Today we’d like to introduce you to Logan Rippons.
Hi Logan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been hunting, fishing and crabbing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland since I can remember. I started guiding and running a dog when I was 12 years old. I started working on the water with my dad and grandfather when I was 4 years old. I was a full-time waterman until I became a police officer at the Cambridge Police Department in 2017. I’ve been fortunate enough to hunt/guide in Taylors Island for at least 20 years. My experience as a police officer and the hunting manager for one nonprofit led me to the opportunity of starting Frontline Phoenix Foundation, a nonprofit organization for first responders and military members to experience outdoor Eastern Shore experiences. I love being on the water, being outside, working as a Sargent and K9 officer in Cambridge, and bringing it all together with my family through Frontline Phoenix Foundation to support and serve other first responders.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think we’ve all hit bumps in the road along the way personally and professionally. I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without these bumps. Professionally, I was involved in my first shooting about 6 months into the job where the suspect shot just past me but luckily missed. I was involved in another shooting where the suspect of a double homicide pulled a gun on my partner and my partner shot him as my k9 and I were approaching to apprehend him. I was one of the first on scene of a 4 month old baby in cardiac arrest, who passed away in my arms on Christmas Eve. It’s inevitable that these professional struggles leak into personal ones as well. To experience something like that baby then come home and try to suppress those thoughts while opening Christmas presents with my wife and daughter was harder than I expected- I still struggle with that call to this day. Just like any other first responder, I’ve responded to numerous traumatic and tragic calls that weigh heavy on me through the 10 years I’ve been an officer, but not everyone knows or understands the mental struggles that police officers see. Lately there unfortunately has been a few police suicides in the area, the latest being in the department I work at with me and a few coworkers being the first on scene. Everyone struggles, especially first responders, but these struggles make me who I am today, give me the driving force to do what I do with Frontline Phoenix Foundation and connect me with incredible people and resources who keep me going and help me support others through their struggles. Juggling my schedule is another struggle. I’m a full time Sargent/k9 officer/k9 trainer for Cambridge Police Department, the hunting and farming manager of Patriot Point, the Vice President of Frontline Phoenix Foundation, a husband, father to 3 kids.
We’ve been impressed with Frontline Phoenix Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Frontline Phoenix Foundation is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic and gratifying Eastern Shore outdoor experiences for first responders and frontline heroes who serve and protect our local communities and our country. It is our mission to bring first responders outside to rest, reconnect and recharge away from the stress and hardships they face on the job. Frontline Phoenix Foundation has a waterfront property in Dorchester County called Warriors Rest that provides a retreat for first responders to fish, hunt, crab, spend time by the water and let their guard down knowing they are safe and can enjoy the tranquility of the outdoors.
As first responders ourselves, we know the challengers first responders face. We see and feel the benefits being outside has on us and our fellow first responders who join us outdoors, and now thanks to our latest focus, we know why. Frontline Phoenix Foundation has teamed up with a mental health clinician to provide Wellness in the Wilderness. Wellness in the Wilderness is a training course, accredited by Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions, that teaches the neuroscience behind what the body and mind go through facing high stress situations on duty and how nature and grounding techniques benefit officers’ mental well-being, not just on the job, but in everyday moments. Participants in the course engage in a 2-hour lecture at Warriors Rest, a hunting or fishing experience with Frontline Phoenix Foundation to practice skills learned in class, followed by a dinner and discussion on implementing these practices. Wellness in the Wilderness is also being researched by academics at University of Maryland Eastern Shore with the hope and goal that it will show the benefit of nature on law enforcement officers’ mental health and lead to more nature-based training programs.
While Wellness in the Wilderness is only accredited for law enforcement officers, all first responders who come to Warriors Rest still reap the benefits. All of our fishing captains and hunting guides have received Trauma-informed training, so our team is trained on how to safely address any mental health crises that may occur with our first responders. We are proud to bring awareness to the importance of mental wellness in first responders and share the benefits of nature with all who go outdoors with us. We believe that supporting and investing in first responders will not only benefit the first responders, but also their families and the communities they serve.
We also focus on bringing first responders and their families together. We know how hard it is for first responders to work shiftwork and miss out on holidays, birthdays, meals, etc. We also know how hard it can be to enjoy time out with our families when we are constantly scanning for danger or looking over our shoulders on high alert like we are on duty. We encourage first responders to bring their children and love to see passion for the outdoors passed down from generation to generation. We host a First Responders Family Fun Day at Warriors Rest that is a day of outdoor fun and games, for only first responders and their families, to give them a safe place to unwind and make memories together.
Frontline Phoenix Foundation works hard year around to support and impact first responders in many ways. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on contributions from those who believe in our mission and support first responders, too. Wellness in the Wilderness, First Responders Family Fun Day, and all of the hunting and fishing trips we take first responders on are all provided at no cost to the first responders and their guests. We provide lodging, meals, over 3000 acres of hunting property in Dorchester County, fishing/crabbing equipment, and more. We are always graciously seeking donors and sponsors to help us to continue providing these experiences for first responders.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Every shift as a police officer involves taking risks. Starting Frontline Phoenix Foundation was a huge risk. I think taking risks is a part of life and necessary to make a difference. There are ways to overcome risks or improve the odds that taking risks will pay off. At work, situations arise where I risk my life or safety, but keeping up on training and making sure I’m at my best physically and mentally prepares me for these situations and minimizes the risk. With Frontline Phoenix Foundation, it was a risk to start, because I had no “home base” where I could bring first responders together, I had no guaranteed hunting property or outdoor spaces, I had no idea how I was going to reach first responders and fulfill a mission to serve them. With me, one way I handle risks is knowing that failing isn’t an option. I will do the work, make the sacrifices, and push forward to make sure the risks pay off and are worth it. It was a huge risk to start a nonprofit with nothing but a mission and board members who believed in me, but look at what that risk has already turned into.
Pricing:
- Frontline Phoenix Foundation Hoodie: $50
- Frontline Phoenix Foundation Hat: $35
- Frontline Phoenix Foundation T-shirt: $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.FrontlinePhoenixFoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontline.phoenix.foundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontlinephoenixfoundation
