Grand Blanc View

Fundraiser for K-9 to honor fallen officer




Officer Tammy Bice was a City of Grand Blanc police officer since June of 2015 until her death Nov. 29, 2017. She was a known animal lover and also was instrumental in reaching out to and helping a Flint family whose little girl, Ariana, needed a liver transplant. Photos provided

Officer Tammy Bice was a City of Grand Blanc police officer since June of 2015 until her death Nov. 29, 2017. She was a known animal lover and also was instrumental in reaching out to and helping a Flint family whose little girl, Ariana, needed a liver transplant. Photos provided

SHELBY TWP. — Out of the suffering, sometimes comes a light — shining to not only make a way for other to walk out of the darkness, but for those left behind who mourn the loss of those gone too soon.

Sadly, Nov. 29 marks the passing of Officer Tammy Bice of the City of Grand Blanc Police Department, who was lost to suicide. Prevention Concepts and Solutions, Inc. (PCS), a non-profit founded by Jason Foltz and his friend David Dudek, are providing not only healing, but valuable services and also honoring Bice and others like her.

“Suicide is a major problem in the first responder and veteran communities,” Foltz said, “because of lack of treatment or (perhaps) misdiagnosis. The healing process and emotions that go along with suicide is very tough,” he added, explaining he knows first-hand from his sister’s suicide several years ago.

“Anything we can do to move the healing process along we try to do. It’s a big circle, right, it not only helps our participants turn their lives around, it helps the community, it helps Tammy’s family, it keeps her name alive. There’s a whole healing process that were trying to use to replace gaps in the system of care in mental health, he added.

Danny Cus is one of the PCS trainers and is shown here with Bice. Cus was recently honored for his service in Iran, which was extremely meaningful to him as he is a survivor from the PCS program.

Danny Cus is one of the PCS trainers and is shown here with Bice. Cus was recently honored for his service in Iran, which was extremely meaningful to him as he is a survivor from the PCS program.

Foltz said PCS grew out of not only the loss of his sister to suicide and his subsequent promise to spend his life helping people like her, but his hobby of training dogs.

They became aware of Officer Bice through their connections in the community and with law enforcement.

“Part of what we do, part of the healing process with our participants and our organization is we name the dogs after the fallen heroes in the community,” Foltz explained. “We donated our first dog five years ago to Wayne State University Police Department.”

PCS raises, trains, and donates dogs free of charge to organizations that need K-9 officers as well as training service dogs for veterans who might be dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Additionally, they work with courts specialized for veterans to assist them in getting the help they need.

Their current goals include developing a 75-acre parcel in north Macomb County to house participants and provide treatment. Currently Bark-A-Bout of Shelby Township will be hosting a fundraiser for the dog they named for Bice on December 2nd, from 1-3 p.m. where donators can meet Bice and support her Bulletproof Vest fundraiser. (BarkABout.net/k9-unitmeetngreet/)

If interested in donating, visit: www.GoFundMe.com/police-K9-bulletproof-vests/

The PCS Facebook page honors Officer Bice, saying, “City of Grand Blanc Police Department Officer Tammy Bice, your life mattered, you will never be forgotten. “K-9 Bice” will soon be donated to a law-enforcement agency as a Dual Purpose Police K-9. Nov. 29 marks the one-year anniversary of Tammy’s passing and Prevention Concepts and Solutions is honoring her service and sacrifice by continuing her legacy to protect and serve the community that she loved.”

Foltz said he gives kudos to Danny Cus and Jeremy Rogers, two combat veterans who are integral in the process of the PCS mission and help train the dogs who come to them. They are at present preparing K-9 Bice for her career in law enforcement.

Deb Jackson, Tammy’s mom said, “I just learned of this very amazing organization from my eldest daughter Angie, whom Jason first contacted trying to find us. I am beyond words for all (they) have done to honor my daughter. I couldn’t ask for a more memorable, honorable thing to happen from such a tragedy. I wish you could have known her…You have just lifted some sadness for all of us that Tammy mattered and will be remember in such a honorable way!

We are very excited and blessed that this is happening. Tammy’s posts have dwindled and I was beginning to think she was being forgotten. Was very heavy weight thinking like that but this surely lifted those thoughts. The outpouring has instilled that she is far from forgotten.”

An organization to receive Bice has not yet been determined. For more information on PCS, visit: preventionconceptsinc.org/about