When our kids were young, my husband tried his best to convince at least one of them to follow in his footsteps and become a firefighter. Although he never said it, I’m sure he was disappointed that none of them were ever interested. Years later when most of them were already young adults, we were out to dinner with the family. My husband’s oldest daughter was telling us about her job search, and my husband suggested again that she apply at her local fire department. She looked at him point blank and said, “Dad, I’m not interested in helping other people. I’m much too selfish.”
Well, at least that was honest! My husband was taken aback, but I knew exactly what she meant. It takes a special type of person to make a career out of serving others. Personally, I know I’m not one of them, either. Yes, I know that being a secretary/bookkeeper is service position, but let’s face it. I’m not saving lives here or risking my own life and limb for those in need. And, no, paper cuts don’t count.
If you really think about it, so called “normal” folks just don’t purposely put themselves in the line of fire or run INTO a burning building. Seriously! Who would DO that? Luckily for us wimps, there are people who do just that. These people are the young men and women who, for whatever reason, make a conscious decision to join the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserves, a Police Department and a Fire Department. They make this decision for a variety of reasons, but I believe that whatever their main reason might be, the underlying motivation is a completely unselfish desire to serve and protect the public. I don’t know about you, folks, but I am in complete and total awe of any human being who chooses this path. It is a true sacrifice of self.
Like my husband’s daughter, I was also a completely self-absorbed young person. My whole world was all about me, myself and I. As both my step-daughter and I eventually found out, this condition is curable by becoming a mother, which, when you think about it is the ultimate sacrifice of self. Even so, it’s not the most unselfish of deeds since by having kids we are selfishly, even if unconsciously, doing so for the purpose of perpetuating the species. Face it, while pregnancy is hardly the most comfortable or sexy condition to be in, it’s temporary. You take comfort in the fact that eventually your little darlings will sleep through the night, get potty trained, move out. For some, not soon enough. In time, though, you do get your life back and can resume normal activities.
For the men and women in uniform, “normal activities” include risking their lives on a daily basis to defend our country, protect our homeland, stand guard over our homes and communities, brave shootouts, fight our fires and rescue us from mangled cars with the jaws of life. If you think about it, that’s just plain crazy! Also, if you think about it, aren’t you immensely grateful for those “crazy” people? I know I am!
Back when I was young and able, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to even consider this type of public service. As they say, the body was able but the spirit was definitely not willing. Today, having attained some wisdom and insight over the years, not to mention a higher degree of fearlessness, I would love nothing more than to be able fight for my country or go after some criminals and put them behind bars. The spirit is more than willing but the body is falling apart. (This type of thinking falls into the “If only I knew then what I know now” category.) I’ll have to settle for knowing that I did my part to help society by perpetuating the species.
Fortunately, there are folks who do have this mysterious desire to bravely and unselfishly serve and protect the rest of us.
Unfortunately, we are facing one of the biggest economic crises in the history of our country, and there’s just not enough money to go around. Cities, counties, states and the federal government are all facing unprecedented budget cuts, and government jobs are on the line. In general, this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in Washington, because government is so bloated and there really are so many non-essential employees to begin with. Darwin’s Survival of the Species comes to mind here, and I’m guessing some of those government jobs need extinction.
While I have no doubt that legitimate cuts can be made at the Department of Defense, as well as police and fire departments all over the country, the men and women who are on the front lines, unselfishly putting their lives on the line to serve the citizens of our country and communities, deserve the highest salaries that we can afford to pay them. For example, it’s disgraceful what we pay our military who are sent to do battle in some of the most unimaginably horrendous conditions, while the paper pushers at the Pentagon who sit in air conditioned offices are earning top dollar. It should be the other way around! So sez Stephanie, anyway.
Here at home, the City of North Miami Beach is also facing serious budget shortfalls. As I’ve said numerous times, I’m not a financial whiz. But I do know how wasteful government can be. With regard to our own police department, there probably are expenses that can be lowered or even eliminated. I do know that the entire pension system needs to be revised so that it can become sustainable. Don’t ask me how this can be done because I have no clue. Luckily, that’s not my job. That’s the job of the city manager and his advisers, who are hopefully experts on such matters. I just know something needs to be done and quickly.
