Evaluation and studies with first responders

Firefighters, police officers, paramedics and dispatchers are asked how they are doing by people they have no reason to trust, on forms that were never built for their work. We work with first responders, and we have carried out studies with them and with veterans using both standardized tools and tools we built for the purpose.

We have worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Movember, among many others.

Talk to us about it

What this work requires of an evaluator

Trust before data. First responders answer honestly when they believe the answers cannot be traced back to them or used against them. Confidentiality is designed in, and explained plainly.
The right tool for the question. Standardized instruments let you compare your people with published norms and with other departments. Custom tools capture what is particular to your service, your shifts and your calls. Most studies need both.
Short instruments that fit a shift. A survey that takes forty minutes will not be completed by anyone who has just come off a night.
Care with sensitive subjects, including post-traumatic stress, depression and suicide, with a route to help built into every survey and interview.
Findings that leadership, unions and the rank and file can all read and act on.

What we do in this field

We are a mixed-methods practice. The numbers show what changed and by how much. Interviews, focus groups and observations show why. We design both into the evaluation from the start, read each against the other, and report them as one story.

Study design, logic models and evaluation plans for wellness, peer support and mental health programs
Surveys using standardized instruments, and custom tools designed and tested for your service
Focus groups and interviews with responders, families, peer supporters and command staff
Needs assessments for a department, a region or a state association
Process, outcome and impact evaluation, with qualitative and quantitative analysis
Data management that protects the people behind the data
Expert data visualization, and final reporting in multiple formats: full report, executive summary, slide deck, one-page brief or dashboard

Funding and next steps

Applying for funding? We write the evaluation plan with you at no charge. Need one defined study or survey? See services. Related: veteran support services and suicide prevention.

Looking after the people who look after everyone else?

Tell us about the service and what you want to learn. You will hear back within one business day.

Every inquiry is confidential. We never sell or share your information. Privacy policy.