By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

When her husband’s working nights, April Brand hates to hear the doorbell ring.

It could be a neighbor or a salesperson. But Brand always fears the worst – that the person at the door is there to tell her that her husband has been injured or killed in the line of duty.

Such are the lives of spouses of law enforcement officers, she said.

Brand is the executive committee chairman of the Shelby County Law Enforcement Spouse Auxiliary, a non-profit group that will hold an official launch party and celebration Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. at Helena’s Senior Citizen Complex at 222 Tucker Road.

The celebration will include a swearing in ceremony for officers, welcoming new and current members and a meet and greet of auxiliary members and administrators from local agencies.

“We just need a family of all of us together to support each other,” said Brand, whose husband Kevin Brand is an investigator with the Shelby County Sheriff’s office. “It’s not just going to be to support each other during the bad times and hard times, but also the good times.”

The idea for a spouse auxiliary began early in 2011, when a group of law enforcement spouses received calls from chaplains from the Shelby County Sheriff’s office, who said there was a need, Brand said.

The group began planning in February 2011 with a group of 17 people meeting once a month to write bylaws, craft a mission statement and chart a course for the group. There are 50 charter members.

“Our husbands have stressful jobs every day,” Brand said. “But it’s also stressful at home, because we never know what they’re doing.”

The SCLE Spouse Auxiliary is open to any spouse of a law enforcement officer working or living in Shelby County.

For example, Brand said, one member is the wife of an FBI agent living in Shelby County but working in Birmingham. Another is the wife of a state trooper who works out of Montgomery. Others, she said, may live in another county but work in Shelby County.

Several committees are planned to cover a range of struggles and challenges. Examples include a welcoming committee, encouragement committee, ministry committee, educational committee and a social/events committee.

Membership information and questions regarding the auxiliary can be directed to auxiliarymemberships@gmail.com.