BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Thursday, June 3, 2010

10-24

I was going to talk about our busy weekend. But something happened. 10-24 happened.

Officer~"10-24, 10-24 send FD!"

Dispatcher~"Unit confirm, officer down?"

Officer~"That's 10-4 bleeding bad shot in chest went through vest! Send FD quick!"

That is the worst thing to hear in our line of work. That the very people that are trying to keep us all safe, my family and friends, are being hurt. Though it was not one of my officers my heart sank and I immediately went back to what I was trained, stay calm, collected and don't show emotion, our officers need us to be that way to keep them also calm. It's the mob mentality, if one panics everyone follows suit. Well not panic, but our voice and tone on the radio sets the mood for the event.

In the moments that followed the initial radio traffic all officers in the county quickly cleared all the calls they were working and headed to the scene to assist. Our Sergeant (my husband) and our K9 officer went berries and cherries (lights on) to the perimeter. With in minutes the scene was surrounded. Traffic over the radio was quick like bam-bam-bam. Every officer needed a description and had to give their location the moment they could get air time.

This is what we train for. How to handle this stuff. But until it happens its just words spoken in training.

The Fire Department quickly arrived however, to the officers on scene the seconds felt like hours because they were demanding for the fd to "step it up, lots of blood!" When the scene was deemed safe they approached. It was determined that Air Care was needed.

My heart sank even more.

The officer was transported the the areas best trauma center. Shortly after, the department Chaplin was en rout to the hospital to be with the officer and his family. Another officer from an adjacent county had the officers family in tow with lights and sirens to get them there.

Everyone expected the worst. I had been and still am sitting here on the verge of crying. But I can't. Not now when I could be needed at a moments notice and what good an I if I'm a balling cry baby in here.

Finally an update had been made, "UPDATE REF OFC - CONDITION IS GOOD - BULLET EXITED HIS BODY - IT HIT A RIB & BRUSED HIS LUNG - HE WILL BE KEPT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND SHOULD MAKE FULL RECOVERY." You could almost hear the county wide exhale from all the officers and dispatchers working.

But here we are 258 minutes after the 10-24 went out. No bad guy caught yet. I know they will not give up. Houses need to be checked and witnesses will be found.

Please, no matter where you live, please please pray for our first responders. The danger they face is real every day. It could happen anywhere or anytime. And it does.

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