A message from Chief Hooley to the membership:

I am deeply saddened to inform you that EMT Regina Phillips , A 19 days, passed away today. As a member of our Boston EMS family, and friend to many here, I regret having to share this news over email. She will be sincerely missed. Regina’s mother and daughter are in our hearts during this difficult time.

This is a tremendous loss for the department. If you need Peer Support, they remain available at 617-686-6820.

Arrangements will be announced once they are available. 

In Service,
Jim

A message from the BPPA-EMS Executive Board:

It is with a heavy heart that we send this reminder out to all members of BEMS-BPPA. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy, such as the loss of one of our own, for us to remember that life is short and we never know when our time will come. Below is a critical form that needs to be filled out in order to ensure your family’s security if your time comes unexpectedly. Everyone should print this form, fill it out, and return it to the Union Hall, any Executive Board member, or Representative immediately.

Please keep Regina’s family in your thoughts and prayers, and rest assured that the Union, Department, and City Hall are working together to ensure that they receive LODD benefits. Below is the link to the required form

Fraternally,

BEMS-BPPA Executive Board

https://files.constantcontact.com/593dcaff701/be701eb1-ec97-4d59-ba3f-2e763d52c4e3.pdf

A message from the U.C.E.P Executive Board:

With the devastating loss of Regina we lost not only a coworker, friend, and confidant, but our Sista. U.C.E.P, the Command staff, Union and BEMSRA remain in contact with the Phillips family and will continue to support them. We have remained in contact with Peer support, and will continue to collaborate during this time of loss. Peer support resources are available and if you require services but are not comfortable doing so yourself, please contact Lee Alexander for a confidential referral to a team clinician or a vetted community based clinician.

A message from Peer support:

Clinicians and members of the Peer support team remain available to the membership 24/7 during this difficult time. Remember its okay to not be okay and practice good self care. Peer support can be reached at 617-686-6820. If you choose to not contact a member of the team, clinicians can be directly contacted at PSUclinician@gmail.com for 1 to 1 appointments. An alternate point of contact for services has been established through the executive board of U.C.E.P who identified Lee Alexander as their point of contact. All referrals will remain confidential, requests from U.C.E.P for services will be completed without exchanging demographic information.

When you receive the initial death notification, you may feel immobilized. You may experience feelings of shock, disbelief, and denial as you hear the notification. You are trying to process all of the information that it is being shared with you. You may also have many questions. As you process all of this information, your senses may become more heightened. Many people can remember a traumatic experience clearly with something they have smelled, seen, heard, touched, or tasted. Your heart rate and blood pressure may dramatically increase. There are many emotions that can be experienced during this time including fear, anger, confusion, shame, guilt, and grief. At times, this may feel like an emotional roller coaster. You may feel exhausted and tire easy. It may be helpful to visit a medical professional or peer support clinician if any of these symptoms persist for an extended period of time. Recovering from a traumatic event will take time and may not be easy. Everyone responds differently to trauma. No one is reacting in a right or wrong way—just differently. Don’t expect too much of yourself and of others.

Things to remember:

• Ask questions. You may wonder what type of assistance is available and what will happen next. Find out what will be expected of you in days to come, so you can plan ahead for any new stressful circumstances.
• Delay making major decisions whenever possible. You may think a big change will make you feel better. It may not necessarily ease the pain. Give yourself time to get through the most hectic times and adjust before making decisions that will affect the rest of your life.
• Remember to breathe. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths until you feel calm.
• Simplify your life for awhile. Make a list of things that you are responsible for in your life. Then look at your list and see which things are absolutely necessary. Is there anything you can put aside for awhile? Are there things you can let go of completely?
• Take care of your mind and body. Eat healthy food and exercise regularly. Exercise may help improve your mood and help you sleep better too.
• Avoid using alcohol and illegal drugs. These substances may temporarily block the pain, but they will keep you from healing.
• Establish new routines.
• Avoid overtaxing yourself with too much activity.
• Keep the phone number of a good friend nearby to call when you feel overwhelmed or begin to feel a sense of panic.
• Rely on people you trust. Seek information, advice, and help from them.
• Seek professional assistance when needed. Just as there are doctors and nurses who are trained to help heal the body, there are professionals who are trained to help people recover from loss and cope with emotional pain.

Clinicians can be reached at PSUclincian@gmail.com or by calling the team at 617-686-6820