Police and Firefighters

[you gots 2 chill]

Today my church held it's 8th annual Law Enforcement, Firefighters and Military appreciation day. The L.A county sherrif Lee Baca, The chief of L.A. Fire Dept and San Diego Fire were all in attendance. In addition the Riverside and San Bernardino County sheriff's departments were all there along with about a hundred officers, firefighters, military personell and there familys. The fallen heroes of the last year were honered and everyone currently serving recieved a thunderous round of applause from the thousands in attendance!
By the way, my church is in south central.

[little rowe boat]

Very cool.

[HMF'er]

Sorry I missed it.

[you gots 2 chill]

It was very nice.

[Kindsvater Flat]

Got this in my email the other day from one of the other chiefs.
"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 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-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

[Sotally Tober]

Wish I could have been there. It is nice to see a positive light from public service personnel.

[famaffair]

That's great D, I wonder why this post doesn't have three pages of comments

[little rowe boat]

Wish I could have been there. It is nice to see a positive light from public service personnel.
Not trying to start anything but, you don't usually view public service personnel or see them in a positive light??? :confused:

[slingingsmoke]

Not trying to start anything but, you don't usually view public service personnel or see them in a positive light??? :confused:
I think he meant fire managment (I hope)!

[slingingsmoke]

as for that .....did anyone go the the FFC (Firefighters for Christ) international breakfast a few weeks back down in the OC?
It was awesome...the 30 yr. anniversary! good to see brothers from all over!
JON.