First Responders

Criminal Justice

How do you not become numb with your feelings over your career?

Finding Purpose Beyond Yourself: Navigating Career Emotions

How do you not become numb with your feelings over your career? I guess it depends on what you're actually doing in your career as relates to, for me, on the first responder side. I've always looked at it that no matter what I'm doing, I'm doing it for the greater good. I'm doing it to keep communities safe. I'm doing it to help people. I'm doing it to work with my local law enforcement agencies. At times, yes, it would get frustrating. It would get hard. I would feel stagnant. I would feel like I was out of place. But the biggest thing I would do is just try to take a step back and realize what I'm doing isn't about me, that it's about the communities I'm working in, the communities I'm serving, my fellow law enforcement agencies that I'm working with. It's all about what we do for the greater good to protect these communities. So basically a lot of this would be not internalizing the issues or what you're seeing or what you're doing or the confrontation, struggles, political BS, et cetera. Finding somebody that you can talk with is always key. Just don't internalize all of this and make sure that you're focusing on what's the overall goal that you're working towards.

To not become numb to feelings in your career, focus on the overall goal you are working towards, take a step back to reflect and find someone to talk with.

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To avoid becoming numb to your feelings over your career, it depends on the nature of your work. In my case, as a first responder, I always remind myself that what I do is for the greater good. I strive to keep communities safe, help people, and collaborate with local law enforcement agencies. While there are times when frustration, stagnation, or feeling out of place may arise, I take a step back and remember that my work is not about me. It's about serving the communities, working with fellow law enforcement agencies, and protecting those we serve.

One important strategy is to avoid internalizing the issues, confrontations, struggles, or political challenges that may arise. It's crucial to find someone you can talk to and share your experiences with. By not internalizing everything and focusing on the overall goal you are working towards, you can maintain a sense of purpose and prevent yourself from becoming numb to your feelings.

What was some of the most formative times in your career? 

Career Growth: From Rookie to Leader, the Formative Times That Shaped Me.

What was some of the most formative times in your career? Well, I would say one of the first most formative times was when I just got on the job. I was right out of college, working at a local sheriff's department for a very short period of time before ATF called. And then I was brand new to law enforcement. So I was very formative and moldable. And I was a sponge trying to learn as much as I could about the job, what I needed to do, how to become an investigator, all those aspects of what it would take to be a special agent. And then I would say, as I progressed through my career and got into the supervisory role is where I really saw a big change in that I wanted to be not just a supervisor, but more of a leader and take people underneath my wing and help them become better people, better agents, better leaders themselves, because a leader is not just somebody who has the stripes on their shoulder or they're in a supervisory position. Anybody can be a leader. And I really learned that coming up through the ranks. And then I would say once I went to the FBI National Academy that really, that molded me a lot and helped me become who I am, not just finishing up my career at ATF, but at the Department of Energy and where I'm at now, I learned a lot from all of those. So I think the biggest thing that there's not one single aspect or one area that helped form who I am, but there are several pieces of milestones along my 26, now 30 plus year career who'd made me who I am and what I continue to be.

One of the most formative times in my career was when I first started out as a law enforcement officer. As I progressed through my career, I learned how to become a leader and not just a supervisor. Going to the FBI National Academy further molded me into who I am today. There have been many milestones along this 30 plus year career that have helped me become who I am.

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Some of the most formative times in my career were when I first started working in law enforcement right out of college. Being new to the field, I was eager to learn and absorb as much as possible about the job and how to become an investigator. This period was instrumental in shaping my early career.

As I progressed and took on supervisory roles, I experienced a significant shift in my perspective. I realized that being a leader meant more than just holding a supervisory position. I wanted to mentor and guide others, helping them become better agents and leaders themselves. This understanding of leadership developed as I moved up the ranks.

Attending the FBI National Academy was another pivotal moment in my career. It had a profound impact on shaping my professional growth, not only during my time at ATF but also in my subsequent roles at the Department of Energy and my current position. Each milestone and experience along my 26, now 30 plus year career has contributed to who I am today and continues to shape my journey.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Embrace Failure: The Best Advice I've Ever Received

What's the best advice you've ever received? I'd say the best advice that I've gotten came from actually a couple different sources. One, my dad, and one from some of my mentors within work is it's okay to mess up. If you screw up, that happens. It's part of life, and it's okay to fail. You can't always be right. You can't always do everything right, and that's something I used to be really hard on myself about, is hey, if I didn't do things right at work or mess something up, I really got down on myself, but it's okay to do that. Nobody's perfect. Everybody has their faults, and each of those faults and errors and mistakes you make define you. You can't do everything 100% of the time. I remember I was in college, and I actually took a skiing class, and one of my students would always say, oh, you know, it was a great day. I never fell, and then I used to think, and actually mentioned to him once, well, if you never fell while skiing, you're not trying hard enough because you're not pushing yourself. You're not trying to do something different, so I think it's important to realize that each of us is our own little realm, and you have to push yourself outside of it, and you are gonna fall, and you are gonna stumble, and you're gonna make mistakes, and you're gonna be wrong, but it's okay. You can't take that to heart. You let that define you, but you let that make you a better person.

