9/11 Remembered

9/11 Remembered

Remembrance of what happen that day in 2001 is fading. as a firefighter, I still see the ultimate sacrifice of the 343 firefighters that gave their life to save people trapped in the twin twin towers and also the members of the NYPD and Port Authority also, not to leave them out too. They played a vital role in the rescue attempts too. It is terrible that people have slowly forgotten what the brave soles of that fateful day changed the way of our lives forever. In the days after 9/11/01, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians were treated with the respect they deserved. Now unless you really need them it is back to the same way it was before the attacks. People bad mouth the different groups as to why they think they can just run up and down the road with lights and sirens blaring, just so people will have to move out of their way or in some way just want to be noticed. Trust me as a firefighter, i would much rather not be called to the scene of a structure fire or a vehicle accident where people are injured. it makes for a bad day for someone and his family.
Some people and some businesses still remember the sacrifices made by all the groups involved, career or volunteer; not in free services, or special prices, but they remember us. they take the time to say they appreciate the jobs we perform and they know they can count on us when things go terribly wrong. From either being locked out of their buildings or the occasional get the cat out of the tree. There is no difference in the jobs that are performed. Both are dangerous and can cost a responders life at the drop of a hat. People use to wave at the emergency vehicles as they drove down the road, now, we get obscene gestures from some of the people that we see because they see us a wasting there tax dollars out riding around, for what they see as joy riding. They don't think to ask what is going on, We might be going to support emergency medical technicians with the movement of a patient or maybe going to one of the local businesses to do a preplan of the building so there was an emergency in that building, we would know what the contents was and how to handle the situation.
The people of this country have a very short memory of things. We pulled together after the disaster of the twin towers and have in the past pulled together for other disasters, but then it is short lived, we return to our old ways of life, till the need arises again. Its ashamed that we all can't get along together all the other times when we are not in a crisis, it would make America a much better place to live.
And if you have not already guessed, I am a 30 year Career Volunteer Firefighter for a small town in South Carolina, and have seen the good and bad in all people. And agreed, seeing the good in people is always better. We all just need to remember that we are Americans and get along accordingly, regardless of skin color or backgrounds. WE ARE ALL AMERICANS, and if you don't like it, then I am sure some other county would be glad to have you visit their country and learn there ways of life. I am proud to be an American and will fight anyone who tries to take my freedoms away from me.