The Official Publication of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association Wisconsin Police Journal January 2020 • Vol. 88, No. 1 The WPPA's 2020 CONVENTION Featuring new seminars provided by DOJ staff and approved toward your annual recertification and an inspirational presentation by noted speaker and author Jason Schechterle Registration Information Inside New! The WPPA MOBILE APPMOBILE APPWisconsin Police Journal - 2 Wisconsin Professional Police Association January 2020 • Vol. 88, No. 1 OFFICERS President – Todd Hoover, Racine Vice President – Nichelle Nelson, Waukesha Treasurer – Mike Chinander, Eau Claire Secretary – Brian Barbour, Oneida County Sergeant at Arms – Steven Bartels, Waukesha DIRECTORS James Brigham – Dane County Don Burrows – Polk County Sgts. Jeffrey Darst – Superior Danielle Engen – Onalaska Dan Frei – Madison Dale Gerbig, II – La Crosse Justin Greuel – Eau Claire Nicholas Groth – Racine Mark Hollister – Chippewa County Ted Knoeck – Marathon County Dennis LeCaptain – Janesville Travis Levandowski – Portage County Mark Moderson – Appleton Kurt Pierce – Dane County Sups. Terry Pockat – Onedia County Kelly Powers – Madison Robert Richardson – Dane County Andrew Rosenow – La Crosse Trevor Rud – Pepin County Nick Stachula – West Allis Travis Tuttle – Fond du Lac EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James L. Palmer, II GENERAL OPERATIONS OFFICE 660 John Nolen Dr., Suite 300, Madison WI 53713 (608) 273-3840; (608) 273-3904 Fax Web Site: www.wppa.com Editor and Design: Julie Neeley Printing: Thysse Printing; Oregon, WI 53575 CORRESPONDENCE Address all magazine editorial correspondence to: WPPA, 660 John Nolen Dr., Suite 300, Madison WI 53713 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Wisconsin Police Journal 660 John Nolen Dr., Suite 300, Madison, WI 53713 ABOUT THE WISCONSIN POLICE JOURNAL The WISCONSIN POLICE JOURNAL (ISSN 1086-5187) Vol. 88, No. 1, is owned and published by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, 660 John Nolen Dr., Suite 300, Madison, WI 53713. The WISCONSIN POLICE JOURNAL is published quarterly (January, April, July and October) and is circulated to dues-paying members of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Members’ subscriptions are included in dues. For retirees and non-members, the subscription price is $12 per year. Subscriptions will be accepted only from bona fide law enforcement officers and students enrolled in law enforcement. COPYRIGHT & POSTAGE Periodical Postage Paid at Madison, Wisconsin, and additional mailing offices. Material contained herein shall not be reproduced in any form without express advanced written permission. Manuscripts and photos will not be returned unless accompanied by an addressed, stamped envelope. Copyright© 2019 Wisconsin Professional Police Association Purposes And Aims Of The Wisconsin Police Journal The Official Publication of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association The Wisconsin Police Journal is the voice of thousands of WPPA members throughout Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Police Journal is dedicated to the following principles: • To disseminate important news and information affecting the WPPA membership. • To publicize the purposes, programs and public service projects of the WPPA. • To inform government officials and state legislators of the problems and concerns of the membership. • To inform the citizens of Wisconsin of the duties of the law enforcement officer and to encourage public acceptance of, and compliance with, the laws of the state. • To reflect the proper and deserved image of law enforcement officers in order to help them perform their responsibilities to provide security for all persons and protect the rights of the individual regardless of race, creed or religion. • To defend and promote the integrity of law enforcement officers who, at great personal sacrifice, are devoting their lives and careers to the noble profession of law enforcement. Wisconsin Police Journal - 2 Table of Contents Message From the President p. 3 Hitting the Street Without Your Ballistic Vest? Extended Legal Protection Plan p. 4 Executive Director's Report p. 5 From the Desk of Attorney General Josh Kaul p. 7 "Reforming Wisconsin's Emergency Detention Process" Check Out Our New App p. 7 WPPA's 88th Annual Convention • Agenda & Hotel Information p. 8 • Keynote Speaker Jason Schechterle p. 9 • Notice of Annual Meeting p. 9 • Registration p. 10 • Child Care Registration p. 11 Special Olympics • Polar Plunge p. 12 • Volunteer of the Year Award Nomination Info p. 12 • Two of Our LETR's Finest Honored by State Lawmakers p. 13 Upcoming DOJ Trainings p. 14 Run for WPPA Board of Directors p. 14 Retired Members p. 15 WPPA Scholarship p. 15 WPPA Service Awards Nominations pp. 16-17 WPPA Merchandise pp. 18-19MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT I don’t know about you, but a large part of me was glad to put 2019 in the rear-view mirror. In addition to being another trying year as an officer – my 25th, in fact – it was a difficult one for other reasons as well. It was marked by contention in the form of a public dispute between my local association and the mayor of my city and by tragedy with the loss of a close friend and fellow officer. Despite that, I try not to lose sight of the positive things that occurred in 2019 and look forward to the productive changes the new year will bring – especially from the perspective of this organization. The WPPA has continued to expand the ways in which it serves you, and our membership has continued to grow as a result. Of the many new groups that came on board last year, I am thrilled to welcome the lieutenants in Grand Chute and the supervisory officers in Caledonia as the most recent to join our proud ranks. The persistent growth of the membership reflects the WPPA’s effectiveness, adds to the collective influence and reach that we enjoy at the State Capitol in Madison, and it helps the organization ensure that the WPPA is there when you need it the most, regardless of the issue or the time of day or night when that need might be the greatest – all at an affordable rate. On that note, I am pleased to report that the budget approved in December by the WPPA’s Board of Directors does not include any increase in your monthly dues. Controlling the costs that you pay this organization for the many services it provides has been a priority for the board for many years now, and the fact that we have been so successful in this regard is a testament to the staff that serve this organization and to the WPPA’s efforts to meet your dynamic needs. For instance, as highlighted on the cover of this issue, we recently established a new way for our members to get information and otherwise connect with us through the WPPA Mobile App. Now available to download from the App Store and Google Play, the WPPA Mobile App allows members to obtain guidance about disciplinary issues and critical incidents, enroll or re-enroll in the Extended Legal Protection Plan, receive news alerts regarding the latest developments impacting you on a statewide basis, or to contact WPPA staff directly with a question or in the case of an emergency situation. Reaching out to the WPPA has never been easier, and we are launching this software after a year in the making. I am also very happy to announce a new addition to the WPPA’s field staff for 2020. On January 1, Kevin Sorenson began as a business agent out of Marathon, where he resides. If some of you recognize his name, you should, as he was my predecessor as WPPA President before he retired from law enforcement in 2016 after 30 years in the profession. Prior to that, Kevin had worked as an officer in Marshfield, Clark County, Mosinee and Portage County, along with service in the Army’s Military Police. Kevin was the president of his former local association for several years, and he helped negotiate several contracts and represent members facing disciplinary action for a broad assortment of conduct. Also, as a WPPA Award for Valor recipient, Kevin is all-too-familiar with the stress officers encounter following a critical incident and the importance of guiding them through the intense investigative process. We are thrilled to call Kevin back into service and we are confident that he is ideally-suited to hit the ground running. Lastly, if you haven’t already made plans to attend the WPPA’s Annual Convention on April 25-26, I encourage you to do so right away. Regardless of whether you’ve attended our conventions in the past, this year’s convention will host some phenomenal speakers and presenters and will include new seminars from the Wisconsin Department of Justice and approved for credit by the Law Enforcement Standards Board. As always, the biggest highlight of the event is our incredibly moving service awards ceremony. In light of the difficult year now behind us, I’m sure that this year’s awards ceremony will be as poignant as ever. If you haven’t already marked your calendars, please consider doing so as soon as possible. Like any year, 2020 will bring with it a great deal of change – whether we’re ready for it or not. As far as the changes impacting the WPPA, they are extremely positive and indicative that we are prepared to meet your needs, protect your rights and stand up for you and your profession. As Wisconsin’s largest law enforcement group, we take our obligation to you and your families very seriously and we believe that we demonstrate that commitment with our efforts to provide you with an unparalleled level of service year-in and year-out. We’ve got your six. Todd Hoover Comments and letters can be sent to: hoover1803@sbcglobal.net Wisconsin Police Journal - 3Hitting the Street Without Your Ballistic Vest? Throughout recorded history, humans have used various types of materials as body armor to protect themselves from injury in combat and other dangerous situations. In 1976, scientists came to the conclusion that Kevlar was bullet-resistant, wearable and light enough for police officers to wear full-time. Since that time, bulletproof vests have improved significantly, and most patrol officers depend on them as a basic safety precaution. Indeed, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, bulletproof vests have saved over 3,100 officers' lives since 1987. The WPPA Extended Legal Protection Plan (ELPP) is similar to that bulletproof vest: a simple way to shield yourself from a situation that could devastate you and your family at any time. Since we launched the ELPP in January of last year, almost 1,400 WPPA members have spent just 10 minutes and $72 to enroll in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from what could be significant financial loss. In our first two years of experience, WPPA attorneys have taken on several cases. They haven't been the types of circumstances that attract headlines, but involve issues that officers encounter every day in every area of our state: • An officer suffering from the effects of numerous duty-related concussions; • An officer diagnosed with PTSD as a result of being threatened and stalked after a shooting; and • An officer that developed a hearing loss caused by 30 years of exposure to the loud noises that are common to the law enforcement profession. As is common practice, all of these cases were initially rejected by the employer's worker's comp administrator, and ordinarily the officers would have had to make the tough choice between hiring an attorney or trying to navigate all the complicated medical and legal paperwork alone. But each of these officers had made the wise choice to spend $72 to enroll in the ELPP. Each one has the huge advantage of being guided and represented by WPPA attorneys at no additional charge. No matter how complicated their case, none of these folks will pay any more than $72 annually. They each have a legal equivalent of a ballistic vest. But...every few weeks we get a call from someone hoping against hope that they had enrolled in the ELPP because now something has happened to remind them that they had recognized what a great benefit it was, but had put if off for a later day and now couldn't remember whether they had ever gotten to it. Here are a few examples of those that forgot to don their legal bulletproof vest: • An officer exposed, on the job, to a lethal substance, resulting in a significant long-term medical condition; • An officer assaulted during an arrest that suffered an injury requiring surgery; and • An officer that stepped out of his squad, slipped on the ice and cracked his head. Each of these cases will likely cost the officer thousands of dollars. Each is at risk of using most or all of his available leave and losing out on overtime, as well as facing the decision whether to hire an attorney or try to deal with the insurance company alone. Each of them wishes that they had someone in their corner, protecting their interest without charging an arm and a leg. Each of them wishes they had grabbed their legal bulletproof vest before hitting the street. On the flip side, we have also seen circumstances in which a member believed he had a valid claim but, after review, it was determined that he did not. In these cases, participation in the ELPP saved the officers from hiring a lawyer and spending a lot of their own time and money in fruitless pursuit. Worker's comp and duty disability claims are very frequent and very complicated. Most claims are rejected out-of-hand, as the insurance companies work in the interest of the employers. At the WPPA, we work exclusively for our members and, for $72 per year, we will extend our services to protect you in a wide range of situations stemming from your capacity as a law enforcement officer. Extended Legal Protection Plan Highlights: 1. Under this optional plan, the WPPA will cover all of the costs in connection to the following types of legal matters that are not currently covered by your WPPA membership: Criminal defense in actions stemming from conduct performed in the capacity of a law enforcement officer; Civil defense (e.g., civil rights claims) in actions stemming from conduct performed in the capacity of a law enforcement officer for which an officer’s employer does not provide representation; Worker’s compensation cases; and Duty disability cases. 2. This plan is only available to full-service members in good standing and members from retainer local associations that do not have binding arbitration. 3. Each member must enroll in the extended plan on an individual basis by completing the plan contract available at wppa.com and submitting the annual plan fee. Local associations may pay for their members out of their treasuries, but the WPPA must receive a signed extended plan contract and the annual plan fee for each individual member in order for them to be enrolled. 4. The annual fee for this extended legal plan is $72. 5. The plan even covers outside (non-WPPA) attorneys that have been vetted and approved by the WPPA. For more information about this important extended service option, or to enroll and begin receiving the added protection that it provides, visit our website: www.wppa.com. