TIP will help Alpine victims deal with disaster

By Mary Hay Davis
The Alpine Sun

     ALPINE — The citizens of Alpine will soon benefit from a new victim-assistance program coming to town.
     The Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) is a non-profit organization, staffed with volunteers who offer emotional support to victims and survivors of trauma or tragedy, such as major automobile accidents, violent crime, residential fires and incidents of a devastating nature.
     The Alpine Kiwanis club is sponsoring the program this year, and made a generous donation to TIP to ensure that the greater Alpine community would have access to interventionists when needed.
     Volunteers are available 24-7, 365 days a year, to offer victims emotional support and access to resources, both immediately after the event and also for later follow up.
     Some examples of the ways TIP volunteers can assist a victim is by acting as a liaison between the victim and hospital staff or emergency personnel, assisting with notification of the victim’s family and friends, and providing information about resources like shelter, transportation, or counseling.
     The Alpine Fire Department is working in conjunction with TIP and the Kiwanis club to bring this program to Alpine.

Alpine Kiwanis members present a check to fund the TIP program for this year. Pictured here are AFPD Board President Martin Marugg, Kiwanis member Joe Brunold, AFPD Chief Darrell Jobes, East County TIP coordinator Sam Carlson, and Kiwanis president Ken Schuettenhelm.

     “Last year the Kiwanis pledged to help somehow with the new fire station, and then followed through by sponsoring the new TIP program for Alpine,” said Alpine fire chief Darrell Jobes This is a super program for our community.”
     “TIP has been in existence for 22 years now,” said East County TIP coordinator Sam Carlson. “We have chapters all over San Diego county, and the east county chapter now serves Alpine, Lakeside, Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon, and is available to roll on calls for some San Diego sheriff incidents as well.”
     A great program like this cannot exist however without generous and dedicated volunteers. Carlson was quick to add, “We are always looking for more volunteers, and we have an upcoming training class beginning on Feb. 1 of next year.
     Volunteers initially attend 60-hours of training classes. Once trained, they then commit to work three 12-hour shifts a month on an on-call basis. There is also an annual three-hour continuing education class as well.
     Anyone interested in sponsoring this program next year should contact the AFPD at 445-2635.
     TIP is a volunteer based non-profit organization that partners with 23 police and fire agencies and the Sheriff’s Department to provide emotional support to citizens in crisis following a personal tragedy.
     TIP offers immediate, on scene, emotional and practical support, in the first few hours following an incident until their own support system arrives.
     The first few hours after a crisis situation has occurred are very confusing for everyone involved in a tragedy.
     TIP volunteers are called to the scene within the first hour following a crisis to provide the necessary emotional first aid and temporary support until the client is able to depend on family and friends. TIP volunteers are often referred to as “silent angels.”
     Anyone interested in becoming a TIP volunteer can get information from the TIP web site, or call at (760) 931-2104.

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