What I do know is that the manager and his expert advisers must consider that our police officers who are patrolling our streets, protecting our neighborhoods and responding to 911 calls, never know what danger they might be walking into at any given moment. While on duty in uniform, they must be constantly vigilant and ready to put themselves between us residents and whatever potential danger is coming our way. Think about it. How many of you would do this? You’d have to be crazy, right?
Well, these folks are not crazy. They just have that elusive, unselfish gene that the rest of us didn’t inherit. Serving and protecting the public is just in their blood. Thank G-d for them!
One thing all the residents have been concerned about is crime in our city. We want more police protection, not less. I would urge the city manager and council to consider the sacrifices our police officers make for all of us when they are preparing the new budget. We certainly don’t need more paper pushers, but we need as many police officers on our streets as possible. We also need to give them salaries commensurate with the services they provide. I don’t know what the typical salary of a police officer is for a city of our size, but we must be able to figure out a way to match that salary for our officers. We also must be able to equip them with guns and vests, etc., so that they are protected as much as humanly possible.
As taxpaying citizens, we have a right to petition our government and air our grievances. We have a right to express our displeasure when we feel the government is not being fiscally responsible. Some of us may not agree with the way various departments of the city are being managed, including the police department. But please let’s not forget that the police officers who put on their uniforms and badges and show up for duty literally put their asses on the line to save ours.
As far as I’m concerned, a great many government employees are “non-essential.” To me the most valuable and essential are the ones who are doing the actual work to keep our city running. But, the most important employees are the men and women who serve and protect all of us. We literally could not live without them. They need to know how much we appreciate their sacrifice. A decent paycheck really is the best way to show that appreciation.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Really, it seems to me that the whole reason that we have this entity (the city of NMB), is to have our own police department. It is the main service that we need our city to provide. Our police officers protect and serve the residents of our city and we, in turn, need to protect them. They truly have a dangerous job. Take, for example, the tragic deaths of Officers Castillo and Hayworth earlier this year. The risk is there and that risk is great. I hope our city will not be penny wise and pound foolish.
Non-visible does not mean non-essential. Behind all those “essential” men and women, especially those that are out on our streets, there must be an army of invisible, less appreciated employees who process and keep all of the work generated (and achieved) out in the field. And this is not just for the Police Department; field employees cannot be worrying about ordering supplies, answering phone calls and a myriad of other tasks that may seem menial, but can derail an operation if not kept up with. There is a lot more going on “behind the curtain” than the general public is able or willing to understand. This lack of understanding starts from an early age through the absence of Civics in our education system, but that’s a subject for another discussion…
I actually did take Civics and loved it when I was a kid. Of course, that was in the “old days.” I didn’t hear the term “non-essential” employee until the federal government shutdown back in 1995, when all non-essential employees were sent home. I had a friend who worked in the Miami office of one federal agency (I forget which one), and she was sent home, and eventually fired. I wondered at the time why the federal government even had non-essential employees to begin with. Apparently, my friend’s position was absolutely non-essential or she would have gotten her job back. I don’t know if or how many “non-essential” employees there are in NMB, but I do know for a fact that the county has plenty. I’ve seen them in action, specifically in the public school system, and believe me they are about as essential as a case of herpes.
As for NMB, are there non-essential employees? I know that two high level employees were fired some months ago, and to my knowledge they didn’t need to be replaced. These were employees making top dollar, so I will assume that was a waste if they weren’t needed in the first place.
A certain resident is always saying that NMB has “x” number of employees per resident while some other city has a much smaller ratio. Assuming his figures are accurate, one can’t help but come to the conclusion that for 42,000 residents or so, maybe we don’t need as many employees as we have.
Of course, I do not have a degree in municipal administration, and I never pretend to know what I don’t know. However, it would seem to me that if county, state and the federal government have an excess number of employees, which is what I thought “non-essential” meant, that it’s possible NMB might also be in the same situation. If I used the term “non-essential” incorrectly, then I stand corrected.
Classifying employees as “essential” and “non-essential” leads to a great deal of misunderstanding. In NMB, and I assume at all government agencies by extension, “essential” employees provide basic, minimal essential services needed to maintain law and order, health and safety. This would include police, water and sewer workers, sanitation workers, and bare-bones administrative support. The term is used in times of emergency, such as hurricanes or government shutdowns, when discontinuing all services would result in anarchy and threats to public health and safety. In other words, we need the police on the streets no matter what, and we need water and sewer service and garbage collection, etc., and in the aftermath of a storm we need streets cleared quickly. In this case, many workers who might normally do other things would be assigned to cleanup-related work or other necessary tasks related to the effort. The grass can be cut and the bills can be paid later, when things return to normal. But those things do need to be done, eventually.
