Kansas Peace Officers’ Association
Conference 2021: 

"Officer Survival & Family Resilience"

The KPOA Chief Executive Board is excited to announce the upcoming KPOA Business Meeting and Annual Training Conference. This year's conference will be held on October 26-28 in Dodge City at the Boot Hill Casino and Resort Conference Center. The conference will be different from recent past as we are strongly encouraging members to bring your spouse or significant other with you. There will be several breakout sessions focused on “Officer Survival and Family Resilience” featuring presenters from across the state with experience in critical incidents, PTS, substance abuse, mental wellness, legal survival, peer support and more.  And yes, there will be raffles, door prizes and a hospitality room.

Early registration for members is $150.00 through September 30th.  On October 1st, the registration fee will be $200.00.  Your "plus one" is FREE either way.  

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS:  The Hampton Inn, which is the on-site hotel connected to the Conference Center and Casino no longer has any rooms available.  Alternate arrangements have been made with the Holiday Inn Express located at 201 4th Ave. in Dodge City.  They are offering a group rate of $96.00 for King or 2 Queens.  The cut off date for reservations is October 12, 2021.  Please call the hotel direct at 620-225-1000 to make your reservation.   

This will be a great opportunity for not just officers from across the state to get personally acquainted, network and socialize, but also for our partners at home to get to know one another and provide them the support they need being partnered with a cop.

We hope you and your partner will consider attending.

Conference Agenda:

More information about presenters is below the agenda!

October 26th, 2021:

• 10:00 am – 1:00 pm:  Vendor Set-Up
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:    Registration
• 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm:    Welcome / President Comments / Housekeeping
• 2:30 pm – 3:50 pm:    Business Meeting / Elections / Legislative Updates
• 4:00 pm – 4:50 pm:    Training - "PTS and Recovery" - Brian Rousseau
• 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm:    KPOA District Governor’s Reception (with Significant Other) at the Boot Hill Distillery  *Taco Bowl Bar*
• 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm:  Social Networking / Hospitality

October 27th, 2021:

• 8:00 am – 8:30 am:  Check-In / Coffee Social
• 8:30 am – 9:00 am:  Opening Flags / Invocation / President Comments / Housekeeping
• 9:00 am – 9:50 am:  Vendor Introductions / Presentations
• 10:00 am – 10:50 am:  "First Responder Personalities" - Angie Jones
• 11:00 am – 11:50 am:  Kansas FOP Lodge #55 - Jeremy Noel
• 12:00 am – 1:00 pm:  Lunch (On your own)
• 1:00 pm - 4:50 pm:  Break-out Training Sessions - Two Groups (Blue & Red)
• • 1:00 pm – 2:50 pm: (Blue Group) - "When the moment chose me, the first known ISIS attack on U.S. soil" - Greg Stevens
  • 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm:  (Red Group) - “Trauma, Addiction & Coping: Help Yourself Heal" - Sarah Purcell
  • 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm:  (Red Group) - "Shooting Incident - How to Survive and Overcome" - Doug Schulte 
  • 3:00 pm - 4: 50 pm: (Red Group) -  "PTSD" - Angie Jones
  • 3:00 pm - 3: 50 pm: (Blue Group) - "Responding to a critical incident – legal interest, Media / KORA, Control over public statements" - Jess Hoeme
  • 4:00 pm - 4:50 pm:  (Blue Group) - “Trauma, Addiction & Coping: Help Yourself Heal" - Sarah Purcell
• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm:  Free Time - Boot Hill Museum Tour 
• 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm:  KDOT Meal / Auction - Western Bank Expo Center
• 8:30 pm – 12:00 am:  Social Networking / Hospitality

October 28th, 2021:

• 9:00 am – 9:50 am:  Welcome/Announcements/Vendor Presentations
• 10:00 - 11:50 am:  Break-out Training Sessions - Two Groups (Blue & Red)
• • 10:00 am - 11:50 am: (Blue Group) - "PTSD" - Angie Jones
  • 10:00 am – 10:50 am: (Red Group) - "Responding to a critical incident – legal interest, Media / KORA, Control over public statements" - Jess Hoeme
  • 11:00 am - 11:50 am:  (Red Group) - "Family Resilience/Family Self-Care" - Wendy Hummell    
• 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm:  Lunch (On your own)
• 1:30 pm - 3:20 pm:  Break-out Training Sessions - Two Groups (Blue & Red)
• • 1:30 pm - 3:20 pm:  (Red Group) - "When the moment chose me, the first known ISIS attack on U.S. soil" - Greg Stevens
  • 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm:  (Blue Group) - "Shooting Incident -How to Survive and Overcome" - Doug Schulte 
  • 2:30 pm - 3:20 pm: (Blue Group) - "Family Resilience/Family Self-Care" - Wendy Hummell
• 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm:  Reconvene/Closing/Dismissal

Conference Presenters:

OFFICER GREG STEVENS, Garland, Texas Police Department (Retired) stopped the first known ISIS attack on U.S. soil in May of 2015. Two terrorists drove from Arizona to Texas to commit mass murder. They had six guns and about 1500 rounds of ammunition in their car when they pulled up to mount the attack. Officer Stevens took them on, fatally wounding them both. For his heroics, Officer Stevens was awarded the Law Enforcement Medal of Valor, by President Obama, during a ceremony at the White House. Hear his compelling story about the attack and what it took to, not only survive, but also prevail against all odds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv5JQNjX_vw

MASTER TROOPER DOUG SCHULTE, Kansas Highway Patrol was shot in the line of duty on January 29, 2011 after stopping Ruben Herrera Escobedo Schulte for failing to stop at a stop sign at Vine and Old U.S. Highway 40 in Hays.