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Wisconsin Police Journal - 4EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT James L. Palmer, II Comments & letters can be sent to: palmer@wppa.com or on Twitter, @JimPalmerWI Wisconsin Police Journal - 5 The red dots denote fatal shootings and the gray dots denote non-fatal shootings. → Critical Incident Update Since the publication of our October issue, there have been shootings involving officers from Madison, Two Rivers, Monroe County, Sparta, Fox Crossing, Neenah, Kewaunee County, Waukesha, Oshkosh and Beloit. With the exception of two of them, all of the latest incidents resulted in fatalities. By mid-December, there have been 31 officer-involved shootings in Wisconsin in 2019. This figure not only exceeds last year’s total of 25 – it also represents the highest annual total recorded since the WPPA began collecting this data in 2014. As with every other year for which we have tracked this data, the vast majority of shootings in 2019 involved armed subjects. In fact, of the fatal shootings that occurred last year, all but one involved an armed subject. That particular case, which involved a mentally-ill man that violently attacked two officers, reinforces a well-recognized rule of thumb within law enforcement – that an individual, although unarmed, can nonetheless pose a deadly threat to officers and the public. One potential trend worth noting is the significant rise in the percentage of incidents that involve subjects with firearms. Whereas guns were once represented in about 60 percent of the annual OIDs, that number appears to be growing considerably. While additional years of data will be necessary to determine whether a trend, in fact, exists, the following chart provides a concerning snapshot of the increasing threats facing the brave men and women that serve our communities. WI Officer-Involved ShootingsWI Officer-Involved Shootings Involving Subjects Armed with Guns Another troubling indicator from 2019 stems from the significant number of shootings that took place in the Fox Valley region of the state. Of the total number of shootings that occurred last year (both fatal and non-fatal), nearly one-third of them took place in the Fox Valley. Even more startling is the fact that the fatal shootings involving officers from Fox Valley police agencies accounted for 35% of the 2019 statewide total. While it is unclear as to whether this is an anomaly or a troubling sign of the times for that part of the state, it is significant that such a large proportion of officer- involved shootings were concentrated in this area. Officer-InvolvedOfficer-Involved ShootingsShootings (2019)(2019) As Wisconsin’s largest law enforcement group, we believe it is incumbent upon us to protect and promote you, your profession and your ability to support your loved ones in a wide variety of ways. As difficult as it may be to believe, the WPPA is the only entity in Wisconsin to collect and track data relative to officer-involved shootings; a fact that remains just as true today as it was when we first undertook this effort in 2014. Since that time, there have been 164 officer- involved shootings throughout the state – and our dedicated staff of attorneys and business agents responded to the vast majority of them. Our analytical efforts not only help the WPPA manage its resources to ensure our ability to represent you when you need us the most, but they can also serve to instruct all of us as to any emerging trends that could impact your safety. Additionally, they have proven useful as part of the WPPA’s consistent efforts to educate the public and rebut the misperceptions that exist concerning the important jobs that you do and the challenges you face. Our commitment to informing ourselves – and the public – plays a pivot role in accomplishing that vital mission.Legislative Update In last January’s issue of the magazine, we previewed the priorities that the WPPA would pursue in the 2019-20 legislative session. Since that time, we have made tremendous gains in advancing our initiatives and protecting your interests. The hallmark achievement of the session thus far has been the enactment of a new law to ensure that the survivors of officers killed in the line of duty will be able to keep their health insurance. Nearly a decade in the making, this bill signing was an important day for our law enforcement community, and a special day for those within the WPPA that continued to work on this legislation year in and year out. Despite this historic achievement, the WPPA is hopeful to cross another long-held priority off of its to-do list. As reported to you a year ago, the WPPA has been working for several years to expand Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation laws to cover service-related post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Since 1974, officers in Wisconsin have suffered from a state Supreme Court decision which held that, in order for an employee’s mental injury to be compensable under the law, “the employee must show that the mental injury was caused by unusual stress of greater dimensions than the day-to- day emotional strain and tension experienced by similarly- situated employees.” This ruling, which was handed down six years before PTSD was even a recognized diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, has served to essentially foreclose the ability of officers suffering from work-related PTSD to get the time and treatment they need. As a result, officers have been forced to either return to duty while