MCM Deferred

Well unfortunately due to an injury I have had to make the decision to defer my entry for the Marine Corps Marathon to next year. I have a torn hamstring tendon. Had it been the muscle injured instead of the tendon I might have been able to train through it. A tendon injury is more serious than a muscle injury and mine is being slow to respond to treatment. I have missed nearly 2 weeks of running so far and the projected time off from running is 4-6 weeks. With the MCM being only 8 weeks away, it is unrealistic that I could recover and train appropriately for it.

Injuries are frustrating. This one is frustrating to me for so many reasons. Running is my coping mechanism. I have been grumpy lately and I know it's a result of not being able to run. Mostly though, I think I am frustrated more because I was running the MCM to raise awareness for suicide prevention for first responders. I will have to discontinue the campaign now that I won't be able to run. I am very disappointed about that. Suicide is such a hard topic to talk about. Running the MCM gave me a platform to talk about suicide prevention.

The media doesn't publicize first responder suicides nearly as often as they occur. Every year we hear about how many Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters are killed in the line of duty. Would it surprise you that nearly double that take their lives each year by suicide? I bet most people don't know the devastating toll of the job on first responders. I was an EMT for only a short bit so I can't say I know all they go through but I have an idea. There is one call I ran while an EMT that I will never forget and it has to do with fire. It's part of the reason why I struggled so much after my fire a few years ago. My fire brought back a memory I thought I had put away forever. And that's only one call, how many calls haunt first responders in their dreams? I bet it's well more than one. Whether a firefighter, EMT, paramedic or police officer, they all experience things that most of us never could imagine. And because most of us can't relate to what they see and experience, first responders find it hard to reach out to others who are not first responders. So what do they do? They bury it. They don't want to burden their family or friends with the emotional things they see on the job. The problem with not talking about it is it leads to coping mechanisms that may not be safe such as drinking, drugs and other risky behaviors that help distract from the nightmares.

This year alone 71 firefighter suicides have been confirmed including the recent suicide of a firefighter while on duty in Katy, Texas. It's very possible the number of suicides is higher than that as not all suicides are reported as suicides. EMS suicides are generally included in firefighter suicide statistics. It's harder to track LEO suicides because oftentimes the death is not reported as a suicide. And that's too bad. In order for officers, firefighters and EMS to be more likely to get help, they need to know there is a support system in place. If law enforcement won't acknowledge that a suicide has happened, it is less likely for an officer to reach out to someone if they are struggling. For example, Johnson County (KS) Sheriff's Office had a deputy lose his life to suicide earlier this year. It was not reported as a suicide and therefor the opportunity to help others who may be struggling was missed. The more we talk about suicide out in the open, the better chance we have of saving someone who may need help but is too afraid to ask for it. Suicide needs to be talked about openly in order to break down the stigma associated with it. Until that happens, people will continue to be afraid to ask for help. I speak from experience here.  Fire and EMS have gotten a little further than law enforcement in regards to suicide prevention. Suicides are now being tracked as much as possible in Fire/EMS and workshops are being put in place to help departments when they lose one of their own to suicide. The organization I was raising funds for is one of those organizations that provides workshops for LEO/Fire/EMS to help with suicide prevention as well as grief after a suicide.  To learn more about it visit the Sweeney Alliance at http://sweeneyalliance.net/ or the Grieving Behind the Badge blog at http://grievingbehindthebadgeblog.net/.

I may not be able to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year but my desire to talk about suicide prevention has not diminished. It's a difficult topic but one that's worth having a conversation about. You might just save someone's life.

If you or someone you know is struggling there is help. Reach out to a friend, family member, coworker, partner, spouse, counselor, priest.... just reach out. Where there is help, there is hope.

Running the Marine Corps Marathon to Raise Awareness for Suicide Prevention in First Responders

Hi all! I am running the Marine Corps Marathon in October to raise awareness for suicide prevention for first responders.

Why do I want to raise awareness for suicide prevention? Because one suicide is one too many!

Why do I want to focus on raising awareness for suicide prevention for first responders? Because they are the helpers. Who are they supposed to call when they need help?

