putting some things in perspective
So my LEO and I were driving to the park for a date when we come up on a 4 car wreck that had just happened seconds before we made the turn in the bend. Being in the medical field and him being a police officer, we immediately pull over and provide help. He starts directing traffic and I set up my own triage area in the grass. There were five people involved, all but one could get out of the car on their own. Minor cuts nothing serious except for an ulnar compound fracture that I had splinted until EMS got there. I have to be honest, I’ve responded to a lot of emergency situations, I worked in the ER, I’m on standby at sporting events, but my heart was really pumping. It’s different when you’re not only trying to care for these people, but there’s all the other outside factors. Half of the cars tried driving through the wreck and the other half parked their cars to watch. I take a second and look up and see my officer handling this situation with so much ease. He’s on the phone with dispatchers giving 10-codes and is standing in the middle of four lanes directing traffic as if he’s a conductor for the philharmonic. The woman pinned in is screaming and he’s talking to her through the window, calming her down and keeping her focused. I realized this is just another call for him. It’s nothing. He’s handled way worse. He’s shut down highways in the middle of the night with no streetlights and the flares are all used up. He’s had to search for bodies in the brush that were thrown out of cars. This pileup? Cake. That moment put into perspective the type of traumatic events law enforcement and first responders are subjected to on a regular basis. I pray for all LEOs. Stay safe guys.