Not a good post. Warning label attached.

[profdsny]

Hello,
Since this site has been good therapy for many of us, just posting and sharing our feelings about things with each other, I need to go to the well, so to speak.
I know some of you have been to Chicago, and others know of the place I'm talking about, which is the John Hanock building. This is one of the two tallest in Chicago, with about 100 floors, right on Michigan ave. Well, as you may have seen on your news or on CNN, there was a tragedy yesterday, when window cleaning scaffolds broke loose with the wind and fell 40 some floors, crushing cars in traffic below, killing 3 and seriously injuring a few others. As some of you know, my job requires responding to just such incidents. It is hard to say how erie it was to respond to the scene and see these cars in the intersection, demolished. You know from just looking at them that there were people killed.
As it turns out, one of the women was in town for her 30th birthday, which was to have been today, and was going to attend a party at one of the hotels downtown in her honor last night. Another victim was a close friend of hers. The third was a women from the city, in a different vehicle. I haven't heard the condition lately of two others who were in critical condition and may not survive. Suffice to say, I had a hard time falling asleep last night.
We all do things in our day to day routine that seem so normal, and safe, and yet it seems no matter what you do, there is risk.
I don't know if there is a moral to this, and if there is, I don't know what it is. I guess I suppose it's to enjoy life and to never stay mad at your family and dear ones.
Sorry this is not upbeat, but thanks for letting me share with you.
Joe

ps. I just realised from posts that this is Mother's day there. Hope you all had a good one. And be good to your mothers also.

 

[Allin]

Joe,
Being a Firefighter in the UK I know exactly how you feel.I also respond to RTA`s as I am based at a Rescue Tender station.I must admit ,somewhat ashamedly,that I would`nt miss any fires if only I went to the RTA`s.The reason......I fell that if a building is on fire then so what,it can be rebuilt.On the other hand ,you turn out to an RTA with some poor soul trapped.If your job goes well then you save another life.Feeling following this.....UNBELIEVABLE.
As for your sleep problem,I`m afraid that I have`nt any secret remedy.Boy it`s hard being a hero .
Is`nt it strange the things us humans put ourselves through ?.
Best Wishes and try to sleep well.You don`t know what tomorrow will bring.
Alan

 

[kazzie]

Joe

Sorry to hear about the traumatic day you had.

I think people in yours and Alans line of work seeem to live by the motto 'Carpe Diem',seize the day. Because you see so often how a person can start out a day and have no idea it's their last. So appreciate each one

I guess humour gets you through a lot of things.

Hope today that you feel stronger.

Love

 

[Mazzy]

Joe

I just wanted to say my thoughts are with you, it must be such a hard job to do. Where would we be without people like yourself and Allen, you are very much appreciated.

I hope that this morning you are feeling a little better, and that today brings more positive things.

 

[Angeluk]

What a terrible tragedy that was Joe.
As you say, there are perhaps no wise words on this one, but just to know we should all look to making the most of whatever we have. You never know what is around the corner.
{hugs} to you, and Alan and to everyone else workng in that type of amazing job.

 

[WDWfan uk]

........ we are just so grateful to you, Alan and people from all the emergency services who have to deal with the most tragic and awful events that happen in our world. Your immense professionalism pulls you through, but it must be so difficult to separate your feelings from the job to be done sometimes.
A great big {{{HUG}}} to you......... speaking of never staying mad, my mother never let anyone out of the house in a huff. She always told us to bury the bad feelings before we went out and say goodbye properly.

 

[Janice]

Joe what a terrible tragic accident!

I dont know quite what to say, but just want you and our own Alan know that I admire the courage that you show whilst you do your job. I cannot imagine how it would be to go to work and have to deal with what you have to.

{{{{{{Hugs to you both}}}}}}}

 

[BONZO]

Joe,

What a terrible thing to happen to anyone.

I guess that most of us seem to take people involved in any for of the Emergency Services for granted - you know, we just think that they will always be there when you need them.

I think after many events this year we have been re-focused on the things that you guys do - day in and day out - for our benefit. I remeber that Alan was meant to be at one of the UK DIS meets but had been involved in a large RTA just before the event.

Basically, I do a "desk job" and can't even begin to imagine having to put my "life on the line" - utmost repsect to you all out there.

Let's hope that life can move on for us all - {{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}

 

[Astrid]

What a dreadful tragedy Joe. You and your fellow workers do an amazing job - I certainly couldn't do what you do.

Astrid x

 

[KayleeUK]

{{{HUGS}}}

Kaylee

 

[profdsny]

Thank you everyone for the thoughts, and the hugs. You handle so many investigations a week that most of them its, like, oh well. A few get to you. This was one. Many of them are sudden, and some are obviously tragic, but occasionally they grab you. I had two in a matter of weeks last summer where police officers were killed on duty.
But, again, thanks for the kind response. It's nice to know you guys are there.

Interestingly, I handled one a few months ago of a middle-aged women. I was told after by someone who knew her boyfriend, that she used to be a Mouseketeer. Haven't been able to verify that as yet.