The stigma for suicide is very real. People are afraid to ask for help because they don't know how others will view them when they say they need help. Having been there I know this issue all too well. People don't want to talk about suicide because of the stigma associated with it. It's time to start a conversation worth having.

What makes suicide so difficult to prevent is that it is not a condition or disorder, but rather an outcome that may result from the presence (or accumulation) of many risk factors. What makes suicide in first responders even more difficult to prevent is that they are the helpers. Those who work in Fire/EMS/Law Enforcement face the risk of my behavioral concerns such as anxiety, depression, burnout, ptsd to name a few. But the problem is that they don't talk about behavioral health when it comes to each other. The often mentioned mantra in first responders is "We help others but never ourselves." 

Why is it so difficult for someone in Fire/EMS/Law Enforcement to ask for help? Risk of losing their peer’s respect, fear of being viewed as weak and unable to perform their jobs, fear of confidentiality, fear of losing their career? It’s no wonder so many of the helpers suffer in silence. Why do I want to raise awareness for suicide prevention for first responders? For Nico and TJ and all other first responders who ended their life too soon because they couldn’t ask for help.

Nicholas “Nico” Cruz passed away on July 27, 2014. He was a firefighter with more than 20 years on the job. He received numerous accolades for saving lives. When he wasn’t at work he gave his time to many charitable organizations including MDA, BACA and Brotherhood for Children. Nico was a firefighter, a husband, a father and so much more. What might have been the greatest hurdle for Nico was the loss of his wife to suicide nearly a year prior to his suicide. After her death Nico made it a mission to educate others about suicide prevention. Those of us who knew Nico knew the anniversary of Carli’s death was difficult and may have been too much for him to endure. Someone who ends their life by suicide doesn’t necessarily want to die; they just want their pain to end. Nico was struggling with the loss of Carli and didn’t know how to make the pain end.

Timothy J. “TJ” Shavers passed away December 8, 2012. TJ was a detective who spent a good portion of his career in cyber-crimes investigating online sexual predators, identity theft, email scams, internet theft, etc. He was trained specifically to focus on investigate crimes against children and spent nearly the last 7 years of his career catching these predators. TJ was a law enforcement officer, a husband and a father. He, like many law enforcement officers, struggled with the pressures of undercover work vs personal life balance. 

Was it the constant exposure to horror at work or something going on at home that proved too much for Nico or TJ to handle? We may never know. All we do know is they wanted the pain to end. For whatever reason, neither reached out for help. I can’t say I know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of first responders but I have many friends who do and if I can help even one of them get help when they need it, it is worth the effort. Asking for help is hard. I should know; it was the bravest thing I ever did!

I am running the Marine Corps Marathon to support the groundbreaking collaboration of The Sweeney Alliance and Rethink The Conversation to develop national programs to educate first responders about suicide prevention and coping with the aftermath of a suicide.

Will you support my cause? Here's a link to my campaign:  http://www.gofundme.com/suicidehelp
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog entry! This cause has my heart, I hope it has yours too!

If you or someone you know is struggling please ask for help. Where there is help, there is hope!

ACT. Ask...Care...Take

The Kansas City Fire Department is starting a new program this month aimed at ending suicides within the fire department family. The program is called ACT. It stands for 'Ask, Care and Take'.

If you read my previous post titled Because One Suicide is One Too Many! or another post titled Suicide in Law Enforcement... What can be done to prevent it? then you know suicide is often not talked about in Fire/EMS/Law Enforcement. The often mentioned mantra is ‘We help others but never ourselves.’ That’s our culture. ‘ Don’t ask for help.’” It's time we change that! After losing one of their own recently to suicide as well as 3 others in the last 10 years, KCFD has decided it's time to step up and talk about suicide prevention. With help from Richard Gist, principle assistant to the fire chief and public health psychologist with KCFD, they have come up with the ACT program to help fire fighters who may be struggling.

The concept of the program is this: Ask what's going on with someone and if they are thinking about hurting themselves. Care is about showing a person that you care about them. Take stands for taking that person to a place where they can get help if you determine they need help.