Certainly NMB has many non-essential employees by this definition. Aside from the PD, one of the city’s largest departments is Leisure Services, which provides non-essential services with non-essential employees. But it seems to me at least a few residents utilize these services and expect them to be delivered. Myself I do not utilize any of them, so to me they absolutely are non-essential. But I don’t mind paying for them, because I believe they serve an important purpose.
Just because an employee is fired, or resigns or retires for that matter, and is not replaced, does not necessarily indicate that he or she wasn’t doing anything. More likely in this day and age, when government and bloat have become synonymous in the court of public opinion, and it has become fashionable to decry all government workers as lazy slobs living the high life off the public coffers, the duties formerly carried out by the departed are shifted to another individual or group of individuals, who have no choice but to shoulder the additional load, typically with no compensation or even recognition. They are reminded daily of the need to do more with less, which usually means working 10 or 11 hours a day instead of 8 or 9. Which I suppose is better than unemployment.
TUT suggests that really all we need is a police department. TQI points out that behind those we see on the street, there is indeed an army–a rather small one these days–doing things that most of us never even give a thought to, because we take them for granted on a daily basis. I for one assume that when I go into a newly constructed restaurant, the roof will not collapse on my head. I assume that someone will advise me that I may become ill if I drink the tap water, or even use it to brush my teeth. I assume that tomorrow the condo next door will not be demolished and replaced with a 24-hour casino with a live rooftop band every night! Just a few examples.
As for Mr. Kehren’s comparison of NMB to Coral Springs, it is overly simplistic to say the least. Every municipality, like every organization, is operated on its own model, and a few charts don’t really show much of anything. There’s a reason for the phrase, “statistics, damn lies, and statistics.”
Thanks for the clarification. To the average person, the word “non-essential” basically means something you don’t need. Like an ex-husband, for example. If he were “essential,” you would have kept him around. Maybe they should call these behind-the-scenes employees some word other than “non-essential” so that the rest of us know they’re not all throw away employees. Wording, as you can see, is very important! We (the public) really have little more than a general idea of how the city is run. Some know more than others, of course, but unless you actually work in a particular place you don’t know everything. The thing is, government is supposed to be completely transparent. To that end, the public should be able to know what’s going on and how our money is being spent.
BTW, if they do tear down the condo next door and replace it with a casino, call me if the live band plays country music. I’ll be right over! 🙂
I understand the city manager is trying to come up with a better term, to this very end. To distinguish city staff from non-alimony-paying ex-husbands.
If I hear Dwight in the night, you’ll be the first one I’ll call.
Be still, my beating heart.
Our NMBPD controls 52% of the budget and carries about 20% of the workforce. Our city as well as other out lying cities are NOT war zones. We do not have road side bombs as our US armed heroes fighting overseas have to contend with 24/7.
The City of Aventura have their workers on 401K plans including their police officers. Our officers are guaranteed, even if the market bottoms out, as it did several times lately, their pensions are fixed for life without taking hits like our 401K’s. We are the employers. Why must we guarantee this when our own is not?
The guy making sure we get clean, healthy water to drink is very important as well. The one making sure our sewer lines are not blocked up and over flowing is very important also. The other one going down into a manhole to face noxious gases, meet more danger than our officers seen parked at Nankin parking lot and other favorite spots, having chats among themselves.
The NMBPD have selected areas where they will and will not patrol on a regular basis. South of 159th St, except for Washington Park, is one of these areas. They are hardly noticed by community residents.
Emergencies are almost non existent to warrant take home vehicles. When asked to pay 11 cents per mile to take these vehicles home a few years ago, they bluntly refused to do so. And we only get $5.00 for the use of our equipment when they use this to do private jobs, including our cars, free gas, uniforms, latest weaponry and bullet proof vests. Our taxpayers do not benefit from them guarding strip clubs and liquor bars and them allowing DUI’s to come and go freely without charging any. We have become known as the city where DUI travel unhampered. Doing otherwise will cut into their Over Time they make. This encourages DUI’s to come and patronize the water holes in NMB. This also encourages more watering holes to come and set up shop here, bypassing the more affluent Aventura and Sunny Isles. They do not mind tarnishing our city’s reputation, since none of them, except for one, lives here.