As Schulte approached the vehicle, Escobedo stepped out of his pickup and shot Schulte in the chest at close range, then fired twice more as Schulte fell back.  The bullet from Escobedo's revolver hit Schulte in the chest, between his shirt pocket and his badge, nicking his protective vest. The bullet went through his chest.

His presentation is designed to teach officers how to survive and overcome a situation, no matter how difficult and dangerous it may be.

OFFICER BRIAN ROUSSEAU, North Newton Police Department – has worked in law enforcement for since 1996, three years in Colorado before moving to Kansas.  He has worked patrol, gangs, narcotics, FTO, a team leader for a SWAT team. assistant shift supervisor, a member of a Critical Incident Debrief Team and an outreach coordinator for Warriors Ascent.
https://www.ksn.com/news/local/kansas-officer-back-on-streets-following-holistic-healing-program/

ANGIE JONES, KBI / President, First Responders Support Team Midwest has been with Kansas Bureau of Investigation since 2001.  She has worked crimes against children for more than 16 years and served on the KBI Crisis Negotiation Team.  Angie worked to implement Peer Support at the KBI in 2007.  She has been the program manager since the inception of the program.  Angie has a master’s degree in psychology, clinical, and is passionate about bringing mental health awareness, opportunities for treatment and expertise to first responders.

WENDY HUMMELL, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Health & Wellness Coordinator is a seasoned law enforcement officer with over 24 years of experience.  She started her career in 1996 as a Special Agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  She retired at the rank of Detective after 21 years of service from the Wichita Police Department where she spent a majority of her career working Persons Crimes Investigations.  Wendy worked homicide, gang, and sex-crimes cases. She was also a member of her department’s CISM (Critical incident Stress Management) and Defense Tactics teams. Wendy has taught multiple classes both in the Academy setting and at national conferences such as the FBI NAA (National Academy Associates), The International Conference of Police Chaplains, and the Crime Stoppers USA Conference.  Wendy has taught classes on sex crimes & domestic violence investigations, gang crimes, homicide investigation, and crime stoppers.  

Wendy’s area of expertise is officer health and wellness, peer support, and resiliency.  She is currently the Health and Wellness Coordinator for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.  Wendy is passionate about and committed to helping her fellow First Responders learn the tools of mindfulness, resiliency, as well as the importance of relationships, exercise, sleep, and nutrition to enhance their well-being and job performance. Wendy speaks to these topics from the perspective of direct experience and through the lens of a law enforcement spouse. Wendy’s belief is that all law enforcement agencies should provide resources to their employees so they can not only survive a career in law enforcement, but thrive well into retirement.  

Wendy holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. She is a certified yoga instructor and Yoga for First Responders (YFFR) Ambassador. Wendy has taught hundreds of first responders YFFR classes, resiliency, and mindfulness classes.  Wendy is also a trainer for the Pause First Academy.  Wendy is an adjunct faculty member with the Criminal Justice Department at Wichita State University.  She has been teaching collegiate level CJ classes since 1996. 

Wendy was awarded the 2018 Wichita Metro Crime Commission Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award, the 2018 Crime Stoppers USA Coordinator of the Year Award, and was a 2019 Wichitalk presenter.  Wendy has several articles published with PoliceOne on the topics of trauma, wellness, and female resiliency. 

Earlier this year, Wendy and her husband launched the “Guns and Yoga” podcast as a platform to provide support, add value, and share wellness resources with first responders and their families. 

Wendy enjoys doing anything outdoors, yoga, and spending time with her two daughters and husband.  

SARAH ETHERIDGE PURCELL is the wife of a law enforcement officer, a mother to four children, a registered nurse, and a recovering alcoholic.  She is the widow of Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Etheridge, killed in the line of duty on September 28, 2009. Her current husband is a Sergeant for the Wichita Police Department. She is a part time working nurse and full-time mother of four kids, ages 3, 6, 9 and 14.

In collaboration with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, she started the SAAFR program (Substance Abuse Anonymous for First Responders) in 2021. SAAFR is a 12 step program based in Sedgwick County, exclusively for any first responder, or their spouse, dealing with addiction. Following my own struggle with alcoholism, She has found a desire to reach out and be of help to others in need. Her vision for the SAAFR program is to eliminate the stigma and social taboo surrounding addiction, that can deter certain individuals from receiving the help, care and support that they need and deserve.  

ATTORNEY JESS HOEME Mr. Hoeme’s practice is concentrated in criminal litigation across the State of Kansas, and he has represented clients in 85 of Kansas’ 105 counties. Mr. Hoeme has a distinguished practice in representing Kansas Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies in matters of professional affairs and investigations. He also represents individuals and organizations during the investigation and prosecution of criminal charges in municipal, state, and federal courts of Kansas. Mr. Hoeme has also represented persons accused in criminal cases ranging from domestic violence, DUI, murder, and white-collar crimes. Mr. Hoeme’s breadth of experience includes serving as special prosecutor for county or district attorneys in prosecution of political figures or other conflicts of interest.

JEREMY NOEL, 2nd Vice President Kansas State At Large Lodge #55 Fraternal Order of Police – Designed specifically for law enforcement officers of departments with fewer than ten officers, Lodge #55 provides members with the same benefits afforded officers of larger agencies who are represented by the FOP including insurance benefits, a legal defense plan and free college tuition among many others.

See you in Dodge!