still suffering from a serious condition or leave the profession altogether. Insurance companies and the courts have basically held that old court edict to stand for the proposition that, when you signed up to be a police officer, you signed up to see horrific things. That is simply unacceptable. With an improved understanding of PTSD, a growing number of states around the country have amended their worker’s compensation laws to specifically cover law enforcement officers and other first responders when they sustain PTSD as a result of their employment. The WPPA has spent considerable time and effort in researching the legislative developments occurring elsewhere throughout the country in order to advance a meaningful change in the law here in Wisconsin. While the 2017-18 session of the state legislature ended before our proposal could make it to the Governor’s desk, we were successful in growing the support and public awareness surrounding this important effort. Historically, any and all legislative proposals impacting the state’s worker's compensation system must first garner the approval of the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC). Connected to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the Council consists of individuals representing the interests of the business community as well as the labor community, and its mission is to maintain the stability of the state’s worker’s compensation system without regard to partisan change. Generally, if WCAC doesn’t sign off on a legislative proposal, there is essentially no chance that it will ever become law. For that reason, the WPPA appeared before the Council on numerous occasions throughout 2019, in addition to meeting frequently with lawmakers and other interested stakeholders. With that background, I am thrilled to report that WCAC approved our PTSD proposal last November and it was sent to the legislature for action. In the best-case scenario, there is a legitimate possibility that the legislature could vote on the measure as soon as mid-January. Despite this momentous development, we have been working furiously to maintain our momentum and committee hearings were held in December for that purpose. While we are optimistic that this will be signed into law before the current session of the legislature ends in March, we encourage you to stay tuned, as there is a very good chance that we will be putting out a call to action for our members to contact state lawmakers when the time is right. To follow our efforts and any additional developments on this issue, please check your e-mail inbox, the WPPA website, or our Facebook page to learn the latest. We will also be using the WPPA’s new mobile app to put out legislative alerts when the opportunity arises. As with any legislative effort, the most important voice a lawmaker can hear is yours, so we implore you to stay interested and involved in voicing yours wherever possible. Your input and participation play an essential role in our ability to promote law changes that benefit you and beat back those that don’t. If you ever have any questions regarding a proposal or our position on it, or you want to know how you can help support our legislative advocacy, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Until then, stay safe, stay informed and stay in touch. Wisconsin Police Journal - 6 L-R Middleton Police Chief Charles Foulke, Stoughton Police Chief Greg Leck and Jim PalmerWisconsin Police Journal - 7 When an individual experiencing a mental health crisis poses a significant risk to their own safety or to the safety of others, the emergency detention process helps keep people safe. Unfortunately, the system we currently have in place for emergency detentions isn’t working well. People who are in crisis can find themselves in an untenable process that requires them to spend hours in the back of a squad car. And officers are being diverted from working in the communities where they serve in order to spend time—in many cases, hours—transporting people and otherwise navigating the emergency detention process. Among the Wisconsin chiefs and sheriffs who responded to a survey conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2019, approximately 88% indicated that they are very concerned or somewhat concerned about the impact of emergency detention transports on their agency. In order to jumpstart reform, I convened the Attorney General’s Summit on Emergency Detention in October 2019. This summit brought together law enforcement officers, medical professionals, mental health advocates, legislators, and others, with the goal of identifying improvements that can be made to the emergency detention process. There’s no simple solution to this complex problem. But there are several steps that merit further consideration. More than four out of five of the chiefs and sheriffs who responded to DOJ’s 2019 survey believe that the following options would likely or very likely improve the handling of emergency detention incidents: • making additional facilities available (95.5%); • having a standardized process for medical clearances across hospitals (91.3%); • having non-law enforcement transport options (83.9%). Summit