiting injured emergency service personnel, law enforcement or crisis personnel at home or in the hospital, memorial services and even weddings.

Gerke's job as chaplain was twofold: Take care of the needs of the first responders during and after an incident, and care for victims of accidents and others involved in the incident.

"Police and fire responders are repeatedly exposed to stressful situations which can impede their ability to do their job well," said Gerke.  "Working in a small town, oftentimes the calls become personal. Even the mere possibility of a victim being a loved one elevates the stress level. Driving up on the scene of a car crash that involves a car similar to your teenager's vehicle will raise the stress level, as does seeing a victim who reminds you of someone in your family. As a fellow firefighter, I knew firsthand what the first-responders were experiencing."

The influence of a chaplain's initial handling of a critical incident can reduce the possibility of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Gerke has been trained to recognize the early signs of stress. A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing might be set up to process and work through the incident. All who were involved in the incident are invited to attend a meeting. 

"It's important to get everyone involved in the same room with trained people to help them," said Gerke.

Beginning with the first person on-scene, a recounting of the facts of the incident takes place. The retelling is in the order that responders arrived. Once that portion is completed the group takes turns sharing their thoughts about what they felt and why they did what they did.

"There is never any blame placed on anyone there," said Gerke. "No one is there to criticize another." 

The discussion segues into the emotions that hit them later and finishes with an overview of signs and symptoms of stress and PTSD. It's important for those involved to know that they may be experiencing normal reactions to an abnormal situation.

When Gerke is caring for those involved in an accident or other catastrophic occurrence, he has learned what to focus on and what he can and cannot do.

"When you're in that situation, you're not there to fix anything.  Just be there; sometimes it's best to say very little," he said.

Gerke recalled just such an incident. A group of motorcyclists were heading over the Santiam Pass; one of the riders lost control and hit a car head-on. The riders in front of him were unaware of the accident and continued for several miles before realizing some of their group were missing.

Gerke arrived with the emergency response team before the bikers returned and saw what had happened. The deceased rider's brother arrived to find out his brother was dead. None of the riders spoke English.

"That's when I really had it driven home that you just have to be there. When he left, the brother gave me a big hug, letting me know he was grateful for my presence. I didn't have to say a word. The big take-away here is that chaplaincy is best described as a ministry of presence. Something we can all do in a critical situation is just be there for the hurting," he said.

One of the more difficult aspects of his chaplain's responsibilities was bringing bad news to families. A law enforcement officer and the chaplain would personally visit them and deliver the sad news about their loved one, while providing comfort during the conversation. The deputy's job was to answer factual questions and provide information about the situation. Gerke has been very impressed with the professionalism, tact and compassion of every law enforcement officer he has dealt with on death notices and at death scenes.

God's presence during the difficult task at hand always bolsters Gerke's resolve and provides him with words to best reach and comfort the ones he's helping. 

"My chaplaincy was inspired by 2 Corinthians 1:3-7," said Gerke. "...God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows....'"

Gerke ended his role as Chaplain on October 1, retiring after years of waking up at all hours of the night, sometimes driving through bad weather conditions to reach those in need. So far, a replacement for Gerke has not been found. In the meantime, the Central Oregon Police Chaplaincy is filling in. 

As he moves on to other projects and volunteer opportunities with Sisters Community Church, Gerke is left with the memories of those he helped. Whether it was being there for an accident victim, caring for a frightened child or comforting grieving parents, Gerke lives with those memories.

"People don't realize that when you've been at it for a number of years, every time you drive down a street or over the pass, you recall crashes, suicides and deaths that happened there," he said. "They're a constant reminder of the brevity of life and the importance of focusing on what truly matters in life and beyond."