Has an incident ever affected anyone that you thought about for an extended period of time.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on July 22, 2009 at 9:21pm

There are a number of incidents that still come to mind, particularly when passing the spot or a memorial marker placed at the scene of a fatal accident. Even after 25 years the details of the first fatal I saw are clear to me.

How long ago was this incident, and how often does it come to mind? It may just be that more time has to pass before you get through it, or perhaps you need additional counseling.

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Permalink Reply by Captain Busy on July 22, 2009 at 9:25pm

responding to an ATV Fatal Rollover call with one of my kids best friends being the victim was one of the low spots of my life and it haunts me still... but as Joe Dirt said, "sometimes you just have to keep on keeping on".

if this incident messed your head up, take the time to look into critical stress debriefing from a professional counselor. I doubt anyone would have the balls to charge you for getting some assistance to help you through the memories.

this will pass buddy, trust me, there are worse calls that you have not seen or experienced yet. learning to deal with this will help you get through the next one, and the one after that, and the next one... they never stop.

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd Chief Sharp on July 22, 2009 at 9:38pm

Paul, Many many calls have stuck Im my mind for long periods of time and some I still remember to this day. It is hard sometimes to get over these calls but like grieving we all eventually move on. We never forget them just remember the good times.

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Permalink Reply by FireCritic on July 22, 2009 at 9:43pm

Child run over by a car in a parking lot. It was an accident. I will never forget it. I think it sticks with me most because I have two children that were the same age at the time. It doesn't haunt me, but I will never forget it. There are plenty of other bads one I am sure, but if I could go back and alter anything related to any call I have ever run I would move that child out of the way. Too bad I can't.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 24, 2009 at 10:43am

Anything involvnig children usually sticks out, but I've never had anything fatal with children.

One night I was on squad and we got a call to a 100-year-old man that had fallen down and was disoriented. The man was simply dying. I helped carry him down the stairs and we rushed him to the hospital. When we got there we admitted him into the trauma room in the Emergency Room and I stood there as they incubated him. When I left the trauma room his family was outside, including his wife. Seeing your significant other pass away has to be one of the most heartbreaking instances anyone can endure. The wife also stated that her husband was stating that morning how he felt as if he wouldn't be on this Earth much longer.

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on July 24, 2009 at 2:07pm

Your last one will pass when you go to your next one.
Your mind is like your fire truck.
Put everything back where it belongs and you will be ready for the next one.
If you don't control your emotions, it will eat you to the point that you forget why you wanted to do it in the first place.
Talk it out. File it away.
Stay strong.
TCSS.
Art

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Permalink Reply by Bob Kinne on July 25, 2009 at 10:32pm

Art,
I have always held the belief that our job too often requires us to do things we never thought we could do and to see things that no sane person should have to see.

In February 1974, a fire destroyed a three story apartment building. We spent 3 days recovering all the bodies ... 2 women, 1 man and 7 children.
Back then we didn't have debriefings or group counceling. You dealt with it in your own head. Like you pointed out, you either controlled your emotions so that you could do your job, or you let it eat you up and spit you out.

Yes ... stay strong.

Bob

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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on July 26, 2009 at 2:14am

Put everything back where it belongs and you will be ready for the next one.
Art, it concerns me that someone with so much experience and knowledge can beleive for a minute that it's as simple as that.

CISD is a huge issue and things at times simply can't be "put back where it belongs".

Emergency Services the world over need to make some drastic changes around the whole accapetance of CISD and the handling of it. It can't be swept under the mat. It is OK to suffer from it, and help must be made available with no strings attached.

Or maybe I'm reading into your response too deeply....

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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on July 24, 2009 at 3:06pm

Paul we see the best and worst outcomes in our line of duty. The calls that stick with you good and bad are the ones that make you stronger brother! There is one call that still sticks out in my mind. It was a bar fire and the bartender was murdered and the next day the lady lit the bar on fire. Im not going into detail but it was verry disturbing tome when i found him. We all have those calls that stick with us.

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Permalink Reply by Justin on July 24, 2009 at 4:59pm

when i was with my old vol dept in Va, we responded to a mva with entrapment in an area famous for wrecks. i was 20 and was just appointed Lt for c shift which was mostly young guys. we responded and as we got on scene the vehicle involved looked very familier. when i walked up to the car to do pt assesment i realized it was one of my good friends from high school, matter of fact all the guys on the crew that day knew him. he was a DOA head into a tree. i was so upset by it that i had to walk away and do traffic control. while doing traffic duty i saw his mother driving up and she stopped. she asked how i was doing and she could tell i was upset, i told her to keep moving, as she started to drive up she recognzed the car and stopped. i think the hardest part of it was when the trooper told her that her son was dead. the hardest part was when she looked at me and the crew and said" you guys are his friends you have to do something for him, save him" to this day that has been one of the hardest things i my life. but as the other say this will pass, and as the chief said you never really for get them, just try t remember the good times

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Permalink Reply by Devon on July 28, 2009 at 12:31am

oh my gawd, justin that just like ripped my heart out there for a moment as I read that, I am really sorry. I could not even imagine responding to an incident where you know the victim.
stay safe
Devo

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Permalink Reply by kevin harris on July 24, 2009 at 6:15pm

i worked a wreck that an eight year old boy died in my arms and that gets me all the time.theres good calls and bad ones and all u can do is try and decifer the ones you want to remember from the ones you dont .

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