On the other hand, I am one of the very few who placed myself on the line fighting NOT to dissolve the NMBPD as some elected officials were craving for. I will not cut my nose to spite my face. I see the long term vision.
The NMBPD is another of the several valuable parts of our city structure that needs reorganizing.
“Budget” refers to the “General Budget”.
Stopping crimes before they happen is the most important duty of a proper police department. Proper patrols is one of the best ways to do that. How many units on regular patrol do you observe while traveling about the city?
To reinforce the citizens that this cities police dept. is doing the job that their budget pays for. They need to show and prove the presence of that in real life and on paper. Anyone that seems to think that is not necessary certainly is not on the side of the citizens and the police dept.
Awhile back you had a post on your site “Complaint Department” And offered to obtain public records. One viewer of the site requested public records of settlements due to police actions and consulting fees paid also. You responded back and said you would do what you offered to do and obtain those.And post them when you have received them. When do you think that information will be posted. I and others I’ve talked with are certainly interested in that information. Many looking forward to that, OBSERVER
I posted an answer on July 7th. Please go back to that column and see my response.
Oh I see. You weren’t familiar with those important city facts. Can you answer this question. What do you need as far as facts to make a public records request without having to turn it over to the city attorney?
I’m actually NOT familiar with “facts” that are not a matter of public record. I’m not exactly Karnak the Magnificent, but I can pretend to know everything if you like. I’m a pretty good actress!
Since the question was about a lawsuit that is still pending, the results of which (including any settlement that may be in process) are not known to the general public, I wrote to the city attorney to see if she was able to provide any information. I did this to help answer the person’s question. If something is not a matter of public record, the clerk can’t provide it.
The reader had asked a three part question, as follows:
“PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST: How much did the city pay the family of the child that Nelson Reyes shot and when. How much did the city pay Richard Dean of Marin Consultants for their services and when. How much did the city pay to the family of the black man that was shot in the back while sitting in his wheelchair and when. please scan them and post them on your site. Thank you in advance.”
The first about the shooting, I responded with that it’s still ongoing. The second (about Richard Dean of Marin Consultants), no one seems to know what this is about, but I will do some more investigating. The third is probably a public record and anyone who wants information can request it from the City Clerk’s office by sending an email to pamela.latimore@citynmb.com.
If a person is familiar enough with computers to post haughty comments on my website, surely they are competent enough to send an email and make a public records request. People do it all day long.
Proactive patrolling is only possible while the officers are not tied up on calls for service. In other words, if two officers are tied up on handling a call requiring two or more officers (ie; mentally challenged individual, burglary in progress, missing child, accident, violent arrestee, etc) and one officer is taking a report of a retail theft, and one officer is on a traffic stop, this may leave two to four officers possibly available to patrol. In some cases the entire shift may be patrolling for the few moments of calm, or none if all happen to be tied up. This is a busy city folks, and the PD handles many calls for service each day. In June alone the average was 330 calls for service per day. Even the most trivial call (and it may not be trivial to the citizen calling) takes an officer off the street for a period of time. Now before one or two of you go off trying to twist the above around, it is a realistic illustration of scenarios that tie up personnel.
Unless you take the time to familiarize yourself with what public safety entails, the support required, the administration and training and all other intricacies of an organization, then you are doing a disservice to those that you try to confound with ignorant and misleading statements, assumptions and downright slanderous attacks.
Rest assured, regardless of the rhetoric from those with an agenda, the men and women of the PD continue to work hard, put their lives on the line and sacrifice the normalcies of civilian life to protect the citizens of this community.
Stay safe!
Ahhh…settlements paid. When you get that information, keep in mind that many settlements were made as a matter of financial convenience as determined by our City Manager, then approved by Council. It seems it is cheaper at times to settle than it is to litigate a case in court, even if we are in the right.
I won’t even address any more of MK’s ludicrous statements, much of which he keeps regurgitating. It’s becoming nauseating. Same with Mary Hilton. You guys are so far out there, you’re lost. So locked into your simplistic view that you’re no longer thinking clearly. David Templer said it very well today. I won’t even try to add to it.
Now, if anyone wants positive discourse, I’m all in!
Doesn’t the city attorney’s office negotiate settlements? Not arguing, just curious. And certainly it often is more expeditious to settle than litigate, financially speaking, even when you’re in the right.
