Mark Thomas joined the police force in 1996. For the first 7 years, he performed in a number of different roles. He was regularly exposed to deceased cases including drug overdoses and car accidents. He was not psychologically affected by the various traumatic sights he witnessed. He had been taught at the academy to handle such situations. However, in 2003, he attended a disturbing suicide case which had a huge impact on him. But he did nothing about it. He ignored the early signs that he was suffering some form of breakdown.

Mark's condition slowly worsened over the next 10 years. The suicide incident was always clear and vivid in his mind and he would keep reliving the events of that night. He had difficulty sleeping and would wake most mornings with no energy or enthusiasm. But he kept everything bottled up. He sought no professional advice or assistance. He thought the problem would disappear.

However, he reached a point where he was suffering from what he described as a catastrophic loss of self. In short, he was a mental wreck. His condition deteriorated to the point where he became hospitalised. He had an overwhelming sense of depression and anxiety which left him feeling entirely alone and unable to cope. Finally, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

As Mark recovered with help from specialists and medication, he wondered if he was the only one who suffered from PTSD as a result of a work-related trauma. He discovered that he wasn't alone. He linked up with a couple of fellow police officers who were in a similar situation. Ben had been one of the first on the scene at the major crash inside the Burnley Tunnel and Stuart had witnessed all the trauma of the Black Saturday bushfires. As part of their rehabilitation, they decided to do something about it. They created a support group and developed a Facebook page which very soon attracted many followers. In fact, the group has grown to 2,000 people comprising all emergency services personnel. The group is called Code 9 which is a call sign meaning "police in trouble". Victims are invited to regular group therapy sessions to discuss their issues and to receive advice on how to deal with the problem.

With the help of members from the Rotary Club of Yarraville, Mark has now set Code 9 up as a registered charity. The aim is to raise funds for emergency personnel who are suffering from PTSD. The funds will be used to buy and train Labrador dogs to become assistant dogs for those who are afflicted with mental stress problems.

Click here to view the Code 9 Facebook page.

Here is a picture of John Micallef presenting President Ross with a certificate of thanks from the local constabulary for our support and sponsorship of the group of police officers who participated in the 2018 Oxfam Trailwalker in March this year.

The trail is 100km long and runs across some of the hilliest terrain in the Dandenongs. The group were known as the Wyndham Warriors. There is no record of how they performed on the day. Maybe they are still walking. The event raised $2,500,000 for Oxfam.

• Our club changeover will be held on Tuesday 26th June at Jacksons on K restaurant in K Road.

• Our 50th Charter Anniversary is on 18th August and it will be held at the Werribee Racing Club. Our guest speaker will be Ian Riseley who is currently the Rotary International President. This is a major milestone for the club and we are expecting a large turnout of current and past members and partners as well as Rotarians from other clubs.

• Footy Tipping - Tony Todaro has taken the lead with 58 points, closely followed by Ian Hovey (57) and Marty Vaina (56). Marty won the weekly prize by selecting the exact winning margin (Adelaide 37 points).

• Mid-week Bunnings BBQ - The next BBQ will be on Thursday 14th June. If you can help, please contact Jason Daddy.

 __________________________________________________________________