Commentary

Hey I Found Your Knife

By 9 Comments

I was debating which blog to post this on, but I have a wider reach over here for now.

If you pay attention to “fire” news you may have seen that we had several firefighters injured in a backdraft explosion 2 or 3 days ago. Everyone is ok, it just so happened that friends of mine and my shift was working (I’m still off due to cancer) , with some minor to moderate upper body injuries from being blown down and away from the source. This on the heels of Officer Warren being shot a few weeks prior and there being no ambulances at peak times in Memphis, it would seem that issues in public safety should be the first thing on the minds of elected officials in this city. Police officer being shot at and killed in the line of duty, EMS having a hard time meeting demand because we’re stuck at hospitals, and now firefighters being an inch from death in an explosion.

Yet, not one thank you from the city we work so hard to defend other than a tip of the hat and a casual nod in our direction as they proceed to “restructure” public safety when there were promises that no immediate restructuring would be made.

The wife of one firefighter (one of those directly injured in the explosion) wrote in a “Letter to the Editor” blasting city officials for not even so much as a phone call or a visit, something to make the sacrifice or injuries worth it. She mentions that in way the elected officials of this city see public safety employees (and her husband by default) as expendable budget items instead of real people. You can read the short letter here.

It’s not the letter that pissed me off (and I rarely, if ever use cross words on my blog, but I’m really angry), it’s the comments at the bottom of the page.

Go ahead and read them. I’ll wait.

The comments make me sick, and basically these three people (and I use the term loosely) say that the city’s budget is more important than a man’s life. One commenter even goes so far as to say she is “whinny” [sic]. I won’t lower myself to attacking this idiot’s grammar because the comment itself is just plain disgusting and not even worthy of a reply.

As I sat in my chair reading these foul excuses for human beings espousing themselves for the idiots they are, I wonder what happened between 10 years ago and today that caused so much reckless hate for public safety employees. Is it not us you call when your family member falls deathly ill? Is it not us you call when you smell smoke in your house, or when someone is breaking into your neighbors house, or yours?

I find it awfully hypocritical that you sing our praises when you need us, but you demand our heads on a silver platter when you hear someone talking about government pay scales or taxes. You think we don’t pay taxes too? For the same protection of our own homes? We will risk life and limb to save you, but you forsake us when you should be saving us. The city officials here give themselves pay raises and free perks paid for by taxpayer by way of cutting ours, and who’s job is more expendable? You’ll be out of office in 4 years but we’ll be here for 25 or more.

I found your knife, random commenters too scared to put your names out in an open forum. It’s right here in my back. Feel free to pick it up at any time.

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  • Anonymous posters are the biggest douche bags ever!

  • Anonymous posters are the biggest douche bags ever!

  • B5emtp

    I feel your pain. I was assaulted in the back of the truck by a patient, and didn’t receive so much as a phone call from my supervisor/administrator after it happened. Even when it came to court, no one from management showed up to offer any support– it was just my partner and me.

  • B5emtp

    I feel your pain. I was assaulted in the back of the truck by a patient, and didn’t receive so much as a phone call from my supervisor/administrator after it happened. Even when it came to court, no one from management showed up to offer any support– it was just my partner and me.

  • This is a trend I’ve seen growing and growing. I see it in New York when there are stories with a negative slant or outcome, we saw it in Pittsburgh during the blizzard, we saw it in Mississippi when the AMR crew staged two blocks from an active shooting, and now we see it here.

    I’m sure that there are other times when a community wants to pay less and less for a service many of them depend upon, and when things go negative because of their failure to support the organizations their inflated sense of entitlement rears its ugly head. Unfortunately there is no easy solution to this, but I often remind myself that for every 1 mouthy ingrate there are 100 people who are grateful for the sacrifices we make. The real challenge for us is giving those 100 people a voice the same as those 1 mouthy ingrates.

  • This is a trend I’ve seen growing and growing. I see it in New York when there are stories with a negative slant or outcome, we saw it in Pittsburgh during the blizzard, we saw it in Mississippi when the AMR crew staged two blocks from an active shooting, and now we see it here.

    I’m sure that there are other times when a community wants to pay less and less for a service many of them depend upon, and when things go negative because of their failure to support the organizations their inflated sense of entitlement rears its ugly head. Unfortunately there is no easy solution to this, but I often remind myself that for every 1 mouthy ingrate there are 100 people who are grateful for the sacrifices we make. The real challenge for us is giving those 100 people a voice the same as those 1 mouthy ingrates.

  • Pingback: On Ethics And The Lack Thereof In EMS | The Social Medic()

  • Anon

    Some of those commentors need to be added to a “slow response” list for emergency services…but that won’t happen because emergency personnel are professionals – badly underpaid professionals in many places – but professionals none the less. They know the dangers, but have decided the risks are worth it. They’re in the biz for the betterment of the community, not for the money. That said, they need to be *well* compensated for doing what the rest of us are too chickenshit to do – running into burning buildings, dealing with Meth-addled gunmen, and dealing with broken/dying people.

    Oh, and Ralph? Bite me. You don’t know me, so who are you to judge? I could be posting anonymously to protect my job, myself and my child from an abusive spouse who might be trying to find us, etc.

  • Anon

    Some of those commentors need to be added to a “slow response” list for emergency services…but that won’t happen because emergency personnel are professionals – badly underpaid professionals in many places – but professionals none the less. They know the dangers, but have decided the risks are worth it. They’re in the biz for the betterment of the community, not for the money. That said, they need to be *well* compensated for doing what the rest of us are too chickenshit to do – running into burning buildings, dealing with Meth-addled gunmen, and dealing with broken/dying people.

    Oh, and Ralph? Bite me. You don’t know me, so who are you to judge? I could be posting anonymously to protect my job, myself and my child from an abusive spouse who might be trying to find us, etc.