Police, Fire, Rescue

I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 3 in the morning as I check
her husband of 40 years for a pulse and find none. I start CPR anyway,
hoping to bring him back, knowing intuitively it is too late. But wanting
his wife and family to know everything possible was done to save his life.

I wish you could read my mind as I respond to a to an EMS call, "What is
wrong with the patient? Is it minor or life-threatening? Is the caller
really in distress or is he waiting for us with a gun?"

I wish you could be in the emergency room as a doctor pronounces dead the
beautiful five-year old girl that I have been trying to save during the past
25 minutes. Who will never go on her first date or say the words, "I love
you Mommy" again.

I wish you could know the frustration I feel in my cruisers or the cab of
the rescue, with my foot pressing down hard on the pedal, my siren and air
blasting again and again, as you fail to yield the right-of-way at an
intersection or in traffic. BUT when you need us however, your first comment
upon our arrival will be, "It took you forever to get here!" or "What took
you so long?"

I wish you could know my thoughts as I help extricate a girl of teenage
years from the remains of her automobile. What if this was my sister or my
friend? What are their parents reaction going to be when they opened the
door to find a police officer with hat in hand?"

I wish you could know how it feels to walk in the back door and greet my
parents and family, not having the heart to tell them that I nearly did not
come back from the last call.

I wish you could know how it feels dispatching police officers, fireman and
EMT's out and when we call for them and our heart drops because no one
answers back or to hear a bone chilling 911 call of a child or wife needing
assistance.

I wish you could feel the hurt as people verbally, and sometimes physically,
abuse us or belittle what we do, or as they express their attitudes of "It
will never happen to me."

I wish you could realize the physical, emotional and mental drain or missed
meals, lost sleep and forgone social activities, in addition to all the
tragedy my eyes have seen.

I wish you could know the brotherhood and self-satisfaction of helping save
life, or being able to be there in time of crisis, or creating order from
total chaos.

I wish you could understand what it feels like to have a little boy tugging
at your arm and asking, "Is Mommy okay?" Not even being able to look in his
eyes without tears from your own and not knowing what to say.

Or to have to hold back a long time friend who watches his buddy having
rescue breathing done on him as they take him away in the ambulance. You
know all along he did not have his seat belt on. A sensation that I have
become too familiar with.

Unless you have lived with this kind of life, you will never truly
understand or appreciate who I am, who we are, or what our job really means
to us...I wish you could though.

APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL EMS WORKERS, FIREFIGHTERS, & LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN YOUR AREA. ONE DAY THEY'LL PROBABLY BE SAVING YOUR
PROPERTY OR YOUR OWN LIFE.

WHEN YOU SEE THEM COMING WITH LIGHTS FLASHING, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY.
THEN PRAY FOR THEM.