Dear Members of the Industrial Insurance Medical Advisory Committee (IIMAC):

On behalf of the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS) and the thousands of currently commissioned and retired peace officers in our membership we write today to urge the Department of Labor & Industries (Department) to heed the suggestions from us and others that are either first responders, or provide care to first responders. To be sure, no peace officer in Washington state is making a PTSD claim on a lark. While some agencies are slowly moving their culture toward one of openness and support of shared trauma, that is not the norm. Any peace officer making a claim has suffered and has concluded the risk of exposure and negative fallout is better than the way they are currently living.

Read the full letter HERE.