Loss

Over the past several months, there has been much ado over the loss of life in emergency services. Tragically, in December, two firefighters in a neighboring district were fatally wounded and two others sustained serious injuries in an ambush (read my original blog post on this topic here). But not every loss is directly associated with line-of-duty emergency service activities.

A month ago today, some former colleagues woke to hear one of their own had died suddenly the previous night. He was in his 20s. This loss affected me as well, as I had the privilege of calling him one of my employees for some time. Due to weather and work, I wasn't able to pay my respects to this great young man, and I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to say goodbye. Thankfully, I still have memories to remind me of the time we shared together.

As emergency services providers, we are faced with loss on a regular basis. Despite what we find, we are expected to remain calm, composed, and professional at all times. But how long can you honestly hold all of that sadness inside? There are too many times where we bottle up our emotions, saddle up and take off on the next run. In reality, you need to have a healthy outlet for your emotions, a coping mechanism to activate when the dam's ready to burst.

As professionals, we need to be able to support each other in times of need. What you may consider a tough call may not be viewed the same by others and vice versa. We need to look out for each other, asking "hey, are you okay?" when it looks like someone's feeling lost. Taking someone aside, out of the public eye, and giving them a chance to talk quietly, vent, cry, whatever they need to do, is something we can all do for each other. Telling others to "suck it up, it's part of the job" isn't appropriate. As many wise men have said before, the day you stop caring is the day it's time to find a new job.

What's my point for all this? It's simple: understand that personal loss is an everyday part of our calling. Often we're called to respond to the loss, sometimes it affects us directly. Your ability to keep a healthy outlook and cope with it is what marks you as a true professional.

Until next time, stay safe and look out for each other.