attendees also advocated for earlier interventions—before crises occur—through partnerships; a mandatory tracking system to streamline the process of determining which facility will provide treatment; providing incentives to hospitals to make more beds available for the treatment of individuals in emergency detention; clarifying Wisconsin law regarding when an emergency detention begins; and other changes. Much of the work that needs to be done will require collaboration among many stakeholders. Following the policy summit, my hope is that many partners in seeking to reform the emergency detention process have an improved understanding of the challenges that the current process presents for law enforcement agencies and for individuals in crisis—and recognize that change is needed. DOJ will continue working to reform the emergency detention process. If you have suggestions as to how the process can be improved, please contact Rebecca Ballweg at ballwegra@doj.state.wi.us. Reforming Wisconsin’s Emergency Detention Process From the Desk of Attorney General Josh Kaul Check Out Our New App For Members and Staff Only Find it on the App Store and Google Play • One-Tap Emergency Hotline • One-Tap Business Agent Contact • ELPP Enrollment and Renewal • News and Issues That Affect You To download, scan this code with your camera appWisconsin Police Journal - 8 Agenda Events and times subject to change. Friday, April 24 2:00-6:00pm WPPA Board of Directors’ Committee Meetings 4:30-6:00pm Early Registration 7:00-Midnight Hospitality Suite 8:00pm Bags Tournament to Benefit MoV Saturday, April 25 8:00am-3:00pm Registration 8:00am-3:00pm Exhibits 9:00-10:30am WPPA Board of Directors Meeting 9:30-11:30am Workshops • Counting the Days: Preparing for Retirement – ETF • Peer Support – DOJ 11:45-1:15pm General Session I Lunch; President’s Welcome; Keynote Speaker Jason Schechterle 1:30-3:30pm Workshops • Opioids and Safety Response for Law Enforcement – DOJ 5:00-6:00pm Cocktail Hour 5:30-9:30pm Child Care (Pre-Registration Required) 6:00-9:00pm Awards Banquet/ Torch Run Raffle 9:00-Midnight Hospitality Suite 9:00pm Bags Tournament to Benefit MoV Sunday, April 26 8:00-10:00am President’s Breakfast 10:15-11:45am Workshops • Discipline and Brady: Current Cases and Trends – WPPA Staff • Social Media: Do This, Don't Do That – WPPA Staff 12:00-1:00pm General Session II Lunch; Elections; Executive Director’s Report; Committee Reports - Financial; Audit; Retirees; Legislative; Shoot; Golf; Awards; Scholarship; Torch Run; Old Business/New Business; Door Prize Drawings; Adjourn Convention The WPPA’s 88th Annual Convention Maximizing Your Effectiveness April 25 – 26, 2020 Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells The WPPA staff has been busy planning our 88th Annual Convention, which will be held April 25 – 26, 2020, at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. The Annual Convention will be two days. We will start with workshops Saturday morning, the Opening Ceremony at lunch, workshops in the afternoon and the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Sunday morning will include the President’s Breakfast, workshops and wrap up with lunch and the last General Session that includes elections and Committee Reports. Please see the tentative agenda. To reserve your room for the WPPA’s 88th Annual Convention, call the Kalahari at 877-253-5466 or 608-254-5466 and request the group rate for the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Room rates are $129.00 per night for up to four people per room. A kings lodge suite is $159.00 and a two-room family suite is $189 per night for up to six people. A deposit of one night plus tax is required at the time the reservation is made. Reserve early! Our room block often fills up before the release date. The deadline for reserving a room under the WPPA block is March 25, 2020, at which time all remaining rooms in the block will be released for sale to the general public and additional requests for group rooms will be on a space-available basis at the Kalahari’s current rates, not the WPPA’s negotiated rates. PLEASE NOTE: The negotiated room rates are ONLY for WPPA Convention attendees. If you do not register to attend the WPPA’s 88th Annual Convention, you will be charged the going rate – and NOT the WPPA rate. Looking for Annual Training Hours? DOJ is presenting two workshops on April 25 that will count toward recertification hours. • 9:30 - 11:30 am Peer Support • 1:30 - 3:30 pm Opioids and Safety Response for Law EnforcementWisconsin Police Journal - 9 ABOUT JASON After serving four years in the Air Force, at the age 26, Jason achieved his goal to work on the streets of Phoenix as a rookie police officer. Then, only 14 months into his career, Jason’s life took an unexpected tragic turn. On the night of March 26th, 2001, a taxi cab crashed into the rear of Jason’s patrol car. Upon impact, Jason’s car burst into flames, trapping him inside. Through a series of miraculous and fateful circumstances, Jason survived the crash and ensuing physical and emotional catastrophe. He suffered severe burns to over 40% of his body which drastically altered his appearance. He has undergone