PASSING THE TORCH
/By: Joel E. Gordon
The best way to predict the future is to create it. - Abraham Lincoln
When my youngest son turned 21 and began to drive for our local ambulance service, already having volunteered with our local volunteer fire company for three years by then, I found myself reminiscing about my own calling in choosing law enforcement over a career in fire or EMS and thinking in greater detail about our future generation’s choices for their own career paths.
Way back when I was a single rookie cop and I remember some veteran officers saying if you’re looking for a date, tell any prospective companions that you’re a paramedic, or better yet firefighter, but don’t admit that you’re police. “People have more respect for firefighters” they would say. (Fortunately, I found a special lady who loves her law enforcement officer along with her EMT son).
I have seen many words used to describe these honorable professions in public safety such as: loyal, brave, trustworthy, courageous, strong, honored, dedicated, rescuer, heroes, fearless, warriors, guardians and protectors to name some, which describe all three areas of emergency responders being law enforcement/fire/EMS. The words smoke and fire really belong solely to the fire service however.
My son Evan, as a firefighter, has already experienced the heat, smoke and flames of a burning structure on multiple occasions. I always thought that he would follow in my footsteps as a law enforcement officer, but it may turn out that he will follow more in his mom’s former path. Sharon was an ambulance driver herself many years ago. While my son was still evaluating fulfilling a desire to become a West Virginia State Trooper, continued and seemingly unrelenting vilification of our police has given him some pause and reevaluation. Either way, the calling to public service runs in our family and is clearly in his blood.
In my case, in a different time and era, I had no doubt that I preferred a career in law enforcement. I had that belief reinforced on a cold winter dayshift. While on patrol, I was frantically waved down by a woman along the road. “Help me, help me” she said. “My grandchildren are in the house and it’s on fire”!
I immediately called out at the location and was quickly met by another officer as I grabbed my hat. We quickly entered a burning row house whose kitchen was ablaze. Immediately, although attempting to use my hat as a filter, I began to get choked back by the heavy smoke. We were of the belief that the children were on the second floor and we made it about halfway up the stairs until the heat and smoke became too overwhelming. As we turned to head back toward the exit I felt something strike me in my chest. Exiting the front door hacking and coughing from smoke inhalation I saw a small kitten jump off of my chest area from my winter uniform coat. It turned out that the grandchildren weren’t in the house after all but around the corner at a friend’s house.
The fire department was quickly on scene extinguishing the fire, returning me to service after having at least saved the kitten. To this day I am hopeful that I will never again be in a burning building.
Other more numerous incidents involving medical emergencies from assaults, gunshot wounds, stabbings, accidents and natural causes of which I found myself to be the first responder on-scene left no doubt in my mind that fire and EMS services were best left to others. I was always glad when an ambulance arrived to take over any medical emergency. I have seen amazing lifesaving procedures performed in the back of ambulances by dedicated EMT’s and paramedics.
I know that many law enforcement families besides mine also have future generations wanting to answer the call of others in need of help. It is my hope and prayer that each makes the best decisions for their own career paths and that success and safety follow them in all of the days of their lives as we pass the torch of public service.
We all must strive to make a positive difference in ways that we think we have the most to offer. In my own son’s case, he has become an emergency medical technician, swift water rescue, HAZMAT, and rope rescue certified firefighter, and has recently been employed by Monongalia County EMS in the home county of West Virginia University.
I do have one suggestion to those now beginning their own public service career paths: Keep a daily journal of your experiences and thoughts. Someday you’ll be glad that you did. You may even write your own memoir as you look back upon the career you created some day.
Kudos go out to all our deserving and brave firefighters, EMTs, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers and paramedics. We have great respect, love, concern and admiration for all of you.
Joel E. Gordon, Managing Editor of BLUE Magazine, is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com
