Frank Voce: Sober living for success
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By Frank Voce
Frank Voce graduated from the police academy in July 2015 and has spent the last six years of his life as a law enforcement officer in New York State. However, my drive to serve the community began as an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter during my late teenage years. I played football in both high school and college, where I majored in Criminology.
Additionally, I spent much of my time in the gym training for powerlifting competitions. In 2014, I graduated and went on to pursue my personal training certification as a way to help other people reach their fitness goals. Yet few people knew that as a police officer I was enduring my own private struggles with sobriety.
When I first started drinking it was on the weekends… you know, ‘normal,’ social drinking. Just out with the boys after a shift for a few cold ones that sometimes went to three or four in the morning. It’s what young people do in their twenties, and it’s especially what young cops do. Drinking culture is practically threaded into the career of a law enforcement officer. I thought my drinking was just what guys like me did. I didn’t see anything wrong with it for a long time.
I felt invincible and totally in control. That is until my drinking started interfering with my life, my relationships and my personal happiness. What I failed to realize was that I was not in control at all. My ego was at the wheel, and right beside it was fear. I was fearful of being judged by my co-workers, by others in the weight room and even by friends and family. And I masked it with alcohol.
I wrestled with my demons in 2018 and 2019, and have been sober since September 2019. Yet I was not just content to address my own demons; I wanted to help other first responders find a safe haven to face their anxiety, depression or addiction. From that calling, I founded Reps For Responders (RFR). One of the first people Voce helped was his own father, a true public servant and volunteer firefighter for over 40 years. Voce’s father has been sober since November 2019. The mission of Reps For Responders is to support the mental health and wellbeing of all first responders, whether they are active or retired. First responders are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse and suicide than their civilian counterparts. As a result, RFR focuses on spreading awareness about mental health in the first responder community through its social media channels and community events.
The group promotes three pathways to “recovery,” which include (1) physical activity, (2) proper nutrition and (3) peer support. When needed, referrals are made to a specialist who is trained to work with first responders. Through fitness, support groups, addiction peer recovery coaching and live/virtual group events, first responders have a family within the RFR community.
The myth that a cop can’t have a career and live sober is now a relic of the past. I give people so much credit for being sober and facing their problems head on, rather than masking them with drinking. For myself, living sober has taught me that I don’t need to impress anyone, I only need to be better than the ‘Frank’ from yesterday.
Reps For Responders is a Non-profit 501c3. If you are struggling with addiction, or wish to make a donation, feel free to learn more at repsforresponders.org
Frank Voce has always felt called to give back to his community. His service to others began as an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter in his late teens. In July of 2015, Frank graduated police academy. After battling with personal struggle in 2018 and 2019, he finally reached out for help and support. Once Frank improved mentally and physically, he felt called to help other first responders who struggled the way he did, and provide them a safe space to face their anxiety, depression or addiction in an environment that had brought Frank so much mental and physical strength once before. From that calling, Reps For Responders was born.