Nico Cruz, a 23 year veteran of the KCFD took his life on July 27, 2014. His service was held on Saturday August 2, 2014. He is survived by four children. His oldest daughter, Catalina Cruz, said that she decided to speak out about her father's suicide in hopes of preventing other suicides. Her interview can be seen by clicking on the picture below and following the link.

I attended Nico's service. Having gone to high school with Nico and catching up periodically over the years I know what a big heart he had! He volunteered with MDA and BACA. He was passionate about protecting kids from child abuse. And personally, I will always remember that he took the time to call me after my fire 2 years ago to make sure I was okay and ask if I needed anything. In this day and age, who takes time to do that? Nico did! His death was a shock to so many of us who knew him. He did so much for others but was unable to ask for help for himself when he needed it. It's time to stand up and talk about mental health not only in the fire industry, EMS and Law Enforcement but to the public in general. I was so impressed with Nico's family during his service. Many times when suicide is the reason for someones death the family won't mention it. Not only did Nico's family mention it as cause of death but they took the opportunity to use his service as a forum to advocate suicide prevention. They asked everyone in attendance to reach out and speak to someone if they were hurting and needed help. Pamphlets about suicide prevention were available for anyone to pick up. I guarantee you, there was not a dry eye in the house! This was a family in pain that desperately wanted to reach out to others in hopes of preventing another family from going through similar pain. I admire the family for their courage during such a difficult time!

Catalina's message was this... "My message would be if you know anyone who is struggling with suicide, please talk with them and get some help!"

Cousin Desmond McIntyre, also a fire fighter with KCFD, explained that firefighters see things that you can never erase from your mind and deal with stresses and family and work that are incredibly difficult. He encouraged others to take the time to talk with people and find out how they're really doing and do it often. It's not clear what caused Nico to take his life. It is clear he was hurting.

If you suspect someone is hurting, reach out to them. Sometimes people are afraid to talk to family or friends regarding things they may be struggling with. If you know someone who is struggling but fear they may be afraid to talk, there are good resources you can point them to. One such resource is the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 

If you call the Lifeline you can remain anonymous. They are there to listen and help! You do not have to be suicidal to call. Anyone who is hurting and needs to talk can call. They also have a chat line if you prefer. Having used this resource myself I can assure you, it is a great resource and you can remain anonymous! What I learned from my experience (I used the chat function) is that you really can remain anonymous and people really do want to help! The only time they will disclose your identity is if you are going to hurt yourself. I wasn't suicidal when I contacted the Lifeline, I just really needed to talk through something that I wasn't sure I could talk to my family or friends about. Thanks to having a positive experience with the Lifeline, I now see a therapist on a regular basis and that is a great help to me. Sometimes it's not easy to talk to family or friends and that's when talking to a professional can help. I had to wait until I was insured again before I could start working with a therapist but I am glad I did. She is a good resource for me and I feel safe talking to her about any issues including Nico's suicide. I know a lot of people are hurting after losing Nico in such a shocking way. If you are struggling with Nico's death or any other issue please reach out for help! 

IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE HELP, 

please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 

Seeking help is a sign of strength not of weakness. It is the first step in reestablishing control in your life. Always remember when there is life there is hope!

RIP Nico! You are loved and so very much missed! 

Because One Suicide is One Too Many!

A while ago I did a post about Suicide in Law Enforcement and what can be done about it. I wrote that post because one suicide is one too many! And because a friend had recently lost her husband (a deputy) to suicide. I am writing this post today because a friend, firefighter, father took his life yesterday. One suicide is one too many! People don't want to talk about mental health and it's time we changed that!

As with Law Enforcement, number of suicides in Fire and EMS is a statistic not kept. There are no exact state or national numbers on suicides of public safety responders because often the incidents are categorized only as sudden deaths. The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance wants to change that! Jeff Dill, a counselor and firefighter for 25 years near Chicago was compelled to do so after hearing about so many firefighters taking their own lives. Jeff founded the nonprofit Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance in 2011. The group began a confidential reporting system on its website, www.ffbha.org. Slowly, firefighters from across the country began calling Dill to alert him to a firefighter suicide in their community. Dill followed up with calls to the fire chief in that fire department to validate the information. Dill says it's important to document all suicides not only to track them but to validate them.

