Page 10 - July2021

First Vice President’s Report
Making personal time a priority
As we get further into the summer days here in Chicago, the Department has once again reiterat- ed its stance that officer wellness is just something to talk about. Over the last year, the Lodge has tak- en a frontline approach to making sure our mem- bers are getting the much-needed support they deserve. We have been in constant talks with 35th Street in this regard to try and get more involved with how the Department provides officer support and wellness programs. The talks have been many,
and much progress has been made. The most difficult part in the process is getting the City to make a real commitment to each and every one of our members.
If you haven’t already heard, the Lodge has created our very own Officer Health and Wellness app, which is available to all FOP members and their families. You can email me at michael. mette@chicagofop.org and I will send you the info to download the app. Right now, the app has tons of information about what affects us the most in our daily lives. As we grow the app, there will be more and more information, along with other useful in- teractive applications to help members relieve stress and anxi- ety within our work and personal lives.
The Department’s willingness to push its officers to exhaus- tion is a major concern with the Lodge. We have a scheduled
hearing with Arbitrator Ruomell on July 20 and 21 with the hopes of putting a stop to the senseless cancellation of days off. We are optimistic Arbitrator Ruomell will see that our safety concerns outweigh any usefulness of this type of policy. The more exhausted PO is a less effective PO and creates situations that ordinarily would not occur. I would think this is a pret- ty simple concept to understand, yet here we are dealing with RDOs being cancelled and 12-hour-plus days becoming the norm.
As the Lodge keeps fighting the brass regarding these morale-crushing schedules, I would like to remind everyone to take time out of each day to decompress. This is easier said than done with such little time to do so. But try to schedule some time with your significant other, family or friends, even if just for a short period. Take your personals each and every shift and find a quiet place in the district or squad to listen to your favorite music. Taking an active approach toward making some “me” time will help in coping with the never-ending long days!
If you find yourself truly exhausted, do not hesitate to take a day or two on the medical. You have benefits and you deserve to use them! The field reps at the Lodge are available 24/7, and if you need to talk, please reach out to us. As always stay safe and keep looking out for each other!
MICHAEL METTE
10 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2021