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Siloam Proud Wednesday, June 26, 2019 n 5C Siloam Springs Herald-Leader Established June 8, 1902 Not Only Siloam Springs' FIRST Funeral Home... One of Siloam Springs' OLDEST Businesses. backstrom-pyeatte.com 1401 E. Main Siloam Springs 479-524-3121 100 East University • Siloam Springs 479.524.2828 • www.28springs.com Monday-Saturday • 11 am-Close Beautiful Food. Remarkable Bar. Unforgettable Desserts. Banquet Rooms Available for Reservation. the globe can nominate potential participants. The SSPD has had one cap- tain attend and graduate the program and another slated to go this summer. Spicer's interest in not only educating himself, but educating others, has had a profound impact on the department and Northwest Arkansas as a whole, said fellow Capt. Scott Miller. Miller and Spicer began their careers at the SSPD within six months of each other and have a long his - tory working together in patrol, criminal investiga- tions and narcotics. "One of our goals as a department is to be the tip of the spear, to be cutting edge," Miller said. "When Derek started to teach at the academy here, he was teaching things like ethics and stuff no one wanted to teach. It was dry and bland. But he did such a good job the impact he has had over the last 10 years through - out Northwest Arkansas and law enforcement has been tremendous. "I would say Derek has been pretty instrumental in bringing something like post traumatic stress disor - der awareness, not only to our department, but to the academy and to Northwest Arkansas as a whole and getting that message out there. Because of that, our department has been very proactive on after-action debriefs and things of that nature, to where if we rec - ognize an officer has gone through a traumatic event, we provide counseling and talk to that individual. We keep an eye on them and make sure they're coping with it healthily. It's never going to go away and it's al - ways bad, but we're making sure that as a community and as a department we're doing what's best for our guys to help them through the situation rather than what we had to go through. Which was go home. We expect you back here. Act like it never happened." Spicer said his profes - sional experience in deal- ing with trauma and the pitfalls associated with it — divorce, addiction, and in some cases suicide — drive him to continue to teach and encourage other officers to teach. "I like teaching young officers. Not just the tech - nical aspect of things, but how to live your life as a police officer," he said. "The emotional roller coaster, the impact it's going to have on you and your family and your chil - dren. Technically we can train most anyone, but we can't train heart." Spicer's heart shines through much of his work, both professionally and personally, his boss said. "Derek is one of those people who has helped my tenure here to be ef - fective," Wilmeth said. "I admire his honesty, his dedication to his personal code of ethics, and I deeply admire his sense of com- mitment to what it is we do. "He has the ability to give people their dignity back when they feel like they've lost it or its been taken away from them. I truly admire that about him." Spicer applies the same type of care to his family, his wife Michele said. "He's a very devoted fam - ily man," Michelle said. "If he can make anything, he's there. He's also very de- voted to his people, always. He's very loyal, very honest and irreplaceable to me. I hope our kids can follow his leadership and know he prioritizes family." extremely engaged with me while I was there. And he was a big help — figuring out how to do things, get - ting me back out there. "It was pretty crucial. Be- tween him and my wife — they pushed me. There was no limit. If I just mentioned 'I'd like to do that, help me figure out a way,' then he was all in. It wasn't a matter of 'let's see if we can' it was 'we'll do this, one way or the other.' In my situation in life, I can't even imagine how it would have been if I didn't have Travis." Todd Colvin, close friend, former deputy chief of operations for the SSFD and current Siloam Springs planning commissioner, says Travis had the same impact on equipment and training development for the fire department. "Training was always the biggest concern he had, specifically because it was recognized early the train - ing is critical for success and [firefighter] safety. He worked tirelessly to get what we call a rolling stock updated. Fire trucks, staff vehicles, he was heavily in - volved in all facets of those. We had to fight through the years of funding dif- ficulties. "He adopted Siloam as a hometown. The city, specif- ically the [fire] department, is better because of it." Travis accepts the praise, but doesn't see himself as anyone special, no differ- ent from a stranger on the street. "I think it's something that should be natural," Travis says. Something else that should be natural, or strived for, Travis says, is working your hardest wherever you are. "Learn from everyone. It doesn't matter rank or years of service. There's something to learn from everyone, good or bad. "Be the best you can and want the place you work or the world to be a bet - ter place than when you found it." Travis received a volun- teerism award in 1995 for his work with the Okla- homa City bombings, as well as officer of the year for the SSFD in 2015 and meritorious award in 2017 for his work with equip- ment upgrades. There are several slated to apply for Travis' posi- tion, but Ford says only Travis will ever do it like Travis. "Someone can fill the position and will step up; the personality you can't replace." Sierra Bush/Herald-Leader Former Siloam Springs Fire Department Deputy Chief Travis White poses on a street of the training facility being constructed behind Siloam Springs Fire Station One, located at 1450 Cheri Whitlock Drive, which will be named after for in honor of his passion and work in equipment and training updates within the department. Photo Submitted Siloam Springs Police Department Capt. Derek Spicer stands at attention during law enforcement memorial week. spicer Continued from Page 3C white Continued from Page 3C Sierra Bush/Herald-Leader Deputy Chief John Vanatta announces the street being named for White. " I like teaching young officers. Not just the technical aspect of things, but how to live your life as a police officer. The emotional roller coaster, the impact it's going to have on you and your family and your children. Technically we can train most anyone, but we can't train heart." — Derek Spicer help a nonreader learn to read if you can read this you can help. the Dogwood Literacy council has tutors available to teach on a one-to-one basis. contact them at 524.4009 and help wipe out illiteracy.