CODE: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole Submerged in Tragedy, Trauma, and Death Paperback – January 10, 2018

I needed this book for a research paper I'm doing on based on psychological stress within forensic fields. I'm also interested in the workforce so it was a plus!I extremely recommend this book for people looking to apply in public safety jobs AND those who are already in the workforce. The book consists of five areas; death investigators, 9-1-1 dispatchers, EMT/paramedics, firefighters, and law enforcement. Each area has 4 short stories of different situations that end with reactions, questions, and C.O.D.E. The writing style is simple and brief. The authors don't stick to one story very long but they do touch a variety of situations. A lot of the stories hit me hard, even though I have no experience with the career or have never been in their situations. The fact people within the workforce go through this and there is very little recognition of the problems is heartbreaking. Much respect to those who are keeping us safe and continue to save us. I look forward to volume II!(Picture is not to reference a part of the book, just to show an example of what I mean with reaction, questions, and C.O.D.E.)

The content is heavy. I wouldn’t recommend reading straight through. Maybe take a few days off now and then due to the nature of the material.But the material is very good. Professionally written. The authors clearly speak truth and light into the pervasive darkness that often comes with PTSD. Real-life examples are given that detail individual struggles with PTSD, how it affected their lives/marriages/family’s and how they eventually got help. My favorite quote from the whole book is in the last chapter. It perfectly sums up the goal of the book:“When John released himself from the prison of pride, by opening himself up to others, he unlocked the door to freedom and peace. By breaking out of his inner barriers, he discovered the secret to living healthy, happy, and whole while submerged in trauma, tragedy, and death.”I am inspired to learn from the experiences of those that went through so much in this book. That I might sidestep some of the unnecessary prolongation of suffering often experienced by first responders and their families.

Communication, Objectiveness, Dedication, and Engagement; Those are the CODE of Conduct that emergency professionals live and work by. What if we applied the same CODE to our lives?CODE is a book that takes the stories from emergency professionals and draws the reader into the story by asking them questions on how proper application of the CODE could have changed or resolved the situation. It illustrates thinking of people with limited time and how instantly someone’s life can change. When we have that outlook on life, believing that at any moment, someone’s life could end unexpectedly, how does that cause us to treat the people we love or handle our daily trials?I’m not going to lie, this book is intense. Inspired by real life stories dealt with by emergency officials, it is truly an eye-opener to the drama and horror that these special people endure to save lives. The trauma that takes its toll on one’s emotions and mental state is something most of us truly don’t even think about in our “normal” lives; until it happens to us–if it happens to us. It really does take a very special type of person to choose to withstand and endure the dirty, horrific details of life–or rather, the end of life in many cases– that most of us would like to pretend doesn’t exist.CODE describes the chilling details of particularly impactful cases on individuals. From storm emergencies, to vehicle accidents, to murders, to suicides, this book covers them all and each story has a unique lesson to learn from it, if you can stomach the details. I’m not gonna lie, there were a few that were particularly hard to get through, but reading this book has given me such a new appreciation and thankfulness for first responders and emergency workers. Without them, there truly would be so much more death and disaster in the world.I give CODE: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole Submerged in Tragedy, Trauma, and Death 5 out of 5 stars and do warn readers of the graphic details of death and sexual-related cases. However there is no cursing present in the book.I received this book from the author(s) for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.This is a LiteratureApproved (.com) Review.

This book was easy to read, concise and informative. I liked that the stories were based on real life happenings. Anyone in Emergency Services will relate to the situations. It will help family members better understand what their spouse/parent may be experiencing and how to be a support.

What an amazing book! It was so great to find a book that covers topics that first repsonders can really relate to. I especially love that it addresses how our physical, mental, and emotional health can take a beating. I also really like the way the book is broken down into the different areas (EMT, 911, law enforcement etc) with different stories to go along with each section.Very well written book and I highly recommend to anyone!!

Being new to Medicolegal Death Investigation I am reading as much as I can. This is the only book I have found that covers the effects of this job on your mind and wellbeing. Even though some sections of this book didn't apply to me I still found value in reading them.I highly recommend reading this book.

C.O.D.E. offers words of hope, encouragement, and healing to the men and women responsible for providing assistance at the scene of an accident or emergency. These first responders, trained to face life-threatening situations daily, often risk their own physical, mental, and emotional health. An excellent resource dedicated to emergency responders who often sacrifice their own lives for the safety and well-being of others.