As some of you may know, my dad was a police officer, my husband is a firefighter, and I was an EMT on the ambulance. I was going through some things today and found this poem, and wanted to share it with you. I was given a copy from a child's mother we had responded to. Just think about this poem the next time you see a firefighter, Emt, and or police officer,
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 you head, your palms and knees burning as you crawl, the floor saggin 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 that it is too late. But wanting his wife and family to know everything possible was done to save his life.
I wish you could know the unique smell of burning insulation, the taste of soot-filled mucus, the feeling of intense heat through your turn-out gear, the sound of flames crackling, the eeriness of being able to see 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 A 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 threatning? 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 docotr 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 pressed 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 traffic. When you need is 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 automoble. "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 great my parents and family, not having the heart to tell then that I nearly did not come back from the last call.
I wish you could know how if feels dispatching officers, firefighters and EMT's out and when we call for them and our hearts drop because no one answers back or there is 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 activites, in addition to all the tragedy my eyes have seen.
I wish you could you could know the brotherhood and self-satisfaction of heloing save a life or preserving someone's property, or being able to 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 to familar with.
Unless you have lived 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* ↓
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| Name: mspeachpit | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 1:15 PM |
| this is so true! a person will never know what its like to walk in another person's shoes unless they've been there. i have a deep respect for emt's because i've had to relie on them several times before. ↑ |
| Name: Lynne n | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 3:30 PM |
| Name: saxton_emma | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 3:34 PM |
so nice, i like reading things like this.
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| Name: jillw | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 3:53 PM |
| momof3---- I have spent the last 4 years of my life being that very person and this made me cry. I am currently off duty because I am pregnant, but those words hit very close to home. I love my job very much and I don't get to do it as often as I would like, there is always the feeling that you can save jsut one more person even if it is risking your own life. This put it into words perfectly. it is nice to know that there are people out there who care. ↑ |
| Name: maxieellis | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 4:01 PM |
All these people are my heros. Well.............and very much truly.
My husband was a firefighter and left because he had seen all ...his years, would allow him. I understand that as much as anyone ever could who isnt on that front line.
Our family has many officers of the law on many levels. Each day I think of their kids...their husband...and wives and pray with all i have......they come home when the shift is done.
Thank you for this........i have some emailing to do.... ↑ |
| Name: momof3 | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 4:08 PM |
jillw, I thought you would like it. I am like you, I LOVED my job, and I was great at it. It takes more than being skilled to be a good EMT or Medic. It takes compassion. I wish I could do my job again. That would be a dream come true. But it isn't going to happen. I was full-time, 24 on and 48 off. No babysitters!! Anyway, I just wanted to share this.
Jillw, there is a website that has alot of poems, about firefighting. This one is on that site, but like I said this was passed on by a mother. Here is the site www.adoyle.com ↑ |
| Name: momof3 | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 4:26 PM |
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