One of my greatest fears.

23. February 2010 by [JP].

Well, one of ANY public safety worker’s greatest fears, is not coming home at the end of the day.
Andy Tingwell dying in the line of duty after rescuing a lost hiker.
John Sutter and Anthony Archuleta, and their pilot, when their helicopter crashed during a training mission.
And now, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office lost a LVN who worked for their detention division, when she was hit by a car, after stopping to render aid to a vehicle crash victim when she was off duty.

Its an eye opener to all of us, a realization that we are still mortal.
One of the things that has stuck with me over the years, is the second thing one of my former instructors said in class (always wash your hands being the first). He said, in order to save lives tomorrow, you have to come home today.

I’ve had some close calls over the years. I’ve been hit twice. Once by a car driven by an old lady as I was rendering aid at a scene… walked away from that with just some bruises. Another time, while working an accident scene, one of our units got sideswiped by a drunk motorist, and my partner and I were both hit with flying glass and debris.
When you’re in the middle of it, generally you’re paying more attention to the life you’re trying to save, rather then your own, and sometimes that can get you killed.
Even when you’re paying the utmost attention to your surroundings, the unpredictable actions of others will still get you.
And sometimes, only the loss of one of our brothers or sisters in the field is what it takes for all of us to start watching our own backs that much closer.

So. For the rest of us. Be careful out there, and always come home to your families, so that you can go back out tomorrow.

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