Mental Muscles

Archive for the ‘911 Careers’ Category

We all know who to call when there is a fire, an explosion, and yes, even sometimes the odd cat in a tree. We call our local fire department, and they respond to rescue us or those in danger at the scene of the crisis, however, who rescues them from the dangers they face with each rescue or fire control they perform? What do we really know about when it comes to the dangers the firefighter’s face each time they respond to a call? Not only are they facing physical dangers that are potentially life threatening, but also they are facing long term threats to their health and the length of their lives. There have been far too many deaths of firefighters that, sadly, could have been avoided if there had been some minor changes made, or other life saving equipment made available. Unfortunately, there are difficulties in obtaining some of the equipment that our firefighters so desperately need. Some of the reasons for this are a lack of money, lack of support, and quite honestly a lack of concern.

The old adage, “out of sight, out of mind” seems to ring true when it comes to the fire departments across the United States. Most political authorities take no notice of the men and women that run the fire departments, unless something happens to bring them into the limelight, or unless they are needed at some point in time during said politician’s tenure. They are the emergency workers that sacrifice silently in the background, to change and save lives everywhere, but they are also perhaps the most forgotten when it comes to financing or support.

Some of the financial cutbacks that occur from time to time in every city or town are more often than not felt in schools and emergency related departments. One has to question the wisdom in these decisions, considering that the schools are our future by teaching our children — ruin them, we ruin our children, hence our future. The fire departments are the ones that save our property and lives — in true politician style; this is biting the hand that feeds you. The financial cutbacks make it difficult for the fire departments to obtain proper equipment for their firefighters’ protection, which risks their lives even more each time they respond to a call. Will it take them returning your 911 call for help, by calling your phone and saying, ” I’m sorry, we are unable to respond to your house fire, due to a shortage in proper fire retardant uniforms, but if you would consider asking your town mayor to grant money to our local fire department, we would be more than happy to respond to your call.” While being completely ridiculous to imagine, it may not be as far from the truth as you would first think.

Why should they be expected to save our property and our lives, and suffer unnecessary risks to themselves? The key word here is “unnecessary”. If we rallied for community support and moved for approaching our local government to demand grants for the fire department, we would then be able to say, we are rescuing our rescuers. These men and women respond to crisis calls daily without a thought of their own safety, and most of them have families that wait nervously for their return. Call your local fire department and see how you can make a difference. There are far too many things to be done by only a few people, so get involved. Get involved in your community, in the care and support of your local fire department. What you put into your community is what you will get back.  Write letters to your local politicians to request more support for the fire departments, and volunteer your help wherever they need it.  Put your heart into the support, and make it public — we need to rescue those that rescue us.

Community policing is a well known term for those who serve in law enforcement. Most community citizens do not even realize the depth of what policing the neighborhood entails. Community policing in simple terms means that when the police are doing their jobs to protect your neighborhood or community they are not just going out without a plan in place. There are strategies and ideals that are followed to make sure uniform procedures are adhered to. When interacting with the community, it is essential to understand that the police force is not alone in what they do. It is imperative that the community is also an integral part of helping to keep crime down. When the members of the community join in the fight by coming forward with information and not holding back when a wrong has been committed, it brings about a joint effort to prevent crimes from happening again. This is the essence of community policing.
Try to understand that the law enforcement is not a separate entity from your community or neighborhood. Most of them live right in the same town you do. The community police agencies are not only there to deal with crime but also to work to better the community itself whether in the city or county you reside in. the general idea that face to face interactions with the police and the community is vital to a successful neighborhood policing effort. This means that more and more agencies are bringing their officers out to serve on bicycles, horses, and on foot. It is hard to meet others when you sit in a car all day. Getting to know the community on a personal level as well as the police officers more intimately can give you a trust that can not be felt if you are afraid or uncertain about what to expect.
On the part of the officer who is expected to be part of the community policing effort, it is essential for them to come into this type of policing with a willingness to serve and a spirit that is open and also not swayed by those he knows. The officer needs to be in a frame of mind to care for what is happening and those it is happening to. When situations arise that the officer may or may not agree with, they need to be able to listen without judgment and be fair to all involved. The officer needs to be sincere about how he treats the community members and not be false in dealing with them. This is the most important part of the neighborhood policing strategy.
Community members need to try to understand that for a successful effort to be made, they also need to be unbiased about their opinions of the police in general. Even though they may have had certain situations arise in the past that were not exactly positive in their dealings with law enforcement, it does not mean they need to assume or judge the whole agency in the same way. When the police and the community come together in a community policing strategy, it not only serves to better the trust between the two but it gives a peace in knowing that you truly are protected from the bad elements.

When you decide to become an Emergency Services worker, you have chosen to be a selfless individual in others lives. It makes no difference why you chose this, at some point in your service, there will be some person you will be a forever influence to. I was an Emergency Medical Technician for over four years. In that time, I was truly blessed to find that at the times when it seemed to be the most routine call, the patient affected me in some great way that I never expected them too. In all the training you will go through should you choose to make this great profession a part of your life, you will never truly be prepared for the emotions and memories you will carry with you for your lifetime.
Something seems to click inside when that pager goes off and you are on the way to the call. The training sets in and you mentally prepare yourself for each particular call. You may know what the nature of the call is but, nothing is ever as you think it will be. I remember times when the call was simply a routine call and took no special skills to help the patient. I was also their when a few of those patients took their last breath. Realize that as a worker in the Emergency Services, you may be the last face this person will ever see. This is something you will never forget. I hope that I was at least a comfort to them in their last minutes. If you choose to do this, I hope you can provide that comfort also.
Some of the time, you get to be the first person an infant will see when they come into the world. I remember one such occasion. I was helping to deliver a child. There was not anything special about the call but, even now, I still wonder how the child is doing and what age they are. I try to imagine what things they have experienced in their lives as a result of coming into the world with me being a part of it. These are things that are never taught in any of the classes or training you will undergo. They will try to prepare you for the tasks ahead but until you have been through them, you will never truly know the sadness and joy that others can cause. You have now become part of this person’s life in one way or the other.
Becoming an Emergency Services worker is a commitment that you must make before you take the steps to get your certification. Realize that when you choose this profession whether paid or volunteer, you will be working hours that most people sleep through and you may never be thanked for the work you perform. Also prepare yourself for the times when that special patient will affect you so deeply that you may want to find how the results turned out. Unfortunately, most of the time, when the patient reaches the hospital, it is over and you may never know what happened next. As I said before, selflessness is a necessary trait for any Emergency Service Worker and that the work is thanks enough for what you do.