“There was just that smell that saturated my whole body. My hair, my skin, my whole respiratory system.”
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That’s Officer Gerry Realin, talking about the smell of death that still haunts him in the wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre that left 49 revelers dead and at least 50 others seriously injured.
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Two months since the attack, Realin tells The Orlando Sentinel that he still sees “all the red.”
Realin was one of seven members of the Orlando Police Department’s hazmat team assigned the horrible task of removing each body from the nightclub; a duty he says they carried out with “dignity.”
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Now, he’s been diagnosed with PTSD, but the father of two is worried he won’t be able to support his family, since the condition can’t be claimed as a work-related injury in Florida.
Realin, a 12-year police veteran, managed to show up to work for about two weeks after the attack, but then he began calling in sick or leaving the job early.
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Soon, he began using sick leave and vacation days before ultimately being put on paid leave.
Now, he wants all that time reinstated.
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Though it was Realin’s own psychologist who put him on “no work” status, Florida law currently doesn’t cover the psychological problems of first responders.
His family and lawyers want to shed light on Realin’s situation in the hope of changing the law.
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According to Ron Clark of Connecticut-based group Badge of Life, only five states in the entire country pay workers’ comp for psychological problems brought on by the job.
“Usually if you break your leg in law enforcement and have psychological issues, you go out on workman’s comp,” he says. “Not with psych-only issues.”
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He estimates there are around 100,000 officers nationwide suffering from PTSD, a condition that only worsens upon discovering that the law-enforcement industry is mercilessly slow in providing any sort of financial assistance in these cases. They have a much higher rate of suicide attempts than other officers, too.
“The man that left my house that morning did not come back to me that night,” says wife Jessica Realin. “He’s still not back.”
DDstar1me
This is sad. Poor thang. I hope they can work something out in his favour.
Best wishes to a hero.
Kangol
He really should be receiving all the help he needs. Florida needs to change this law, ASAP.
zipperzone
I find this to be absolutely disgusting.
I wonder why his union (presuming there is one in Orlando) isn’t on top of this. Their next contract renewal should have this provision added.
Sluggo2007
Just for the record, Queerty, it’s first RESPONDER, not RESPONSER.
Blackceo
Is this a Florida thing or is this nationwide? I am APPALLED that Florida law doesn’t cover psychological trauma of first responders. They are FIRST RESPONDERS!!!! I actually want to do some research to find out what other states are like this. How on earth could there not at least be a provision for extreme cases. I’m sure the Orlando Massacre would qualify as one.
What is it with this country and the lack of mental health care and funding? Its only recently that more attention has been paid to programs for veterans coming back with psychological issues but its still not enough. This is terrible.
Blackceo
Oh oops…missed it in the article. Only 5 states pay for psychological trauma that occurs on the job. That is ridiculous. I need to find out if my state is one of the 5.
Jason G
So sad. 🙁