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Special People
Apr. 6th, 2007 01:16 pmI'm just back from a 3 day company meeting which had safety as it's primary focus. While the meeting itself was fairly routine, one of the guest speakers was exceptional. The man, I'd guess his age at 35 or so, is an emergency response specialist based in the SF Bay Area. Modest, clean cut, very straight, handsome, and in obvious great physical condition, the man spoke humbly and honestly about his experiences. And he's had some notable ones...
Team member during the 2004 gas pipeline explosion recovery effort in Walnut Creek that had 3 fatalities (and could have had many more)
Leader of a team at the World Trade Center
Leader of a team in New Orleans after Katrina
He spoke of the difficulties of coordinating rescue teams from many locations. His description of the dedication of these people, their determination to search for survivors stunned our normally chatty group into silence. He spoke too of his emotional stress during his 9/11 assignment, knowing that several hundred of his compatriots (many of whom were personal friends) were lost in the rubble. He spoke of the unexpected hardships of the Katrina rescue effort due to toxic gases, bacterial infection from human waste, and how his and other teams ignored the President's order to cease looking for survivors and merely focus on recovery (which resulted in their saving of several more lives).
He spoke of one of the very few times when he'd been afraid. After Katrina, the risks during the rescue effort weren't limited to those caused by nature. Gang turf wars, looting, and crime were so severe that he and his team were fired upon repeatedly and had to evacuate more than once while Special Forces tried to make an area safe for rescue workers.
As his talk concluded, we gave this incredible man a standing ovation. Many of us, myself included, made a special effort to shake his hand and thank him. It wasn't enough.
Where do such people as this come from? It's always seemed a bit odd to me to pick a high risk occupation. Running into a burning building, no matter how I'd been trained and equipped, feels wrong for all the obvious reasons. But I'm glad that such people as this man exist in our world.
Team member during the 2004 gas pipeline explosion recovery effort in Walnut Creek that had 3 fatalities (and could have had many more)
Leader of a team at the World Trade Center
Leader of a team in New Orleans after Katrina
He spoke of the difficulties of coordinating rescue teams from many locations. His description of the dedication of these people, their determination to search for survivors stunned our normally chatty group into silence. He spoke too of his emotional stress during his 9/11 assignment, knowing that several hundred of his compatriots (many of whom were personal friends) were lost in the rubble. He spoke of the unexpected hardships of the Katrina rescue effort due to toxic gases, bacterial infection from human waste, and how his and other teams ignored the President's order to cease looking for survivors and merely focus on recovery (which resulted in their saving of several more lives).
He spoke of one of the very few times when he'd been afraid. After Katrina, the risks during the rescue effort weren't limited to those caused by nature. Gang turf wars, looting, and crime were so severe that he and his team were fired upon repeatedly and had to evacuate more than once while Special Forces tried to make an area safe for rescue workers.
As his talk concluded, we gave this incredible man a standing ovation. Many of us, myself included, made a special effort to shake his hand and thank him. It wasn't enough.
Where do such people as this come from? It's always seemed a bit odd to me to pick a high risk occupation. Running into a burning building, no matter how I'd been trained and equipped, feels wrong for all the obvious reasons. But I'm glad that such people as this man exist in our world.