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance works to educate fire officials nationwide about suicide awareness and prevention. To learn more about the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance visit www.ffbha.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FirefighterBehavioralHealthAlliance.

What makes suicide so difficult to prevent is that it is not a condition or disorder, but rather an outcome that may result from the presence of many risk factors including: underlying conditions, individual dispositions, interpersonal dynamics, social interactions, and other factors. Firefighting exceeds most other occupations in frequency of occupational injury; moreover, death is a frequent feature in situations firefighters encounter in the normal course of their duty, and loss of one’s own life is an ever-present, and even culturally accepted occupational risk. These factors can compel firefighters to come to terms with their own mortality in ways that vary greatly from the general population, and as a consequence, the capability for suicide among firefighters may be further evolved, whether or not desire or ideation may be present.

Most people are aware of the physical demands that first response activities place on firefighters and EMS providers. But it is important to also realize the impact that fighting fires and responding to emergencies has on the mental well-being of emergency personnel. Firefighters, EMS providers and law enforcement face the risk of many behavioral health concerns such as anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder among others.

If you are a first responder taking care of your mental health is as important as managing your physical health. Here are some of the warning signs to look out for:

• Ideation/threatened or communicated
• Substance abuse/excessive or communicated
• Purposeless/no reason for living
• Anxiety, agitation, or insomnia
• Trapped
• Hopelessness
• Withdrawal from friends, family, society
• Anger (uncontrolled)/ rage/seeking revenge
• Recklessness/risky acts-unthinking
• Mood changes (dramatic)

Not sure if you or a coworker need help? Here is a self-screening for suicide for firefighters (and is relevant to all first responders): http://www.ffbha.org/Suicide_Questionnaire.html.

“We don’t talk about behavioral health in the fire service,” Dill said. “It’s that cultural brainwash of, ‘We help others but never ourselves.’ That’s our culture. ‘Don’t ask for help.’” It's time to make a change!

Here are some resources to consider if you or someone you know needs help:

Share the Load™ Program
National Volunteer Fire CouncilThis program provides, tools, resources, and information to help individual first responders and their families manage and overcome behavioral health issues as well as to help departments establish an effective behavioral health program.

Fire/EMS Helpline
National Volunteer Fire Council and American Addiction Centers
Firefighters and EMS personnel face many unique challenges that can have a significant impact on their behavioral health. To ensure these individuals and their families have access to the help they need, the NVFC teamed up with American Addiction Centers to create a free, confidential helpline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. First responders and their families can call the helpline for assistance and non-judgmental support on any issues affecting their work or personal life, including but not limited to addiction, PTSD, stress, depression, relationship issues, critical incidents, and psychological issues.

Firefighter Life Safety Initiative 13 – Mental Health
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Initiative 13 of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Life Safety Initiatives focuses on the mental well being of firefighters and their families. The initiative asserts that firefighters, EMS personnel, and their families must have the resources and help available to deal with the various complications that their jobs can bring to their lives, especially issues regarding emotional and psychological stress. The new Firefighter Life Safety Initiative 13 web site contains important resources, training, and research, including the new model for exposure to potentially traumatic events and stress aid for fire and EMS personnel.

National Institute for Occupational Health and SafetyNIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. The Institute has released many resources for managing stress in the workplace, including:

• Stress at Work booklet
• Working With Stress video
• Stress Management in Work Place Settings Resources

Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteThis booklet from NHLBI provides information about important sleep topics such as common sleep myths and practical tips for getting adequate sleep, coping with jet lag and nighttime shift work, and avoiding dangerous drowsy driving. It also includes information on sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and some parasomnias.

Depression Section
Medline PlusMedline Plus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. The Depression Section of Medline Plus provides a compendium of resources, tools, and information about this mental health topic.

Emotional Health Center
Everyday Health MediaThis online resource center contains information and articles on mental health topics including anxiety, depression, and stress.

IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE HELP, 

please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 

Seeking help is a sign of strength not of weakness. It is the first step in reestablishing control in your life. Always remember when there is life there is hope!

RIP Nico! You will be dearly missed! #gonetoosoon

Fire Canvassing Event

On Saturday July 12, 2014 Red Cross volunteers teamed up with the Leavenworth Fire Department to canvass a neighborhood that had recently been devastated by a fatality house fire. The fatality fire occurred on July 7, 2014. Two people were in the home at the time of the fire. The husband was able to make it out safely but the wife was not. Cause of the fire was unattended cooking. According to Leavenworth Fire Department, there were no working smoke detectors in the home.

Red Cross volunteers and the Leavenworth Fire Department knocked on doors in the northwest area of Leavenworth to offer information about fire safety. Smoke detectors were provided to those who needed them. Batteries were provided to family's that had smoke detectors but weren't sure how old their batteries were or when they were last checked. Having working smoke detectors is the number one prevention item family's can do to help get everyone out safely in a fire. Other recommendations provided by volunteers and fire fighters is to have an escape plan which includes at least 2 ways to safely evacuate the home and a meeting place outside the home for everyone to meet up and be accounted for. Practice the plan frequently with your family so everyone knows how to get out in the event of a fire and where to meet up. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries twice a year. Generally when we spring forward and fall back (with our clocks) is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Why is it important to do fire safety events like this? According to the NFPA, more than one-third (37%) of all home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms, while almost one-quarter (23%) 

resulted from fires in homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate. Unfortunately after a fatality fire is a good time to get out in the community and talk about fire safety because it is fresh on their minds and they (community) are more likely to act upon suggestions provided by fire fighters, Red Cross volunteers and other organizations that provide information about fire safety.

During this canvassing event smoke detectors were provided by the Red Cross. Home Depot donated the batteries. Door hangers with information about fire safety were left at homes where nobody was home to answer the door. Approximately 80 homes were visited during the canvassing event. 

I always enjoy these events and participate when I can. Who doesn't like hanging out with fire fighters? Thank you to Leavenworth Fire Department for inviting the Red Cross to help out with this event!

Below are some pictures from the event:

Meeting up prior to heading out to knock on doors:

After completion of the canvassing event fire fighters and Red Cross volunteers met back at the grade school to grab a cold drink and/or snack and to chat for a minute.






Group pic of fire fighters and volunteers who participated in the canvassing event:

Praying for Boston - Boston Mourns Two Fallen Firefighters

Boston is again in hearts and prayers as they mourn the loss of 2 brave firefighters who lost their life fighting a large fire on 3/26/14. Firefighters Micheal R. Kennedy and Lt. Edward J. Walsh died when they became trapped in the basement while fighting a fire in an apartment building in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Please take a moment to remember these heroes! 

This combination made with undated photos released by the Boston Fire Department via Twitter shows firefighters Michael R. Kennedy, left, and Lt. Edward J. Walsh, who were killed Wednesday, March 26, 2014, when trapped the basement while fighting a fire in an apartment building in Boston. Kennedy, 33, a Marine Corps combat veteran was assigned to Ladder 15, and had been a firefighter for more than six years. Walsh, 43, and a father of three, was assigned to Engine 33, and had been a firefighter for almost a decade. (AP Photo/Boston Fire Department)

Boston firefighters work a multi-alarm brownstone fire, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Boston. (AP Photo/The Boston Herald, Christopher Evans)

A firefighter places his hand on the shoulder of another at the scene of a multi-alarm fire at a four-story brownstone in the Back Bay neighborhood near the Charles River, Wednesday, March 26, 2014 in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In this photo made Wednesday night, March 26, 2014, firefighters salute the medical examiner's truck carrying the body of one of two firefighters killed when a fire driven by strong winds whipped through a four-story apartment building in Boston and trapped them in the basement. (AP Photo/Boston Herald, Matt West)

Firefighters place black bunting on the front of fire station Engine 33/Ladder 15, Thursday, March 27, 2014, in Boston. Engine 33/Ladder 15 was the station of fallen firefighters Lt. Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy who lost their lives fighting a nine-alarm blaze in a four-story brownstone in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Thirteen other firefighters were injured in the blaze and several police officers also were taken to hospitals. Some residents were rescued from the upper floors of the four-story apartment building, but none was hurt, officials said. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

