Whether you are one of the hospital workers who had a bullet shot past your head, a trooper involved in the standoff, one of the fire fighters on call, or an emergency worker in Central Peninsula Hospital on Wednesday, it's a day that takes time to heal.

A hospital shooting is something many think will never happen in their town. Bonnie Nichols with Central Peninsula Hospital said, "Nothing like this has ever occurred here, so it was a complete out of the blue kind of experience for people."

That experience of surviving a shooting could stay with people long after any physical wounds are healed.

Chaplain Bert McQueen is one of many committed to helping others deal with the emotional wounds, "Typically when somebody's gone through a horrible event there's some sudden reactions immediately, then within hours, days, weeks, and even months, and sometimes even years."

It's those reactions that can't be left untouched, which is why Soldotna hospital officials wasted no time helping people deal with the shock and sadness of the shooting. Bonnie Nichols with CPH said, "We immediately brought in people for briefing with the staff, mental health professionals, our spiritual care, departments sprung into action with our

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chaplains."

"We don't try to convert to our beliefs and such, but we're there in the middle of the disaster or the traumatic event and so folks that are going through that suffering sometimes want to know how I get through it and so they may ask specific questions and I can guide them and direct them," added Chaplain Bert McQueen.

Chaplain Bert McQueen says a chaplain's job is taking care of basic needs, making sure people are ok, and counseling them through any post-traumatic stress.

Chaplain McQueen also adds one of the key steps to the road to recovery is simply talking about the incident, "It's important. Not everybody's going to be affected on a specific call, but those that are affected we tend to think that, and our belief is that a team efforts approach and a team of peers helping them to understand what they're going through and what they've gone through after an event is really key in recovery." Recovery that hopefully one day soon, will come for those involved and for the community.

The Alaska police and fire chaplain ministries have approximately 85 chaplains throughout Alaska. Additionally there are over 200 critical incident stress management volunteers apart of the chaplain ministries. They provide service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To contact Karina Petersen, call 907-273-3123.