Take a Minute and Honor Idaho First Responders

This one deserves notice on a crowded calendar.  October 28^th is likely a day proclaimed for many causes, but National First Responders Day may be the most important.  It covers a wide range of occupations, as you’ll have noticed if you witnessed a car accident or a rescue in the Snake River Canyon.  The hazards of the job are constant, as you can see from this link from Oklahoma.  Every day, there are close calls, and every week, a tragedy.  And those who go home at night often deal with the trauma long after it’s over.

I've Witnessed the Psychological Toll

I grew up in a neighborhood filled with police officers and EMTs.  Two uncles and a cousin served as fire chiefs.  My dad carried a gun and a badge when I was a little boy.  He also volunteered to drive the town ambulance.  When I was in fourth grade, he was among the law enforcers called to a homicide.  The dead woman was a cousin of my mom.  The killer was a neighbor from down the road.  Two years later, he responded to a drowning but failed to resuscitate the victim.  A cousin of mine, and my best friend on the school bus.  Dad was never the same, and there were no psychologists assigned to counsel the first responders.

The Job Brings a Load of Trauma

I never gave much thought to what he internalized until I was much older.  Meanwhile, whenever I see screaming demonstrators harassing law enforcement and other responders, and this happens primarily in faraway big cities, the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Here’s a thought: say a thank you to a first responder.  It’ll help.