AT HOME on his day off he’s making pancakes for his children, calming his crying child after a tumble, and picking up around the house while his wife, a teacher, is at work. With quiet patience, Tony Frost is a helper. He’s happy to be in the background, managing one crisis and moving on to the next call. In our panic, our ability to reason logically about what constitutes an emergency is challenged, but our failure to think clearly might cost a life. It’s not our life or the life of our loved one, but the life of someone in need of emergency assistance at the same time.
Frost eased into law enforcement through his first job at Walmart where he wrangled shopping carts, worked in the pet department, and was behind a register. He transitioned into security there and often worked with officers who responded when someone bypassed checkout with their items.
“They’d come out and talk to them or give them a citation. Seeing those guys in uniforms, I thought it’d be pretty cool to do that. Later, a guy I went to school with told me to apply to work at the jail, so I worked there, then for the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and on to where I am now at the Manchester Police Department. I’m going into my sixth year in law enforcement,” Frost said.
As cool as Frost thought working in law enforcement would be, the current broader public opinion of those in his profession saddens him.
“I think that what keeps me in is getting to help people and just being that face that people see and say, ‘Well, they’re not all bad. You know, Frost is a good guy. He’s genuine and likes to help people.’ There are bad people in every profession, and there are a lot of people that shouldn’t be in this job. But just being the face, every day, of a guy willing to help, I guess that’s what keeps me doing it.”
Manchester and Coffee County are much more supportive of law enforcement than many places. General public opinion can be discouraging, but Frost remains committed to representing his badge in an open and positive way.
“I know there’s no way of changing people’s minds when they’re dead set on something. It’s hard to change people’s minds, but I feel like I can try at least. That’s kind of what keeps me up. If I’ve changed somebody’s mind or can change their opinion about us, I think that’s well worth it,” Frost said.
As a first responder, helping people thrusts officers into traumatic settings, and the impact of what they’ve seen lingers long after the final report is signed – sometimes for a lifetime. Their mental health may not always be on our radar, but an overall awareness of their needs is growing.
Frost said, “I enjoy helping people. It gets stressful depending on the situation and the types of calls you go to. My family helps me deal with the hard stuff. They are a safe place to come back to, and they help me deal with many of the things we see daily. It makes you want to hug your kids a whole lot tighter.”
But again, for Frost it really does all boil down to helping people.
“I want to help people. I don’t like to be on the front page, and I like to stay in the background as much as I can. Whether they know who it was and say thanks, or if they don’t know who it was but wanted to say thanks, seeing someone helped is rewarding to me. I’m glad they appreciate it. Helping someone whose car is broken down or in any situation that comes up – a domestic situation, taking someone out of a bad situation to a better situation – in my line of work is rewarding, because I know I’d appreciate it if somebody helped me. Seeing that appreciation on people’s faces whenever you help them is worth it.”
Being that face is also about lightening up whenever possible.
“I try not to be serious all the time. I try to joke around, but when you’re out in the field or on a call people coming up wanting to talk may not understand we’re trying to deal with a situation and mistake us for being rude. If we were just out eating it’s okay to talk to us. I know a lot of people get a little confused on that. Unless we’re coming in and rolling in hot with lights and sirens; they just may not know. So I try not to look serious all the time,” he said.
Seriously, while we hope we never need them, knowing Frost and his fellow officers are waiting to help when we call is a priceless asset. Taking the opportunity whenever possible to get to know them better is a way we can thank them for their service.
To Officer Frost and all of our Coffee County and Manchester men and women on standby for our safety, thank you! GN
