Scenes of
South Lake

“The shooting of Christina Grimmie was the catalyst,” Rick Fink shares honestly, “I was called to the hospital where I sat with her body for two hours—it was raw for me, after sitting with her, I introduced myself, started talking to her; it was very raw for me. Then Pulse happened the next night. I was at the club moments before, checking on an off-duty officer; I was driving down Kaley as the shots were fired—I knew the people right inside, and I had befriended them, but seeing them lifeless just moments after I was there…is a feeling that’s hard to even put into words.” Rick rushed into Pulse Nightclub as the sound of gunshots still reverberated around him, knowing his life would never be the same again. Feelings of guilt, anger, sadness, depression, and, of course, immeasurable heartache took hold of many people’s hearts, including those of the first responders. 

“What no one reports is no police officer ran away from Pulse. When the reports of the suspect wearing a suicide vest emerged, every first responder paused for a split second and thought their last thought. It was a surreal feeling, no one thought to save themselves, we were focused and committed to helping the victims.” 

If one tragedy wasn’t enough, Rick Fink, over the next four years, lost fellow police officers and close friends to fatal shootings, his father, who was also a deputy chief who struggled with addiction. “The opiates may have played a factor in my dad’s death but what killed him was the “stigma.”” Rick’s father was too afraid to come forward and get help. Then Rick was given the awful news that his best friend in the military committed suicide—ultimately leaving Rick having thoughts of suicide himself.

“I drove into work numbly and was called into my new lieutenant’s office. I figured I had probably done something wrong, but he asked me a simple question… ‘are you okay?’.” 

After all he had been through, no one had even asked him. After Pulse, there was a CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) debrief, where one person was assigned to 25 people who were directly impacted by the attack; Rick comments, “How are they supposed to understand my story, help me, and then help everyone else?” There had to be another way.

In 2021, Rick and his wife welcomed their new daughter. Admittedly, Rick stated, “I felt nothing.” A long-awaited daughter, something he had dreamed of and looked forward to, was met with emptiness. “That was my ‘A-Ha’ moment.”

“I found a therapy program geared toward first responders—but ultimately, I was told by them that I was ‘too damaged.’ I eventually found myself in a rehab for PTSD.” 

Unfortunately, Rick’s story of tragedy and shock is not uncommon. When first responders need help, where do they turn? Do they attend group sessions, talk to a therapist, or confide in their spouse? Unfortunately, the answer is none of the above. Approximately 85% of first responders anonymously report symptoms of mental health conditions, carrying the burden alone and living in the darkness of depression.

Light emerged from the damage Rick was told he had, leading to the creation of The Officer Support Initiative in 2023.

Becoming a first responder, it is ingrained in your mind to become numb to the things you encounter. Death, violence, emotion, fear, bodies, gore — “You are supposed to just make a joke in your mind about what you are witnessing so you can cope, but that’s not sustainable.” Rick and the three other leaders of OSI – Brandon, Mike, and Raul – are aware that if they seek help for their mental health, they may encounter responses such as “This is the job you signed up for,” “Suck it up, buttercup,” or even face reprimands at work.

“When you get hurt on the job, you get time off to recover, and when you return, no one questions if you can put on the badge and perform the duties of an officer. If you come forward after a traumatic event, requesting a mental health day or help—your capabilities are questioned”. 

“OSI focuses on supporting all first responders, veterans, and the families of the men and women who need our support.” From his own experience, Rick understands that, too often, families suffer in silence. 

“The one person who loves me more than anything is my wife, and when I was at my lowest, I treated her so poorly. We knew we needed to incorporate assistance for families just looking to support their loved ones.” OSI offers resources for families and works effortlessly to ensure that they have ample resources to help their loved ones and keep their home life stable. 

OSI now helps with officer training, where members tell their stories and encourage first responders to seek help. When someone calls one of the OSI members, a first responder’s life can be saved. “We get calls from people who are at their lowest, but they don’t understand that you can still fall six feet lower. We want to be there to catch them before they do,” Mike, another component of OSI, shares.

“When we get the phone call, we have a system to support that individual immediately. We will spend however long it takes on the phone with them while simultaneously working with our network of mental health professionals to get them in to talk to a specialist. From that moment on, we implement a system of ‘buddy checks’”, Mike explains.

A buddy check may seem simple, but in truth, it is something we can all do. When we know someone may be going through a challenging time, it’s our time to pick up the phone and help them. The act of simply being there is immeasurable. Mike and Rick say, “Many are alive today because of buddy checks.”

“While hearing a story from a civilian about their trauma is impactful, we have found that hearing from and learning from former officers who have done the job they are performing creates more opportunities and a space where they feel empowered to come forward and ask for assistance.” Self-disclosure typically occurs when the sharer feels the receiver is similar to them.

One year after its founding, OSI has received overwhelming support. The organization has partnered with the Orlando Magic, organized numerous successful fundraisers, participated in speaking engagements, taught crisis intervention classes, and provided mental health training at the police academy. Most importantly, it is proud of the 47 first responder lives impacted and ultimately saved by its efforts.

“We have had several police chiefs reach out to us to speak at their departments, where we ultimately get to carry our mission further.” Mike shares that he was speaking at a class when he was flagged down by someone who shared they were going to end their life, and this class was their “last chance.” OSI was able to get them into therapy within 15 minutes.