Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Aftermath and thanks

Continuing from yesterday's story. I had the rollover accident in the early morning on the way to work. The emergency room released me about noon.

When I got home I called the firehouse to check the schedule. The crew that rescued me would be on duty until Noon tomorrow. So I called the Kroger's Bakery dept and put in an order and took a nap until the time they told me my order would be ready.

When I woke up I went and picked up my order and while I was there I picked up several cases of soda in a variety of flavors then headed for the firehouse "my" crew worked at. I really wanted to buy a keg of beer but I thought that might be frowned on! :)

When my buddy that talked me through the extraction saw the biggest sheet cake Kroger's makes that said "Thanks a million guys!!!" on it with little firemen related motifs every where he started to get real, uh, misty eyed, which in turn made everything get blurry for me.

In my usual playful tone I asked him,  "What the hell are you getting emotional for? I was the one scared to death until your hand came through that hole where my window was supposed to be."
"Rob, I been doing this for 10 years now. On average we cut open a vehicle and free trapped people about once a week. In 10 years you are the first person that ever come by after wards to say thank you let alone throwing us a little party."

Can you believe that? I still struggle with that; Nobody ever said "thank you" before? Those guys were and are my personal heroes. How could you be freed from being trapped in mangled steel with very hots fluids very close by and NOT feel overwhelming gratitude for your liberators?

That reminds me, I think I need to throw them another little party!

Oh and have I mentioned- FIREMEN RULE! :)

6 comments:

jinksto said...

I had the exact same thing happen. After an accident on my bike (big manly 1300cc sucker (I can't ride a bicycle (it's the damned shorts, you know?))) I went to the local bakery and picked up a ton of snack foods and cookies and took them to the EMT's that gave me a ride to the hospital.

They were shocked and insanely grateful. I was in awe, I mean, these folks scraped me off of the pavement and made hard decisions to get me to the right trauma unit.

I felt the same way that you did... these people do this EVERY day and no one bothers to say thanks? Insanity.

tammy said...

Okay, for sure taking them cookies now! I'm just afraid I'll start crying when I see them.

Anonymous said...

That's an awesome story. I got misty eyed too!

Maria in Oregon

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

@Jinksto - Well the shorts and the dorky helmets! :)

@Tammy - Yay!

@Maria - Well I'm glad to have some company! :)

Anonymous said...

I work as an EMS Helicopter pilot. We occasionally get thank you cards. No one has ever stopped by because we normally are many miles away from the actual scene.But I am willing to bet that 99 out of 100 thank you cards are sent before they got their bill!

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

@Annon EMT - Thank you for what you do. Yes, helicopters are hideously expensive! Mind bogglingly so!

Now I did receive a bill for my rescue but I was in my own city. I called city hall and questioned this. There response was "Your insurance is going to pay for it anyway what do you care?" (Like insurance is some kind of magical black hole that costs go into but customers don't pay for- This attitude is exactly how how our medical insurance situation has gotten so bad!

Anyway, I argued that if I was going to pay for fire service per use then I should not be paying every year with my property taxes.
This struck me as double billing.

They waived it.

However, none of that impacted how I feel about the heroes that came running to my aid when I needed it!

I was arguing with petty accountants in city hall, not hero's in canvas coats! :)

(Ooooo, I like that term!)