Do you know Redmond has volunteer Chaplains to serve city Fire and Police?

Chaplains Pat Hammon and Phyllis Rogers with Redmond firemen.

Did you know the City has their own Chaplains? Two years ago, I was walking home from church on 166th Ave. and saw a tangled bicycle in the middle of the road. Chaplain Hammon was on the scene. Last month, Chaplain Rogers invited me for an interview. And, as the saying goes.. "I had nooo idea....."

Our city Chaplains are professional volunteers trained to support our Police, Fire and Medic personnel whether it is job related or personal. My original impression of a chaplain's purpose was "death notification". Supporting a family during and after death notification is a challenging part of their job description but not their primary responsibility.

Chaplain Hammon and Rogers first priority is to the Police, Fire (including Emergency Medical Technicians) and Medics. Do you remember when a wall collapsed at a Microsoft site on 520 and a worker was killed? It was a frightening time. Chaplains from Redmond and one from Bellevue were at the scene for five hours performing what they do best -- the calming "ministry of presence".

Chaplains are professionally trained in critical incident stress management. They are trained in helping build resilience by: 1) being available to talk, 2) giving guidance, and 3) helping victims get connected with their support system. Chaplains administer emotional and relational support and only on request provide spiritual support.

The Chaplain's "gift of availability" is a cornerstone of their work. Their work doesn't end with "the event" or an incident. Chaplains are there for our Fire, Medics, and Police, 24/7. They carry pagers. Pat jokingly calls his presence at the station as "loitering on purpose". Chaplains regularly do "ride alongs" and station visits with Police, Fire, and Medics. They even wear bullet proof vests with the police.

Phyllis Rogers has been City Chaplain for 2 years. She is also a Licensed Family Therapist with a depth of personal knowledge and experience. Pat Hammon, a paster, started the program full-time in 1997 when he formed a nonprofit to support his City Chaplain service. City Church (Kirkland) is his largest donor. The City of Redmond supplies office space, some training, and radios. The City is looking for 3-4 additional Chaplain volunteers from the faith community of any faith to be on call for 24 hrs/ week. Contact Chaplain Pat Hammon, pat@pcitychaplain.org to volunteer.

"The City Chaplain" nonprofit service organization mission statement

Providing Leadership, Training and Professional Standards for Police and Fire Chaplains who have a Shared Vision of Partnering with Local Churches in Serving Their City Through Times of Crisis.

story and photo by Bob Yoder