The best advice I've ever received is that it's okay to mess up. Nobody is perfect and it's important to push yourself to take risks and try new things even if you make mistakes. It's important not to let your mistakes define you, but instead use them as a learning experience to make you a better person.

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The best advice I've ever received is that it's okay to make mistakes. This wisdom came from both my dad and mentors at work. I used to be really hard on myself whenever I messed up or didn't do things perfectly, but I've learned that nobody is perfect and failure is a natural part of life. Each mistake and error we make helps shape us and define who we are.

I remember a skiing class I took in college where a fellow student would always boast about never falling. I realized that if you never fall while skiing, it means you're not pushing yourself or trying new things. It's important to step outside of our comfort zones and embrace the possibility of stumbling and making mistakes. These experiences help us grow and become better individuals.

So, the best advice I've received is to not let mistakes define me, but to use them as opportunities for personal growth. It's okay to be wrong and to stumble along the way. What matters is how we learn from those experiences and become better versions of ourselves.

How do you incorporate self care into your personal and professional life, and what impact has it had on your success?

The Power of Self-Care: A Law Enforcement Perspective

How do you incorporate self-care into your personal and professional life and what impact has it had on your success? You know I think for me it's something that I've overlooked for years. I know 26 years at ATF I was a big bad federal agent, nothing would affect me. I have thick skin but years down the road. Yeah, it was affecting me the things I saw. What I was through that, you know, law enforcement is put up that shield and had this ask on thing in the I don't nothing can affect me and I think it's so important that you need to work on. That self-care be it, good nutrition. Be it working out and taking care of yourself but also not just your physical self, your mental self. And that's what I've really come to understand is that it's okay, not to be okay. It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to talk to a therapist. It's okay to talk to a counselor. There's nothing wrong with It's actually very normal to be able to express, you have issues or concerns, or you just need to vent and, you know, something that you can actually talk to people about and understand that is very important, both in your professional and personal lives that taking care of yourself and your own mental well-being, your health is going to lead to a long life and a long career. So for me it's something that I got involved in later in life. Life. I wish I would have gotten involved in talking to therapists and counselors early on. I hope this is something that we try to reduce that stigma in law enforcement that it's okay to talk to somebody and I hope the younger generation welcomes this and is open to talking to somebody and working on your own self care.

Self-care is important in both personal and professional lives, and it's okay to ask for help. I wish I had started practicing self-care earlier in life, and I hope the younger generation will be more open to talking to someone and taking care of their mental health.

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Incorporating self-care into both my personal and professional life has been a transformative journey for me. For many years, I overlooked its importance, believing that I had a thick skin and that nothing could affect me. However, as time went on, I realized that the things I experienced in my law enforcement career were indeed impacting me.

I came to understand that self-care encompasses not only physical well-being through good nutrition and exercise but also mental well-being. It's crucial to acknowledge that it's okay not to be okay and to seek help when needed. Talking to a therapist or counselor is not a sign of weakness but a normal and healthy way to address issues, concerns, or simply to vent.

I wish I had recognized the value of talking to professionals earlier in life. I hope to help reduce the stigma surrounding seeking help in law enforcement and encourage the younger generation to embrace self-care and be open to seeking support. Taking care of our mental well-being is essential for a long and fulfilling life, both personally and professionally.

How do you cope with the loss of a colleague?

