This was originally posted at my blog at: http://buffalo.yourhub.com/southtowns

“No one knows the troubles I’ve seen.”

Sounds like a country-western song lyric, but there’s certainly some truth to it in the emergency services community. The life of a firefighter is often not an easy one. We are exposed to some of the worst that life has to offer. We often see and deal with things that most people (in their right mind) would refuse to acknowledge.

Just because we’ve committed ourselves to bringing calm to chaos, doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect us at times. If it didn’t affect us, you should worry.

There are some things that we witness that even the toughest of firefighters can’t help but take to heart. And I don’t know what it is about the holidays but it seems that the death and destruction comes fast and furious.

I started a recent Monday morning by responding to a deadly bus accident. I know of more than a half-dozen house fires in just the past week alone. In fact, a neighboring fire department is being dispatched for a residential fire as I type this. I know that’s going to make for a bad day for someone.

There seems to be more codes (cardiac arrests), confirmations (obvious deaths) and other fatal events; more fires, accidents and other life-altering tragedies in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Years than at any other time of the year.

I don’t have any formal statistics to support my theory, so perhaps it’s just perception.

Perhaps it’s just my perspective.

Whether my idea is fact or fiction, following are some factual excerpts, just a few examples, of recent events that tug at our hearts and help us in emergency services to keep in focus that someone else is always having a worse day than we are. That’s our perspective.

I share these not to bring doom and gloom to your holiday season, but in hopes that you will heed the reality of how devastating fire can be, how unexpectedly it can strike, how often it is preventable and how it can change so many lives so quickly – and not just those of the victims.

I share these to give you a different perspective on Christmas wishes... and ashes.

Franklinville – November 23, 2007: A father goes back into his burning home to rescue his baby son the morning after Thanksgiving. Now he’s suffering from burns over 50% of his body and his family is struggling to rebuild.

According to a TV news report, Jesse Krytus, Sr. ran into the burning building as many as three times to save his two-year-old son. Jesse is at ECMC in critical condition. His son, little Jesse Jr., was severely burned but is expected to recover.

While the Krytus family focuses on recovery and rebuilding their lives, members of the community are focused on rebuilding the home the Krytus' planned on moving into shortly before the fire.

The family is looking for help from contractors and suppliers. A fund has been set up for the family.

Donations can be sent to: Community Bank N.A. - Park Square - Franklinville, NY 14737 For more information, visit the wgrz.com web site at: http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=53515

Eden – December 1, 2007: A family of eight wakes up in the middle of the night to a fire as a complete stranger is knocking at their door, trying to alert them and get them out.

I responded to this fire and flames were consuming the entire side of the two and a half story farm house when I arrived. The higher the flames went, the further they burned back into the structure.

It was bitterly cold and strong winds were blowing off of Lake Erie at the home that sits on top of a hill on Jennings Road near the heart of the Town of Eden. Firefighters aggressively tried to save what they could but the winds blew the fire right back into the house, causing it to escape from every opening the firefighters made in the floor, ceiling or walls.

Fortunately everyone escaped but virtually everything they owned was lost in the fire and firefight. And for the firefighters, everyone went home to their families. That’s important to us.

That’s our perspective.

Despite everything being reduced to ashes, they and their friends and neighbors haven’t lost the Christmas Spirit. The family lost everything but cherishes what they have left: each other.

That’s a good perspective to have.

If you would like to help the Sidote family of Eden, donations can be made at any M&T Bank: Adam Sidote Family Benefit Fund - Account #: 9845806752.

For the complete story of what happened, how others are helping and how you can get involved, visit the wivb.com web site: http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?s=7446040

Elma - December 6, 2007: A father returns to his Clinton Street home from running errands to find it up in flames. All they had worked and saved for Christmas is gone in the devastating fire that consumed their home.

His first concern was “What time is it? Where are the kids?” Fortunately, they were at school.

With Christmas just weeks away, Phil King said “The timing couldn’t be worse.” But, he went on to say that, “Losing our possessions is a small sacrifice compared to what some people are going through on a daily basis.”

It’s all about perspective.

The two adults and four children are left with literally, just the clothes on their back but Phil King says, "Mothers and fathers are over fighting wars who aren't getting to see their children. I have my children and that is my Christmas present."

Here’s how you can help the King family:

Checks can be made payable to "Brick by Brick Bible Church - King Family" and mailed c/o Pastor Jim Loos, 16 Eagle St., Williamsville, NY 14221

In kind donations of clothing, Christmas gifts, furniture, etc. can be dropped of at the Brick by Brick Bible Church, 212 Harding Rd., Williamsville NY, 14221 (just off Main St. 1/4 mile west of Transit and Main)

For background on the fire and the recovery efforts, visit the wivb.com web site: http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7468627

So here’s my Christmas wish list to share with each and every one of you:

- I wish you would read this blog and buy a photoelectric smoke detector for someone you care about, including yourself. Make sure it has working batteries and that the batteries are changed every time we turn our clocks forward and back.

- I wish you would read this blog and check around your house for potential hazards that could prevent you from having a Merry Christmas. Don’t do what I call “stupid human tricks,” like placing your hot ash bucket near anything that could catch fire; or celebrating, drinking and driving. I don’t want to be the one who has to pick up the pieces if you don’t exercise good judgment and don’t drink responsibly.

- I wish you would read this blog and make sure that your live Christmas tree is well watered; the lights are turned off when you’re not around; and that you don’t decorate with real candles or at least, never leave them unattended.

- I wish you would read this blog and have your fireplace or wood burning stove chimney checked and cleaned by a competent professional, now.

- I wish you would read this blog and thank a firefighter or first responder for protecting you every day so that you can enjoy the joys of the Christmas season.

- I wish you would read this blog and give a lending hand to those listed here who have suffered the devastating effects of fire. Who will enjoy a Merrier Christmas – you or them? It depends on your perspective.

- I wish you would read this blog and count your blessings – not your burdens.

- I wish you would read this blog and celebrate the fact of how precious life is and cherish every moment you have with a loved one, a friend or just an occasional acquaintance.

And in case you weren’t feeling blessed enough yet, here’s a heart-wrenching story of a young boy, a good guy, who like every one of us in the fire service, had one dream: to be a firefighter.

The story includes some other “good guys” who came to his side to make that dream a reality in his dying moments. http://www.capitalnews9.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=113388

I’d love to hear your comments or your Christmas wishes. But please, let’s not meet by accident.

So here’s a toast to all of us having a Very Merry Christmas and the Most Prosperous of New Years, and living to tell about it:

“Plan for the worst. Hope for the best. Cherish what you’ve got.”

That’s my perspective.