Editing

At one time, I knew every member of the K.B.F.P.D. I worked like a dog, taking every O.T. that came my way and I worked in a desirable house that always had someone working O.T. for one reason or another. As a result, I met everyone and everyone met me.

As I rarely work O.T. anymore and we tend to keep our time trades in-house, I don't get out much. I realized this while editing photos that I had taken at a recent department function. In a group shot of a bunch of captains, there were several whose name I couldn't recall.

The engineer's group shot was even worse. There were several whose name escaped me and a few whom I don't remember meeting.

I don't want to talk about the firefighters. While tagging the pictures, I didn't know half of them. I will have to take the file to work and have my medic I.D. the firefighters. That will lead to some tasteless humor at my expense, comments about me being reclusive and senile. No respect in today's culture toward grumpy old fire captains, that's for sure.

Not that there ever was. I used to tease a few of my early captains, they would ask me who someone was and I would tell them. Of course I would add a humorous line or two with the answer. Every once in a while, I would give them the wrong name and then listen with suppressed laughter as the captain called the visitor by the wrong name all shift.

The ultimate payback will occur in a few years when retired me will return to a station that I had worked at previously and no one on duty will know me. That day will come, it is inevitable.

I just hope it doesn't jack me up too bad.

Thanks for reading,
Schmoe

*******

Go Packers!

A River Runs From Him

When I ventilate
His blood spatters from his ear
Onto the backboard

The crimson river
Continues to grow in size
Despite our efforts

The blood does not stop
It flows off of the gurney
Pouring to the floor

When the ambu stops
A puddle of red expands
Under the unit

His death is pronounced
The doctor knows it's futile
We gave it our best

*****

Quite a mess, not only the Haiku, but the call itself. Massive, multi-system trauma along with a crushed melon. It would appear that the helmet was not up to what it was asked to do.

The truck driver, who was stopped at the time, said that the impact shook his truck. It appears that the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact, the witnesses said that he was flying.

Not any more.

Thanks for reading,
Schmoe

(insert crime here)

Someone hears something. A friend tells a friend who tells someone's wife, who in turn tells one of us. So and so got picked up for (insert crime here). A phone call is made or a text is sent. Eventually, someone will get on line and access the county courts website. They will do a case search using the rumored offenders name and if the rumor is true (or mostly true) a hit will be made. Then the rumor is no longer a rumor and is now a matter of public record. The sordid details are there for anyone with a computer and a little savvy to see.

Usually, it has something to do with alcohol and cars. Occasionally, alcohol plays a role in a more serious crime, one that involves physical violence. Very rarely, one of our members kills or tries to kill someone or commits some form of sex crime.

Almost always, the district knows about the event long before the membership does. The arresting agency will give the district a heads up about an arrest or the errant member will notify his superior officer as soon as he is able to do so. Sometimes, the accused will opt to resign before the trial. We appreciate that, as the headlines always look better when they say "Former firefighter arrested, accused of (insert crime here).

Depending on where the crime occurred, it may even escape the attention of the local media. We like that even better, no one enjoys seeing dirty laundry flapping in the breeze - especially when it is their own. We have been lucky in that aspect, our good named has only been muddied a few times during my career.

Rest easy, all of these events are very rare, the really bad ones are extremely rare. But, as we are human, we are susceptible to many of the same trials and tribulations as the rest of society. I believe that background checks and psychological testing helps reduce the number of problem children in our employ. However, someone's secrets, if properly kept, allow them to slip through the cracks and remain undetected until crisis erupts. Then it can be ugly for everyone.

No one likes to see their comrades in jail, even if that's where they need to be.. 

Thanks for reading,

Schmoe