Photo courtesy of the First Responders' Bridge
On Friday, Officer James Poole and his son Jonah Poole will stop in Westerville to continue their cross-country bike journey in support of the First Responders’ Bridge, an organization that seeks to raise mental health awareness for active and retired first responders.
The organization recognizes the impact that law enforcement officers and first responders’ jobs have s on their mental health. Particularly with the risk of line of duty deaths, suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder, the group aims to provide emotional support to them and their families.
The Poole family became connected to the organization after their eldest son was critically injured in the line of duty in December 2018. In an effort to find ways to cope with the events of that night, the Poole family discovered the First Responders’ Bridge, which offered them a three-day expense-free retreat to assist them through the effects of the traumatic experience.
The retreat, James Poole says, was extremely beneficial for him and his family’s coping.
“We were grateful for what we received, especially with the educational information and with what they offer with a lot of the coping skills that we wouldn't have thought of on our own,” James Poole says. “We were very, very thankful for the retreat.”
In the beginning of 2022, Jonah Poole had the idea of completing a bicycle ride across the country in support of the First Responders’ Bridge, to raise funds and minimize the stigma of mental health treatment for first responders and their families. During the ride, which is sponsored by Coughlin Automotive, the two will make various stops and receive donations on their way to their final destination of Washington D.C.
The two began their cycling journey on May 1 in Los Angeles and have traveled 80 to 120 miles per day across the country. Friday, June 3, the pair will make their stop at 2:30 p.m. at the Westerville First Responders Park, where they will ride into the city and share their story.
James Poole, who has been an officer for the Columbus Division of Police for over 26 years, says the significance of their fundraiser is to destigmatize the need for mental health treatment for members of law enforcement like himself.
“As first responders, we’re on the first line out there, helping people to deal with their traumas,” Poole says. “And my thing is, if we're not coping with our trauma, then how are we able to help you?”
While the journey has certainly come with a great deal of obstacles, James Poole says in times of distress during the rides, he thinks of other officers, first responders and their families who have endured trauma, and it pushes him to continue each day.
“I'm hoping that other first responders hear this, and that they can say, ‘You know what, I'm dealing with something, I need some help. And it's okay to get some help.’”
Read more about the community of Westerville in the latest issue of Westerville Magazine.
Lauren Sege is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
