"Going in for the Rescue"

 A few weeks ago, I ran into a friend of mine at the gym. As we discussed recent developments in our lives, the conversation naturally turned to our two favorite subjects: Faith and firefighting. I have had the honor of working with Thomas for a number of years @ AFD, and can vouch for his abilities as a firefighter, and as a man who aspires to serve GOD. Thomas has pursued a Theology degree, and runs a "men's ministry" that caters to firemen specifically. As we talked it dawned on me, that perhaps he might have something to share here on this blog. And so I asked him to share with us a favorite scripture and story, and it turned out into an admirable result. I hope it blesses you.



Thomas Stokes is a Lieutenant with AFD, assigned to AT-1



Jude 1:22-23

"And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

“Going In For the Rescue”

So often we have long, tedious days at the fire station with the mundane, average alarm calls and the copious medical calls. We come to work and expect the unexpected. Experiencing the rush of climbing onto the fire truck with emergency lights flashing and sirens blaring. I’ve done it a thousand times and I still seem to feel the most insane adrenaline rush with my heart racing and my mind wandering, “Is this the BIG ONE?!”

For a firefighter, there are many, many, hours of training and drilling that prepare me to be a lifeline to some desperate, helpless victim. There are days and nights of wondering if this is the day that I will put my life on the line to rescue someone whom I’ve never seen or will probably never see again. Thinking, “I’m no hero; this is just part of my job.”

After a long day, my mind finally stops racing and I lay my head on my pillow to grab a few hours of sleep. I lie there hoping that my sleep isn’t interrupted this night. Then suddenly at 2am (All memorable calls seems to happen late at night or early in the morning) the lights pop on and the alarm bell blares. I jump out of bed and attempt to compose myself as if my heart isn’t about to jump out of my chest. Dispatch reports that there is a house fire and that there are persons trapped inside.  They need immediate help to escape the impending flames.

We arrive on the scene, run to the front door with all of our protective clothing on and properly secured,  pop our regulator  into our face mask so that we have breathable air, something that the surrounding atmosphere does not afford to the slowly, perishing victims. We crawl through the house in total darkness, driven only by our desire to save the perishing victims from the impending flames and to a safe place. As we crawl, we hear weak, faint cries of “Please save us, we can’t breathe!” We crawl toward the weak cry and find a mother with her child in her arms crying “Save my baby!” We hook mother and baby by the arms and pull them from the furious flames and to fresh air.

Then suddenly, it dawned on me that, “this is much more than just a job!” God has uniquely placed me in a position to emulate His love and compassion to hurt, downtrodden, and helpless people in society. Jesus Christ as our ultimate standard and example endured the cross, looking beyond His pain and reached into the fire to pull us to safety when we were in an unlivable state of sin, lost without hope.

We now have a charge to be “spiritual firefighters.” Not getting comfortable in our everyday mundane, selfish Christianity, but having compassion, “Going in for the rescue,” presenting Jesus Christ to everyone in our paths.

The tones have sounded, and we have an assignment. That assignment is this:

  
Winning souls for Christ, even when it costs us some sleepless nights!

Thank you.

  Today I was thinking about the thank you's I've heard on the job. I'm sure that many of my brother firefighters can relate to exactly how meaningful they are, if only for their rarity. Can you remember the last meaningful thank you you heard? The way it made you feel about yourself, and what you do everyday? I can, and I'm grateful everytime someone says thank you. This is one of the more memorable thank you's I've received.

  I don't remember what day of the week it was, But It was slightly before lunch. Lt. J. Smith, David Blount, and I were dispatched to first respond to an unresponsive patient at an address on East T_____ street. We arrived to find an elderly male supine in the floor, and entering the door, we heard him take that last rattling breath.His wife heard it too, and began hysterically crying  " Cheeky- Poo!!! Don't leave me!!!"
     As she begged her husband not to go,I knelt down beside him, adjusted his airway, and looked, listened, and felt. There was no breath sounds, no chest rise, and no pulse. "Cheeky-Poo" was quickly becoming a statistic. David and I flew into action, doing what we were trained to do, and this time, we got one back. It was incredible, and the only ROSC ( return of spontaneous circulation) I had seen up to that point in my career. It was miraculous.

  A couple of weeks after the incident, "Cheeky-Poo" came by the fire station. He and his wife were effusive in their gratitude. He took pictures with us in front of the Engine, left us a hand written thank you note, and referred to us as " the twilight retreivers". It felt awesome to know we made a difference. One of the things I still remember about his thank you, is the way he kept saying " thank you for being there."

  Thank you for being there? I didn't realize until after he said it, that this was the most significant thank you of all. It encompasses more than Thank you for a specific job, It recognizes the individuals desire to step in and assist, to get involved in someone elses crisis. It says " thank you for what you are willing to do".
  Every day in the United States, men and women get up, put on their uniform and go to their respective careers in Public Safety; standing in an attitude of preparedness, ready to intervene in someone else's emergency. Whether they have a significant call or not, They were there, ready and able to assist, waiting to stand between the citizens they serve, and whatever crisis might arise. 

They seldom hear a Thank you.

    Thinking of this one "Thank you" led me to think of the ones I probably should have heard, but didn't. Thinking of those led me to think of all the times "I" should have said thank you, and again, for whatever reason, I didn't.
 How very often GOD has stepped into my personal life and intervened, and how very rarely I have been appropriately thankful!! I know he is there, on a much greater scale than we could ever be, stepping in and helping, fixing the things I can't. He has stood between disaster and I so many times... how many of those times did HE know I was thankful?
  Better yet, How many times did he know I was thankful for all the times HE's been there, waiting quietly, ( and sometimes ignored) for the next time "The Tone" went off in my personal life, and he was needed to respond? And it also occurs to me that the miracle isn't the job he does, fixing my "self-induced" disasters...
It's all the times He's been there, waiting for me to need him... The miracle isn't the work... it isn't the curing of  "a leper", but the fact that the creator of the universe would be willing to hear my cry, see my distress, and step in to touch a leper at all.

 Thank's God... Thank you for being there, and thanks for touching me.

In loving memory of David (possum) Blount. One of the best men and firefighter's I have ever met.