F.E.A.R...

Law Enforcement Officers are some of the most Fearful individual’s alive and it is one of sole reasons we survive. Fear isn’t only a four letter word, it is an emotional and mental response to stress that has been with humanity since the beginning. This response is directly responsible for the survival and growth of human kind over the ages. 

All others perished from the Earth, while Humans remain and are prospering evermore because of the initial Fear. This discussion is goal oriented at exploring the Fear attribute contained in all LEOs and how it keeps them going during critical incidents or situations. 

Fear is that emotional and mental response to a stimuli that is perceived as threatening or dangerous. Fear is ingrained, learned, and known….Scared is the opposite. Scared is the act of being in Fear of something/someone in an actual moment. Scared is temporary, relieved over time, and comforted down to a point of just being alarmed. But Fear remains even when Scared goes away. Fear isn’t a bad thing, again it is the sole reason humanity has persevered throughout the ages while others have fallen into extinction. 

LEOs are able to utilized Fear without being Scared, this allows us to move and think while in critical incidents and situations that would normally cause the Fight or Flight section to the brain to take over. The Fear is present, however the threat itself is understood and prepared for in the officer’s mind. 

During critical incidents all the associated emotional, physical, and mental responses are heightened just like in normal people, however LEOs train to counteract the side effects associated with the human body’s release of all restrictions once it enters self-preservation mode. Hence, instead of running wildly away from the threat LEOs are able to take that energy and guide it towards resolving the situation. 

During times of Fear the brain ramps up processing of all incoming information from the senses, it slows digestion, increase oxygen intake, and starts pumping out chemicals associated with keeping muscles working hard for longer. LEOs are in this very state during critical incidents, we are literally ready for anything. Information is received, processed, and a response is generated almost instantaneously. 

Fear is truly one of the greatest attributes LEOs have access to, it differs from regular peoples Fear in that it is honed and integrated into all of the LEOs responses when it comes to acting in stressful situations. It protects us and enables us to protect those that can’t protect themselves. 

My challenge to you is to recognize Fear when you encounter a stressful situation and use it to get through it…

F.E.A.R…