How do you handle it?

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Permalink Reply by Danielle Carter on July 14, 2009 at 7:51pm

I don't believe you'll ever learn to DEAL with it. But you'll be able to handle what you see better. At my home station, Explorers aren't allowed to go on MANY MANY MANY calls because it's "too dangerous" or we "shouldn't be exposed to that kind of stuff." But my second call I ever caught was an attempted suicide, I was not (UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES) allowed out of the Rescue truck. But luckily, the Officer that was with us wants the Explorers to experience as much as we can now so it'll prepare us for Recruits class. Well, he parked right in front so me and Abby (a fellow Explorer) could see what was going on. I watch very intently. And after we got back to Lake Winnie (this was the 4th of July and we were doing Fire Works control at our local Amusement Park) I started thinking about it. And I started to tear up at how someone could do that to themselves. But it only made me stronger. Cause I realized...the Officer and Driver just saved someones life...and that WILL be me out there one day. Hope this helps. Good luck out there!

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Permalink Reply by Adam Gillis on July 18, 2009 at 11:17am

well we have had bad calls when i was awas a junior firefighter in my department juniors ages are 14 and 15 and full member status is at 16 but to be a full member u need to apply for it. i remember was had this bad mva on the bottom of a steep hill with a 4-way intersection at the bottom and i remember hearing and and my a my stepdad who was the captian responded it was 1 month after i applid for full membership and i stayed becuase the ems squad captian arrived and confermed a class 17 and i just sat at the firehouse with a few other members and we waited until the called for the brush truck for traffic contral about 1 mile from the scene we responded with 5 and spent hours there about 6 hours in all and i remember they pulled 2 of us to go buy drinking water and grab cooler to put it in becuase it was like 90 outside and i got dropped back off at the road barrier where the brush truck was and my friend went down there and he paused and starred when he saw the body. it never bothered him at all

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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on July 18, 2009 at 2:10pm

You do what has to be done....it sounds simple but if you rely on your training and do what you are supposed to then you really don't have time to "think" about it....it is after the call where it all starts to sink in....that's where talking it out with others on the call can help.....the biggest mistake is to try and play macho and hold it all in....Stay safe keep the faith.......Paul

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Permalink Reply by Tiffanie Pettis on August 4, 2009 at 3:37pm

i grew up around all that stuff, i think it has just kinda made me adapt and almost in a way know what i should expect when we get that type of call. the thing is you just can't let it get to you expecially thinking things like it coulda been me of she looked like my best friend or anything like that. thta is the worst thing you can do that stuff will mess you up faster thatn anything else, ive seen it with people---its hard no matter what you do we are all human and to some extent he all have thoughts and feelings. talking to the guys and sharing thoughts and stories is a good idea sometimes because you can let go of some of that stuff, but no matter who you are, how old you are, male, female, or what experiance you have, the things you see will probably always be with you. you just have to do your best to store the stuff that you can't let out in that file in the back of your head and not think about it and dwell on it. some people can handle more tha others and sometimes you have to know your limits it won't make you less of a man(or woman) if you get to the scene and you have to just walk away and don't feel comfortable right in the thick of things. its is better off for you and the other guys responding so you don't have a breakdown or get over stressed or anything like that.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Buck on August 25, 2009 at 1:31am

just find a way to laugh about something, or get it off your shoulders, and worry about the next one. My most recent full code, we pronounced a early 30's year old lady dead at the scene, and we had to notify the family. Well, one of the family members went bezerk and starting punching and denting up her car. Very sad, I know, but that is how we were able to laugh it off and get it off our shoulders.

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Permalink Reply by Keegan Allen on October 10, 2009 at 3:25pm

Brandon, it all depends on if you know the person or not. Where i live everyone knows everyone so it is really hard sometimes. I just think of it as i just learned not to do something so that someday i dont make the same mistake as those people do. Yes it does stick in your head forever but like i just stated it helps you remember not to do stupid things and you wont be like that person.

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Permalink Reply by TJ Newson on November 1, 2009 at 2:14pm

its always going to be there like every other memory of your life...just depends on how you use it.
Review the call and make improvments to your overall game plan for the next extrication. Always remember you didn't put them in that situation but ya got be professional and do your job to get them out of the mess they're in. If it bothers ya to much than go talk to the critical incident stress team, every dept has access to them...so use them and don't try to drink it away or think your to much of a man to discuss it cause it will come back to haunt you and some point

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