Down Regulator Skills Training is the innovative instruction program launched by the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), and Wounded Warriors Canada. The Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier with LPS says it is the first of its kind in North America. Grobmeier also says the aim of this initiative is to empower police officers and other first responders who regularly face threats of death, serious injury, or violence, with practical interventions to reduce the risk of traumatic injury.
He says it’s estimated that over half of civilians will experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. In contrast, police officers are exposed to approximately three to five traumatic events every six months. That means officers may experience up to 200 per cent more trauma than the average person.