Coping with the Loss of a Colleague: Strategies for Moving Forward

How do you cope with the loss of a colleague? Unfortunately this is something that all of us in the first responder community have to deal with. Whether it's a loss of somebody in the line of duty, if it's a medical issue that they pass, or unfortunately we see too often someone who takes their own life due to suicide. Some of the ways to cope is one you got to have somebody that you can talk to. You can't keep those emotions pent up inside. One thing you definitely cannot do is what if it. You know, what if I would have saw this? Or how come I didn't see it? Or you know, what if I would have went through that door first? You know, it's you can't second-guess everything in life. It's really important that you talk with family and friends, get together and talk about the good times with the individual. It's very important to have a peer support group at work. Make sure everybody has the opportunity to speak with them, both on work and off work. If you have a therapist or something that you can talk to, that's very important as well. You know, it's good to cry. It's okay to cry. It's just good being able to talk about your feelings and your emotions and how to deal with them constructively and in a positive way. Don't dwell on, again, the what ifs. What should I have done or what could I have done? But talk about how you can move forward, how you can remember this person. And don't just go through your peer support once. Use as many times as you need to. Talk to your therapist and most importantly, talk to a lot of your friends.

When coping with the loss of a colleague, it is important to talk to family and friends, and to be part of a peer support group. It is also important to talk to a therapist if needed. Crying is okay and it is important to focus on the good times with the deceased. Dwelling on the what-ifs is not constructive, but instead focus on how to move forward and remember them in a positive light.

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Coping with the loss of a colleague is unfortunately something that many of us in the first responder community have to face. Whether it's a loss in the line of duty, due to a medical issue, or even suicide, there are ways to cope.

First and foremost, it's crucial to have someone you can talk to. Keeping emotions bottled up inside is not healthy. Avoid dwelling on what if scenarios or second-guessing yourself. Instead, focus on discussing the good times and memories you shared with the individual. Having a peer support group at work is essential, providing opportunities for open conversations both on and off duty.

If possible, seek the help of a therapist or counselor who can provide professional guidance. It's important to express your feelings and emotions constructively and in a positive manner. It's okay to cry and let your emotions out. Remember to not only dwell on the past but also discuss how you can move forward and honor the memory of your colleague.

Utilize peer support as often as needed and don't hesitate to reach out to friends for support. Coping with loss takes time, and it's important to give yourself the space and support to heal.

How do you "wipe your work boots off" before you get home?

Leaving Work Behind: How to Wipe Your Boots Off Before You Get Home

Good morning. How do you wipe your boots off before you get home? Well, great question, Rob. And I want to answer this literally and figuratively. Because when I was at ATF and if I was at a fire scene or at an unpleasant location, before I would get home, I would actually literally take off my boots before I walked in the house. I didn't want to track any of where I had been into the house. So, literally, yes, I would take everything off before I went into the house. Figuratively, we have this shield up in law enforcement that nothing can affect us. And a lot of times when we come home, we have to figure out a way that we can drop that shield and talk with our loved ones, talk with our friends, basically leave work behind us and focus on your relationships, your life, just enjoying life once you get home. So I think it's very important that when you have people that you can talk with, you can meditate, find a stress release that when you punch out and you get home, as much as you can, leave work at the door. Don't be checking your phone unless you have to, but focus on your life and your personal relationships and hobbies and such and not try to focus on what's going on at work.

I would literally take off my boots before entering home to avoid tracking in unpleasant locations. Figuratively, I would leave work at the door and focus on personal relationships, hobbies, and stress release activities when I get home.

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How do you wipe your work boots off before you get home? Well, let's approach this question literally and figuratively. Literally, when I was in law enforcement, especially after being at a fire scene or an unpleasant location, I would actually take off my boots before entering the house. This way, I avoided tracking any remnants of where I had been into my home. So, taking everything off before stepping inside was a literal way of wiping my boots off. 

Figuratively, there's also a shield that we develop in law enforcement, where we try to keep our emotions separate from our work. But when we come home, it's important to find ways to drop that shield and engage with our loved ones and friends. We need to leave work behind and focus on our relationships and personal lives. It's crucial to have people we can talk to or find stress-relieving activities like meditation or hobbies. When we punch out and arrive home, we should try our best to leave work at the door. Avoid constantly checking your phone unless necessary and instead focus on enjoying life, nurturing personal relationships, and engaging in hobbies or activities unrelated to work.

Donald Soranno answers your First Responders questions. See all the advice Donald Soranno has and get answers to your own First Responders questions.

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Donald Soranno is a retired special agent with 30+ yrs of experience in criminal investigations and corporate security. He served in the ATF, beginning in 1990 and worked his way up the ranks to become a Special Agent in Charge (SAC). He graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2010 and was a Leadership Fellow with the FBI Leadership Institute in 2012. Don holds a bachelor's in Criminal Justice from Ferris State, an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, and obtained his Certified Protection Professional (CPP) credentials from ASIS. Don is currently the Senior Product Manager/SME with Evidence IQ and with their Ballistics IQ solution helps law enforcement agencies solve gun crimes quicker. 