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Startling surveillance footage from Greenville, South Carolina, shows how quickly parking spaces can turn violent. Overhead surveillance video shows a vehicle slowly driving through a station parking lot, pulling alongside a marked patrol car and the driver firing incendiary rounds into a parked patrol vehicle before driving away. The officer, shot multiple times, was later released from the hospital.
In this Wellness Brief video, Emily Hitchings and Greg Friese use the attack to unpack a tension every public safety professional knows, staying vigilant without sliding into hypervigilance.
“Vigilance is something that all of us need in public safety,” Hitchings said. Vigilance is situational awareness where your head is on a swivel. An officer is alert, but not overwhelmed.
Hitchings said hypervigilance is when that state crosses a line, showing up as anxiety, an increased startle reflex and other unhealthy behaviors that can shrink life off duty.
Hitchings said the first step is awareness, often prompted when loved ones push back, followed by intentional recovery. Recovery may include:
- Good downtime
- Mindfulness
- Time outdoors
- Cardiovascular exercise
The top takeaway for officers and leaders is to train for vigilance on the job and train for decompression for life after shift.
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“Even when you’re in your own, your own parking lot or building, you still have to be vigilant.”
About The Brief: Wellness Edition
The Brief: Wellness Edition video series explores the wellness implications of current events for public safety professionals. Each episode brings a timely conversation that connects unfolding events to the day-to-day realities of first responders.
