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No way to explain this feeling
Yesterday morning the tones dropped for an accident with injury with smoke coming from under the hood. I jumped up to put my boots on and my 8 year old son ran over to the coat rack, pulled my coat off (It's a 5.11 reversible with black on one side and ansi class III reflective on the other) and started pulling the sleeves through to put the reflectivity on the outside and brought it to me.
Last night the tones dropped for another department, he didn't know if it was us or them so he and my 11 year old daughter jumped up, started waving their arms in the air and cheering "Go Dad!, GO Dad!, Go Dad!".
I once ran out of the house for a call and forgot to turn the reflectivity out on the jacket. My son actually made my wife call me because he knows that I'm safer on the scene with the reflectivity out.
I don't feel like I'm a hero or anything. I do this because I want to serve my community, I do it because I am physically capable of being there for others when they may not be physically capable of helping themself, I do it because I enjoy working in intense, high pressure situations. But I don't think any of those things compare to the feeling I get when my kids look at me and I can see in their eyes and actions that I do really get to be seen as their hero.
Thanks
Eric Gregory
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on
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Awesome Eric.
Is there really any other explanation needed as to why we get more upset with calls involving children? Enough said!
Nice story!
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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on
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He always has. When he was 3 or 4 years old I worked 2 jobs so many nights I would not get home until after he went to bed. Every night at dinner he would push half the food on his plate to the side first then eat what was left and refuse to touch the other half. finally after a couple weeks of this my wife asked him "Why?" he told her "Daddy's never home for dinner so I have to save him some or he won't get to eat dinner". It wasn't long after that that I made the decision it was time to stop working 2 jobs and spend more time with the kids.
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Permalink Reply by Fireman Larry on
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What a nice family moment..
But now for a scolding...
Am I to guess that you are taking your duty wear into your living environment, not only that, but your 8yo is handling the jacket, that you wear when you handled patients. I'm not trying to be a hard-ass, but you need to be concerned of the Bloodborne Pathogens that may of been transfered from your last patient...
Now again, I'm not trying to a bully, but just be aware, it should follow that same guidelines as proper storage of your bunker gear after the call, so you don't transfer the contaminates to others...
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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
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Kids really do need more heros in their lives. Kids really need their parents to be the ones that they look up to and admire and respect and feel safe growing up with.
So many kids nowadays don't have solid parents. Too may kids I see don't understand community leadership or personal responsibility or committment to something beyond themselves and their personal wants.
More than being a hero - you are being a good parent - teaching them honor, respect, leadership, commitment, duty, caring, strong work ethic, a helpful spirit, loyalty, compassion, personal sacrifice for another, nurturance, patience and how to love - among other things. This will help them be strong men and women, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and community leaders.
Good Job !!
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Larry is right - we have to really careful with contaminants/chemicals/carcingens/etc. on our gear/equipment - and not spreading it into our homes or near or families.
Make sure everything is always washed - but ideally kept away from the family.
Give your kids a different job - like opening the door for you - or giving you a bottle of water as you walk out or get them to hold the pets out of the doorway or just greet you at the door for good bye hugs as you leave. You can just tell them all I need from you is hugs - I got the rest.
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AMEN !!!
And parents that are special enough to explain and share their lives and jobs with their kids.
And one can make a baby - it takes a real man to BE A GOOD FATHER !
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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Pretty sure that he's talking about an outerwear, non-turnout jacket. If his 5.11 jacket is like mine, you'd have no problem discovering any blood borne pathogen contamination that existed.
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Great post Eric. My kids, and even my wife are the same way and it is indeed a great feeling.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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When I finished Fire I...many, many,many moons ago...my daughter came up to me and gave me a St Florian medal and she asked me to wear it to keep me safe (she was 5 I think at the time) To this day it still hangs around my neck.....I get goose bumps everytime she tells her friends that "My Daddy is a Firefighter" with that pride in her voice......
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Permalink Reply by Anita King on
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Eric, what an awesome story. Sounds like you are blessed with a great family that loves and supports what you do.
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