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MEET CHIEF ROBERT GUSTAFSON |
Chief Robert Gustafson was appointed the City of Orange 's 33rd Police Chief on August 2, 2004
after 28 years with the Orange Police Department.
He is a recipient of the department's "Award of
Distinction" and was twice named, “Supervisor of the Year."
Over the years, Chief Gustafson has seen many changes in
policing. He says that
early in his career, there were few resources for officers and
that it was frustrating.
Particularly frustrating was the lack of resources available to
officers trying to assist those who were confronting death or
other tragedies.
Chief Gustafson remembers as a young
officer having to deal with death on almost every shift. He
still vividly remembers being called to the home of an elderly
couple where the wife had died. Not having a TIP program to call
on, young Gustafson stayed with the elderly husband giving him
support, and then regularly checked in on him.
He became friends with the man and remains friends with
him to this day! Today,
Chief Gustafson sees an increasing awareness in police
departments not only of the needs of victims but also of the
emotional needs of police officers. He believes that the quality
of services addressing the emotional needs of officers and the
public has improved significantly.
He views TIP as one of those services which
not only meets the immediate needs of citizens in crisis
but also provides a service which benefits his officers. “TIP's work not only benefits those who receive TIP
services, but also gives officers peace of mind, knowing that
those in distress are left in caring and competent hands," he
says.
Although Chief Gustafson was very supportive when TIP began
serving the City of Orange he says that the program has exceeded
his expectations. " TIP
has delivered a much higher quality of service with deeper
impact than I expected.
The quality of TIP's committed volunteers makes the organization
excellent," he stated.
Mr.
Wayne Fortin, Founder and CEO of the
TIP organization agrees that it's the quality of TIP Volunteers
that makes TIP an excellent organization.
However, Fortin
also believes that the success of TIP in any city is also
directly tied to the commitment of its police and fire chiefs to
providing citizens with compassionate service.
“Chief Gustafson's support of TIP has been essential to
the programs acceptance and utilization by the police officers
in his department," says Fortin.
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PATTI MACLEITH
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TIP VOLUNTEER |
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TIP Volunteer Patti MacLeith
has lived in the same home in Garden Grove for the last
27 years. There, she and her husband Dan raised their four children,
ages 17, 21, 23 and 24. Patti first became aware of TIP in
2003 when she received a TIP flyer. She filed the flyer away as a
volunteer opportunity she would consider when her children were
grown. Today four years later, Patti is a seasoned TIP Volunteer who
has responded to many TIP Calls. She is so seasoned that when she is
on call, she is able to go about her normal activities without the
anxiety she had when she began as a new volunteer. Of course,
when on call, Patti is always ready to respond to a call from the
TIP Dispatcher. She even carries a cooler in her car in case
she is dispatched. Initially, Patti's primary concern
was whether or not she would be accepted by those she was called to
help. She wondered whether traumatized citizens would let a
stranger into their lives. She has learned that after being
introduced by an emergency responder or nurse that clients always
welcome and accept her.
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Patti has found her niche in TIP.
She not only responds to TIP calls but she volunteers for TIP
in a number of other ways. She is on the TIP
Speakers Bureau and she briefs emergency responder on when and how
to call for TIP Volunteers. Also, she has adopted
a number of dispatch centers. On a monthly basis,
Patti delivers goodie baskets to emergency dispatchers and talks to
them about TIP. She knows that 911 dispatchers
are critical to the successful operation of TIP, and she is
determined to keep TIP in front of them.
According to Debbie Simpson, TIP's
Crisis Team Manager, Patti MacLeith is an invaluable member of the
TIP organization. "Patti’s compassion for people is evident when she
is on call," says Simpson. "She has used her past
experiences to become a great asset to our program, "
she said.
When not volunteering for TIP,
Patti has a full life and spends her time traveling, gardening,
scrapbooking and stamping cards. Patti and her
husband are looking forward to retiring in the
Cambria area in five years. According
to Debbie Simpson, the TIP organization hopes to keep Patti involved
in the Orange County Chapter until then.
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