about us
The Rescuers Rescue Foundation has an ongoing mission to help rescuers develop the skills and understanding to effectively deal with the unique kinds of trauma and stress they are faced with. Victims and their families often receive appropriate attention and support through their tragedies, but rescuers are often left to deal with these experiences on their own. Rescuers are exposed to many tragedies on a daily basis. Too many rescuers carry these tragedies with them - the effect ripples into their family, friends, and also other victims they are sent to help. Anger, physical abuse, and alcoholism frequently appear within the homes of these rescuers.
The sole purpose of the Rescuers Rescue Foundation is to empower rescuers with the skills that they need to appropriately deal with the trauma that they are exposed to - so they can continue to carry out their duties while in a powerful, productive, healthy state of mind.
Traditional methods of treatment are often ineffective - within the infrastructure of emergency response it is often seen as weakness for rescuers to seek help. Rescuers have a brother/sisterhood that is very wary of "outsiders", especially when they come in to talk about or deal with what they see and experience together. New models of treatment can help. The recent onslaught of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and ongoing military action has exposed more and more rescuers to higher stress situations than normal. Rescuers Rescue Foundation is reaching out to aid the aftermath and its effects on it's rescuers.
Your financial contributions will be used to provide rescuers the ongoing moral support they so greatly need and deserve, and also the families of these rescuers that are being affected every day. Many families have lost loved ones to suicide due to lack of proper understanding and support - your donations will provide financial aid to help these families get back on your feet. Thank you for acting now.
how we started
Matthew Conlan was in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1988-1996 stationed at Motor Life Boat Station Golden Gate. His crew had many search and rescue duties which averaged over 500 cases per year. One of the most challenging duties for the crew was picking up people who committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge - 2 people per week on average. Matthew and his shipmates didn't have much support back then to learn how to deal with the daily realities they faced. Many of the crew were having nightmares, anger issues arose quite frequently, and alcohol abuse wasn't uncommon.
Toward the end of Matthews' tour of duty, some psychiatrists were sent to help but by then it was too little too late. Also the crew were so close with each other that opening up to an "outsider" was not about to happen, especially if that person had not been through similar situations. Unfortunately one of the crew members took their own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
Matthew has learned much about himself and life since his time spent at Station Golden Gate and has come to help support all of the crews that come in and out of duty at Station Golden Gate. Not only these people at this station but other rescuers around the U.S. and the world need as much support as possible.There are many ways you can help. Rescuers Rescue Foundation is comprised of a group of unique individuals who have "been there, done that" who can offer moral and financial support to the rescuers and their families. Many other crew members have issues to work through. This foundation will give the help needed to these unique individuals so they can continue to give service and carry out their difficult missions.
