Law Enforcement

Doug and Karen Monda Honored With the Florida Police Chiefs Association’s President’s Award

In a heartwarming moment that highlighted the importance of mental health advocacy within law enforcement, Doug and Karen Monda were honored with the prestigious President’s Award by the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA). This honor was presented at the Annual Installation and Awards Banquet during the 72nd Annual Summer Training Conference, recognizing their dedication and […]

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Survive First Hosts Its 6th Annual Run for Responders 5k

 On January 6th, nearly 600 runners, with the inspiring participation of almost 200 first responders, took to the  streets of the beautiful Historic Cocoa Village to run in our 6th Annual Run for Responders 5k. It was a breathtaking sight as our community came together to support this very important cause.  This year, the run

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Mission Accomplished at MCM 2023!

On October 29th, a remarkable team of runners and walkers took on the challenge of the Marine Corps Marathon, and the results were nothing short of incredible!  Our dedicated Survive First Racing Team members, fueled by a profound commitment to the well-being of our nation’s first responders, set out to not only conquer the demanding

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Join us at the Represent 321 5k/10k Community Run/Walk!

Survive First is honored to have been selected to be one of the beneficiaries of IAP’s “Represent (321) 5K/10K Community Run/Walk (It’s a Family Affair)”, to be held on Saturday, November 9th, in Satellite Beach, FL! We are so grateful to be part of this and hope you will join us at this awesome event,

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Get Outside and Just Go!

Life can be busy.  Life can be challenging.  We all seem to know this too well.  Go to work.  Do the laundry.  Clean the house.  Help with homework.  Go to soccer practice.  Cook dinner.  Do the dishes.  Finally take a shower and undwind…at 9:00.  Does this sound familiar?  Do we ever really unwind?  For many

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From Assistant Chief of Police to “Yogi” – by Christopher O. Davis

If someone had told me 3 years ago that I would be a certified yoga instructor and a Yoga for First Responders Ambassador, I would have told them they were crazy! Like most Type-A first responders, I had to experience it (yoga) for myself. Several years ago, I was going through a difficult time professionally

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An Ounce of Prevention

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – Benjamin Franklin. Recently, we visited law enforcement recruits at the Police Academy in Palm Bay, Florida, where Doug Monda, founder of Survive First Foundation, told his own personal experience with depression, PTSD, and attempted suicide. He spoke of the lifestyle and mood changes he

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Sensory Integration at Lakeside

The limbic system is a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger). Human emotion and the senses are significantly impacted by trauma and PTSD.  Furthermore, self-regulation becomes impacted, making it increasingly

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