SUNBURY, Ohio — This week has been especially tough for law enforcement across Ohio.

What You Need To Know

• Mick Yinger, a retired police officer, founded First Responders’ Bridge to support first responders coping with trauma


• The nonprofit offers retreats and peer support to help police, firefighters and their families process emotional stress and prevent suicide


• Since 2019, the organization has helped over 2,000 first responders across the country find healing and hope

A string of officer-involved shootings has shaken departments and communities across the state, but long after the crime scenes are cleared, the emotional toll on first responders often remains — unseen and unspoken.

One retired police officer is working to change that.

Mick Yinger, a former officer and the executive director of First Responders’ Bridge, is helping police, firefighters and their families deal with the kind of trauma most people never witness.

“My lifelong friend, Mike Pavlina, and I started the Bridge after Westerville police officers were murdered on Feb. 10, 2018,” Yinger said. “We wanted to make a difference.”

In 2019, the two launched First Responders’ Bridge, a nonprofit that offers wellness retreats, mental health resources and peer support — all tailored to the unique pressures faced by first responders.

“There are people who’ve come to our retreats with a suicide plan in place,” Yinger said. “They come and they find hope.”

The program isn’t just about recovery — it’s about survival. According to Yinger, the emotional strain that first responders carry adds up quickly.

“The average citizen experiences two to three traumatic events in their lifetime,” he said. “The average first responder experiences 188. And I think the real number is probably higher.”

Yinger knows the cost firsthand. He once had to take a life in the line of duty. It's an experience that stays with him.

“I know what that person goes through. I know what their family goes through,” he said. “That’s why we do this.”

Since its first retreat, First Responders’ Bridge has supported more than 2,000 first responders from 41 states, including 86 of Ohio’s 88 counties. The organization continues to grow — fueled by donations, volunteers and Yinger’s mission to give others what he didn’t always have.

“It doesn’t show that you’re weak,” he said. “It shows that you’re strong.”