Well, I am sure by now, unless you live under a rock, that you have been watching all the news and information pouring out of Boston, Mass. and West, Texas.... Unbelievable the amount of destruction that can be heaped upon a group only to have them shine through... There are numerous heroes that have evolved out of the wreckage. Some you would expect... fire, police, and EMS. But there were some that were just in the right place at the right time. Regular guys and girls that ran towards the danger because that's just how they are made. People, who with no regard for their own safety, ran in and starting helping those that could not help themselves. Those people, regardless of their color, their political affiliation, their gender, or anything else, gave everything they had to save the life of another. They weren't wearing anything that differentiated them from anyone else. No capes, no shields. Some, gave every last measure of their life so that others might live. To them, I salute, with the utmost pride.
The Boston Police Department, the FBI and others ran in and in very short order, had the bad guys in custody. Hurrah! That's how that is supposed to work.
This was National Telecommunicators Week. Did anyone note that? Can you imagine the hellish jobs those dispatchers in both Mass. and Texas must have had those days? Imagine working a fire call at the local fertilizer plant, down the road from where you live. Then imagine the absolute worst case scenario happening.. Then imagine finding out that it was worse than anyone could have possibly imagined. The number of dead and missing still not complete days later. Imagine if that's your home? Imagine if that's where your family and friends are?
Whether anyone else agrees or realizes, those dispatchers are heroes too. They deserve a salute and honor as a result of the difficult task that they face everyday. Everyday they come to work, lousy hours, lousy pay, no breaks, and constant stress... Yet everyday, they come back and watch their friends and family members go off to their jobs, being the face of the PD, Fire Dept, and EMS.. to be the OBVIOUS heroes. This is proof that they too deserve the recognition afforded their co-workers. They are the quiet calm in the face of chaos. They are the voice in the night that calms the fears and worries of the complainants. They are the organization that keeps control of the scene and of themselves, even when they are in tears. You will never know the number of times that we have worked devastating calls and managed to maintain. We cry in the dark and we scream into our pillows at night. We hug our children tighter than ever and pray for the families of those we have served. Then we come back tomorrow and do it again. Why? Because we love what we do. We do make a difference. Most people just don't know that.
