New ‘Veterans Response Team’ looking for volunteers in Findlay

FINDLAY, Ohio (WTVG) - Veterans helping Veterans during a time of need is the goal of a new organization in Findlay, working alongside law enforcement.

The Veterans Response Team, spearheaded by Dan Harmon, a retired police officer with the city of Findlay, who now works for the Hancock County Veterans Service Office, saw a need.

“I want them to know that we’re here for them. We want you to call somebody. Don’t take this on by yourself. I can tell you it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help,” Harmon said.

As a police officer, Harmon spent 20 years running the crisis intervention team for all of Hancock County.

“A co-response of veterans that get trained with battle buddies, de-escalation training and mental health first aide,” Harmon added.

The program will train Veterans in crisis intervention and what Harman calls mental health first aid so they can co-respond with law enforcement throughout Hancock County to de-escalate situations involving veterans.

“During that time as a law enforcement officer we had some veterans that had some mental health crisis’s and that was where we decided that hey, we need to something a little bit better,” Harmon said.

Harmon said they are looking for veterans that are good listeners to join the new volunteer crisis intervention team.

“Is very empathetic. You have to understand what that person is going through. If you’ve meet one veteran, you’ve meet one veteran, everybody has a different life, everybody has a different story,” Harmon said.

Nichole Coleman, executive director of the County Veterans Service Office, said when a veteran responds along with police, there is usually an instant connection between the two veterans.

“And while a lot of the law enforcement are veterans, they’re in uniform. Crisis response team people, who respond or the veteran’s response team members, they are not in uniform.

“You know, so, they can just go and just connect, and the law enforcement then is there to make sure everything stays safe,” Coleman said.

Harmon said veterans who would like to go through the training will be interviewed beforehand.

“We’ve lost some friends, and we’ve lost some battle buddies, and we’ve lost some brother and sister, we don’t want to lose you,” Harmon added.

Veterans interested in volunteering can email veterans@co.hancock.oh.us or call 419-424-7036.

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