I’d also like to add one more comment about transparency, which was a very popular word in our most recent elections. As Stephanie herself points out, “We (the public) really have little more than a general idea of how the city is run. Some know more than others, of course, but unless you actually work in a particular place you don’t know everything.” In fact, unless you work in a particular place, you don’t generally know much at all. Yes, public records are available, but they rarely illustrate the day-to-day operations of any organization. The budget can be reviewed by anyone with the time and patience to scrutinize 600+ pages, but even that to a lay person (and probably a majority of employees) is less than illuminating. Part of the problem is the city’s outdated financial software; a larger part is the overly complex division of departments, which surely evolved over many years. While obfuscation may seem to be the point, I don’t believe it is. It just grew overly complex over the years, much the way I image the IRS tax code did.
In spite of my moniker du jour, I really don’t know what the answer is to this particular dilemma. Any thoughts out there?
I find that the answer to may of life’s difficult problems is to eat more chocolate. Of course, that doesn’t actually solve anything, but it makes me happy. If that fails, pet a cat.
I used to believe that if a lawsuit is settled, this was an admission of guilt by the respondent. I’ve since learned that this is not necessarily the case, but sometimes it’s apparently much cheaper to settle quickly than to deal with what may be a long, drawn out trial, the results of which are in the hands of a jury of someone’s peers. As we have seen in the recent trial of Casey Anthony, Mother of the Year, the outcome may be far less desirable. While some believe that the prosecution didn’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, others (including yours truly) believe that the jury was collectively brain dead. Someone just said to me recently that anyone too stupid to get out of jury duty will most likely be sitting on yours when you need one. Of course, that’s not necessarily the case, since it really is our civic duty to serve when called. But, according to Murphy’s Law, I always seem to be called when I’m up against a serious deadline at work.
Now what were we talking about? Oh, yeah. Chocolate. And cats. Just don’t feed chocolate to your cats, okay?
I was only trying to make a point regarding Mary HIlton’s reprehensible email yesterday about settlements due to actions related to the PD. While settling when the City is in the right is bothersome, we understand the business aspect of the decision.
Captain, my response was to the comment by “theansweris” and not your previous comment. I wasn’t referring to any of the emails that have been circulating among the residents and employees of NMB the last few days. I have not responded to those. When “theansweris” asked if the city attorney’s office negotiates settlements, I wrote what I wrote. I just re-read your comment and it looks like I inadvertently repeated your thoughts.
I also don’t know how the issue of settlements came up anyway, because I grew up with Miss Manners admonishing polite society that it’s rude to talk about money. When I got involved in political activism and found out that if you work in government your salary is a matter of public record. I was literally shocked that people were not only discussing their paychecks in mixed company, but that others discussed them, too! Having always worked in the private sector where no one EVER publicly discussed their income, this was a foreign concept to me. I eventually realized this was the way it was in public service but I never did get comfortable with all this talk about who makes what. I wondered if Miss Manners was horrified, too.
Really what MK talks about is always negative. This man really needs to find a hobby IMHO. I have seen his transformation over the years from supporter of the PD to constant “adviser” on police matters. From all that I know, he has never been a cop and never will be one yet professes to know so much about how to run a police department. He forgets that many of the current PO’s served in the military, just as his relative is doing now. I served in the military and was paid (at the time) $888.90 a month and never complained. However, you have a different minds set when your 19 than you do at 40. At 19 you aren’t even thinking of the future, retirement, etc. at least I didn’t. but when I joined the PD at age 28 I was and what drew me to NMB was the compensation they offered.
What really amazes me is that the current/temporary CM is basing his plans of the PD on advice he is receiving from people who have never been a cop and have complete disdain for the PD much like MK. The CM does not discuss budget issues involving the PD with the Chief; he discusses them with the PD’s former financial manager and (ugh) Asst. CM MS. MS has always held disdain for the PD; jealous maybe? I don’t know his motivation but this is who the CM talks to in regards to budgetary items with the PD. Don’t you think it might be wise to at least have the Chief involved in the discussions? This is like me asking the shoe repair guy to come fix my oven; doesn’t make sense.
