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--- Begin Message ---
>"I Wish You Could Know"
>
>
>
>I wish you could know what it is like to search a
>
>burning bedroom for trapped children at 3 AM, flames
>
>rolling above your head, your palms and knees burning
>
>as you crawl, the floor sagging under your weight as
>
>the kitchen below you burns.
>
>
>
>I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 6 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 try to save his life.
>
>
>
>I wish you knew the unique smell of burning
>
>insulation, the taste of soot-filled mucus, the
>
>feeling of intense heat through your turnout gear,
>
>the sound of flames crackling, the eeriness of being
>
>able to see absolutely nothing in dense smoke-
>
>sensations that I've become too familiar with.
>
>
>
>I wish you could read my mind as I respond to a
>
>building fire "Is this false alarm or a working fire?
>
>How is the building constructed? What hazards await
>
>me? Is anyone trapped?" Or to 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 2x4 or 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 the
>
>cab of the engine, squad, or my personal vehicle, the
>
>driver with his foot pressing down hard on the pedal,
>
>my arm tugging again and again at the air horn chain,
>
>as you fail to yield the right-of-way at an
>
>intersection or in traffic. When you need us however,
>
>your first comment upon our arrival will be, "It took
>
>you forever to get here!"
>
>
>
>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 daughter, sister, my
>
>girlfriend or a friend? What were her 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
>
>officers, firefighters and EMT's out and when we call
>
>for them and our heart drops because no one answers
>
>back or to here 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 I 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 a life or preserving
>
>someone's property, 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 CPR done on him as they take him away in
>
>the Medic Unit. 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, we are,
>
>
>or what our job really means to us...I wish you could
>
>though.
>
>* author unknown *
>
>
>
>KEEP SENDING THIS ON. APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL
>EMS WORKERS, FIREFIGHTERS, and 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.
_________________________________________________________________
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--- End Message ---
