The Phoenix Police Department has five volunteer chaplains who are assigned to EAU. These five chaplains serve employees and intercede relative to ministerial concerns. Although the Department’s chaplains are volunteers, they respond to critical and traumatic incidents, injured employees, and major crime scenes when requested. The chaplains also get to know officers and break down barriers by riding with officers in different positions throughout the Department. All chaplains have attended CISM/peer support training, and some chaplains assist EAU with department training. Since April of 2015, Phoenix Police Department Chaplains have logged 11,324 volunteer hours assisting department employees (C. Abril, personal communications, October 13, 2020). Chaplains are the third prong in the Department’s three-pronged approach to employee wellness.
One of the Department’s chaplains left his job as a full-time paster to become a volunteer chaplain. After officiating many police funerals, Chaplain Fesmire felt a calling to give back to police employees and their families who give so much to the communities they serve. Since he left his ministry position to become a volunteer chaplain, Chaplain Fesmire has recorded nearly 10,500 hours of service since April 2015 (C. Abril, personal communications, October 13, 2020). By making the Phoenix Police Department his ministry, Chaplain Fesmire has made a tremendous impact on the faith of many throughout the Department. No matter their beliefs, his willingness to be by their side and hold what he has been told in complete confidence has allowed Chaplain Fesmire to build a relationship with officers. In 2019, Chaplain Fesmire had approximately 1,100 telephone conversations, 578 in-person visits, 89 critical incident callouts, and attended 89 squad briefings, all with Phoenix Police Department employees (Paracleteaz.com).