Mk constantly drones on and on about how he never sees an NMB cop patrolling yet he pays probably less than $200 a year to the City; the rest of his taxes go to the County and yet I never hear him complain about not seeing a Miami-Dade cop patrolling. Same with Mary Hilton, pays less than $200 a year to the City and complains and complains. If she’s so smart, why didn’t she get elected when she ran for office several years back? Because she’s not smart; she’s crazy. Just like MK. I think keeping tabs on government is good but not to the point where it becomes your obsession like it is with MK and MH. I mean really, find a hobby; quit trying to pretend your a cop and quit trying to be the Chief of police.
Ms. Kienzle I appreciate your fair comments on the police department of our great city and those of the U.S. Military.
I would like to comment on Mr. Kazan’s continuous comparison of his family members in the military to the men and woman of our police department.
At first I was appalled at Mr. Kazan’s emails where he kept using his family members who are supposedly serving in our military as examples. However, I would like to thank Mr. Kazan for comparing the North Miami Beach Police Dept. to the U.S. Military. You see, these officers give their lives, hearts, and souls to this profession as do the men and women in the military. These officers too are involved in shootings, fights, and other physical and mental conflicts. These officers also need to express their feelings after a call or even critique themselves on how to have better handled an incident. In the military they do stop and gather for a second to talk about what they just saw. Just like the military allows their soldiers to do the same so should we allow our officers. These officers too need to eat and sleep like our soldiers.
So when you see those officers in the NANKIN building, perhaps they are discussing a serious issue they just handled. In the military the soldiers also sit down and eat at restaurants,tents, or mess halls in Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other place where they may be. So you are correct in comparing these officers to the military. So Again when you see those officers eating in restaurants, they are just like the military.
These officers are not deployed oversees but they ARE deployed to our great city when disaster strikes and everyday to protect our streets. They come in a moments notice before a hurricane and remain long after the effects have passed. They run into burning buildings. They run into a gun battle between several gang members. They run into a house where someone is being held hostage. They do this with no regards to their lives in order to save others including your own. They too leave their families behind for long periods of time (hurricanes, holidays, weekends, and other natural or manmade disasters). So you are correct Mr. Kazan, these officers are soldiers too.
Therefore, go ahead and pay these officers in the same manner as the military pays their soldiers.
Let me give you a factual comparison so that you and your peers understand. A deployed person serving in the military with seven years on gets the following (Enlisted not Officer):
Salary: 32,814
Housing Allowance: 13,716 (Living in Miami)
Food Allowance: 3,206
Family Separation Allowance: 3,000
Hazardous Duty Pay: 2,700
Hardship Duty Pay: 1,200
Total yearly 56,636 (TAX FREE)
Now add the benefits: ALL healthcare is covered for them and their families for free. They do not contribute to their pension, it’s a guarantee. Use of the Commisary and PX. While deployed
and up to a year they can have a 10% interest bearing account of up to $10,000. Their schools are all covered and there is also the G.I. Bill. This is just a few of the benefits and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few. Again Thank you sir for comparing these officers and wanting these officers to have the same benefits as our military.
I DID serve in the U.S. Military therefore, I speak from experience and do not hide under the coat tails of my family members. Furthermore, I too protected the very freedom that allows you to speak at council meetings, blogs, and emails.
I want to thank you first and foremost for your service to our great country. The men and women of the armed forces are guardians of our freedoms, especially the First Amendment that so many enjoy using, including yours truly. I am completely grateful for the privilege of being an American!
Your comments about the sacrifices our police and firefighter make reminded me of the time Hurricane Andrew blew through Miami. I was at home alone with a five year old and a seven week old premature infant, still recovering from a extremely difficult (and thankfully my last) pregnancy and childbirth. My husband, who is now retired from the fire department, had to report for duty several hours after the hurricane started and left me to my own devices, with the house still boarded up and no electricity. He had no choice! I also had no choice but to deal with it. I’m not going to go into the gory details of what I went through (butter sandwiches and cookies for dinner because that’s all my five year old could make, and I can laugh at that now!), but I had no idea that when my husband left he’d be gone for three straight days! That was no picnic for us, but my husband’s job was to put his own life, and ours, on hold until the people of the community were all safe and accounted for. I know the police officers of all the departments in the county were also continuously on duty. And they will do it again when called.
So, yeah, that wasn’t one of the highlights of my life personally, but I obviously survived. My point was that families of first responders also have to make sacrifices, even though they are nothing in comparison to what cops and firefighters deal with. We need to all be grateful when there are no crises or emergencies to handle, because the next one is always just around the corner.