Vernon cop heads out on 239 kilometre walk

VERNON – A Vernon RCMP officer is setting out to walk almost 250 kilometres in an effort to raise awareness for first responders dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders.

According to a Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media release, Sgt. Rob Farrer will set out this Sunday, Oct. 6, to walk 239 km, which he estimated will take around 60 hours.

Sgt. Farrer hopes his walk will raise awareness about the realities of first responders' work, and the traumatic experiences they experience at work. These experiences can often cause Operational Stress Injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The sergeant will begin his epic jaunt by leaving the Vernon RCMP detachment and head to the rail trail and onto Oyama, around Wood Lake and back. He will continue doing this until he reaches his kilometre goal.

"More and more research is showing that the number of police officers with PTSD or related Occupational Stress Injuries is well over double that of the general public and sadly this often leads to significant decreases in quality of life of both the officers and their families," RCMP Sgt. Rob Farrer said in the release. "While not always curable, PTSD can be dealt with in a positive way in order to achieve a meaningful life. The first step is to reach out for help."

The walk will raise funds for OSI-CAN, and the charity's Courageous Companions program, providing service dogs for members suffering longterm Operational Stress Injuries. The cost to train and acquire a dog is $25,000.

To donate to Sgt. Farrerr's Gofundme page go here.

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