Poway Chaplaincy
Support after the sirens go silent.
When emergencies happen, first responders act quickly and decisively.
Poway Chaplaincy exists to ensure that no one faces the aftermath alone; supporting first responders, individuals, and families during some of life’s most difficult moments.
Why Chaplaincy Matters
Emergencies don’t end when sirens turn off.
First responders routinely absorb trauma, moral weight, and grief in the line of duty. Families and individuals who call 911 are often left stunned, overwhelmed, and unsure what comes next. While systems respond efficiently, human crisis requires human presence.
Poway Chaplaincy exists to provide that presence - calm, compassionate, and without agenda, when people need it most.
What we do
Poway Chaplaincy provides confidential, relational support to:
Firefighters, paramedics, and their families
Individuals and families experiencing crisis after 911 calls
The broader Poway community during moments of loss, trauma, or transition
This care includes emotional and spiritual support, resource connection, crisis follow-up, and practical assistance - offered freely and without condition.
Why a Chaplain
Firefighters and paramedics regularly encounter tragedy, loss, and human suffering. While emergency services are essential, they are not designed to address the emotional, moral, and spiritual aftermath of crisis.
As of 2017, nationwide statistics reflect that First Responders deaths from self inflicted wounds out-number deaths from job related incidents. Departments and Cities throughout our country responded to this startling new found reality by bolstering the Health and Wellness branch of Fire Service. Peer Support teams were trained, mental health clinical care began to be offered, and for many cities, the office of Chaplain was opened.
A Chaplain fills a unique gap, providing care that is relational, unhurried, and outside the chain of command.
A Chaplain provides trusted presence, moral clarity, meaning-making, and relational safety in a profession and community that regularly absorb the weight of human suffering. This presence is without an agenda (not evaluative, clinical, or disciplinary) and exists outside the chain of command, with no documentation or reporting when someone reaches out for help. That creates a rare space for honesty, early support, and trust. Chaplaincy also cares for the whole life of the person, extending beyond incidents and uniforms to support families, relationships, grief, faith, and the pressures carried long after a crisis ends.
This work is not supplemental.
It is essential.
Much of chaplaincy happens before crisis becomes collapse; through relationships, trust, and personal connection that allow stress, grief, and moral weight to be named and carried together.
How you can help
This work is made possible through community support.
Poway Chaplaincy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and operates independently of emergency response budgets.
Financial partners help sustain a presence that is relational, responsive, and available when crisis strikes.
Where your money goes.
Compensation for the Chaplains time is covered by Renewed Life Church in Poway.
Your support provides meals for crews partnered with the chaplain, resources when crews are working critical incidents, holiday gatherings for their families to join them in station, & support for their families when they are away on long strike-teams outside the city, or when navigating crisis.
Your support also provides for needs the city brings to the chaplain, which have included; shoes for elementary school aged children in Poway, participation in city-wide events, support for community members who have experienced trauma related to 911 calls, and support for those who have suffered loss (grief care, memorial services, etc).
*In 2025, support for these area’s of need totaled $9,554.29
First Responders have to quickly move on to the next call - but a Chaplain can answer their call when they are the ones in need of help, and when community members are left in the wake of tragedy & needing assistance.
Chaplaincy provides a bridge;
between emergency response and long term care, between systems and people, between moments of crisis and paths forward.
Your Support
Poway Chaplaincy provides confidential, voluntary support for firefighters, paramedics, and their families.
This includes:
A consistent, trusted presence within the Poway Fire Service (A Chaplain is only as valuable as he is known & trusted, so there is an established weekly rhythm of ride-alongs with crews in PFD)
Confidential assistance without documentation or reporting
Support following critical incidents, traumatic calls, and line-of-duty injury
Moral injury and grief support
Facilitation of Critical Incident Debriefings
Hospital presence and follow-up with community members
Care for spouses and families affected by the demands of the job
Referral and connection to additional professional resources when needed
Chaplaincy support is relational, ongoing, and grounded in trust - not limited to moments of crisis alone.
Who we are
Poway Chaplaincy is a local registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the mission of “Providing the community and its first responders with spiritual, emotional, and practical care in the city of Poway & the surrounding region.”
Poway Chaplaincy was founded in December of 2022 by Poway resident and local pastor Trevor O’Keefe at the request of the Poway Fire Department, in an effort to bolster the support they provide for the men & women who serve our city as First Responders.
501(c)(3) Board of Directors; Mark Rodriguez (President of Poway FireFighters), Olivia Armitage, & Trevor O’Keefe.
Special Advisor to the Board; San Diego Fire Chaplain Mickey Stonier.