more than 50 surgeries just to have the ability to accomplish simple daily tasks we often take for granted. Jason’s journey chronicles his fight for life, his triumph over tragedy and the inspiration that enables him to continue to overcome unimaginable adversity. His personal narrative exemplifies that the power of the human spirit can never be underestimated or extinguished. JASON SCHECHTERLE “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” • Overcoming Adversity • Life Change • The Power Of Love • The Human Spirit • Embracing Your Challenges And Always Be The Best Version Of You • Never Giving In, Never Giving Up JASON’S PRESENTATIONS WILL SHOW YOU ABOUT: KEYNOTE SPEAKER TESTIMONIALS “I would highly recommend Jason Schechterle as a motivational speaker for your company or organization. He does an excellent job tailoring his message to your audience via personal accounts and multi-media imagery. As a former police officer and burn survivor, his story will both inspire and captivate attendees.” -Christopher Graham, Executive Director of Business Development, Community Tissue Services “Jason was the keynote presenter at the American Association of Tissue Banks’ 2016 Annual Meeting. From the moment he stepped on stage, he was engaging, engrossing, and very entertaining. He has a gift for public speaking and I would not hesitate to recommend him to any group who is looking for a keynote or motivational speaker. Not only was he extremely professional, but he was a pleasure to work with during the planning process.” - Jennifer S. Keller, Vice President, Professional Development, American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) WWW.BURNINGSHIELD.COM • JASON@BURNINGSHIELD.COM BOOK JASON FOR YOUR NEXT SPEAKING EVENT ABOUT JASONAfter serving four years in the Air Force, at the age 26, Jason achieved his goal to work on the streets of Phoenix as a rookie police officer. Then, only 14 months into his career, Jason’s life took an unexpected tragic turn. On the night of March 26th, 2001, a taxi cab crashed into the rear of Jason’s patrol car. Upon impact, Jason’s car burst into flames, trapping him inside. Through a series of miraculous and fateful circumstances, Jason survived the crash and ensuing physical and emotional catastrophe. He suffered severe burns to over 40% of his body which drastically altered his appearance. He has undergone more than 50 surgeries just to have the ability to accomplish simple daily tasks we often take for granted. Jason’s journey chronicles his fight for life, his triumph over tragedy and the inspiration that enables him to continue to overcome unimaginable adversity. His personal narrative exemplifies that the power of the human spirit can never be underestimated or extinguished. JASON SCHECHTERLE“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”• Overcoming Adversity • Life Change • The Power Of Love • The Human Spirit • Embracing Your Challenges And Always Be The Best Version Of You • Never Giving In, Never Giving Up JASON’S PRESENTATIONS WILL SHOW YOU ABOUT: KEYNOTE SPEAKERTESTIMONIALS “I would highly recommend Jason Schechterle as a motivational speaker for your company or organization. He does an excellent job tailoring his message to your audience via personal accounts and multi-media imagery. As a former police officer and burn survivor, his story will both inspire and captivate attendees.” -Christopher Graham, Executive Director of Business Development, Community Tissue Services “Jason was the keynote presenter at the American Association of Tissue Banks’ 2016 Annual Meeting. From the moment he stepped on stage, he was engaging, engrossing, and very entertaining. He has a gift for public speaking and I would not hesitate to recommend him to any group who is looking for a keynote or motivational speaker. Not only was he extremely professional, but he was a pleasure to work with during the planning process.” - Jennifer S. Keller, Vice President, Professional Development, American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) WWW.BURNINGSHIELD.COM • JASON@BURNINGSHIELD.COM BOOK JASON FOR YOUR NEXT SPEAKING EVENT Notice of Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of the Voting Delegates of the WPPA shall be held April 25-26, 2020, at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, 1305 Kalahari Drive, Wisconsin Dells, for the purpose of electing Directors and for transacting such other business that may come before the meeting. Elections shall be conducted at the General Session at noon on Sunday, April 26. Delegates: The number of Delegates a local association is entitled to designate shall depend on the number of Active Members in the local. There shall be one (1) Delegate for each fifteen (15) Active Members or fraction thereof in good standing with the WPPA in the local association, provided, no local association shall be entitled to more than a total of ten (10) Delegates, and further provided, every local shall be entitled to designate at least one (1) voting Delegate regardless of its number of Active Members. WPPA members with questions regarding this process are welcome to contact the WPPA Office Manager Julie Neeley at 608-273-3840.Next >