RIP Michael Kennedy and Lt. Edward J. Walsh

Fire Safety Canvassing Event

KCFD and the Red Cross partnered up again today to do another fire safety canvassing event. Last week there was a fire in the 7200 block of Park Avenue in Kansas City, MO. Unfortunately the resident of the home perished in the fire. After a fatal fire the Kansas City Fire Department returns to the affected neighborhood to reach out to residents about fire safety and the importance of working smoke detectors. The Red Cross is honored to work along side with KCFD to help promote fire safety after such devastating events. Preparedness is an important element of the Red Cross.

 

Red Cross Volunteers and KCFD members delivered 440+ door hanger bags today to the surrounding neighborhood containing vital fire safety information. Thank you KCFD for inviting the Red Cross to assist with this event!

 

Below are pictures from todays canvassing:

 

Red Cross Volunteers gathering at the chapter to carpool over to the neighborhood where the canvassing will take place:

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Department and Red Cross arriving in the neighborhood:

 

Here is the house where the fire occurred. It was totally destroyed by the fire:



Red Cross volunteers and KCFD heading out on the canvass:







There was a news station on site getting some footage:







Talk about helpful volunteers! A couple of our Red Cross volunteers helped push a neighbor out of the snow drift he was stuck in:



As per protocol with the Red Cross, coffee was available on site for KCFD personnel and volunteers:





And finally, have to include a pic of JoAnn, Disaster Program Manager - Red Cross. She does a lot of work behind the scenes to organize events such as todays canvassing. In the pic below she is being interviewed for a news story to air today. Thank you JoAnn!



Great job KCFD and Red Cross! It's an honor to be part of an organization that works collaboratively with local Fire, EMS and Police to not only respond in disasters but to work to educate people so that hopefully disasters can be prevented.

&

Sleep, who needs sleep?

So I volunteered to be on call this past weekend. (If you haven't been reading my blog regularly...I'm a Disaster Services Technician - DAT - for the Red Cross). I put myself on the schedule for Saturday morning (12am-6am) and again on Sunday night (10pm-12am)/Monday morning (12am-8am). I will occasionally sign up for the overnight shifts when I see there is only 1 DAT on the schedule or if it's a holiday since coverage sometimes can be light on holidays. Otherwise I generally schedule myself for Thursday evening with another volunteer that is regularly on the calendar Thursday evening and then other times during the week that are light. I have shied away from overnights in the past because I tend to not hear the phone once I go to sleep. Ever since my fire last year though I can no longer sleep through a full night so I decided to go ahead and make myself available overnight when the need is there. I actually enjoy being able to get up in the middle of the night and assist a family in need. I would never wish a disaster on anyone but as I have experienced, disasters don't discriminate. They can happen anytime - day or night. 

Anyhoo... back to this weekend. I actually hadn't been to a fire in more than a month or so. Sometimes that's the way it goes and I don't mind because that means it's been quiet and there haven't been many fires in the KC area. This weekend was different though. Probably due to the colder weather arriving. Seems like fires increase at the beginning of cold weather and conversely at the beginning of hot weather. The increased usage of electricity may be the reason since it seems many fires are contributed to being caused by electrical. Other reasons include using alternative forms of heat such as candles, fireplaces, spaceheaters, etc. So, Saturday a.m. fellow volunteer Carl and I responded to a house fire at approximately 5am. The fire occured some time during the overnight and the resident was not home at the time. Fortunately his dog was outside and unharmed. As can be seen from the pictures below, the house was a complete loss. It's always heartbraking to see that happen and even more so when the resident tells you the history behind the house. In this case, the son had inherited the house from his recently deceased mother and was renovating it. It's hard for the family impacted to hold back the tears sometimes and this case was no exception. All I can do as a Red Cross volunteer is reassure them that help is available. That doesn't take away the pain of losing everything though. I know that from first hand experience. I am not sure if that helps or hurts me as a DAT. I sometimes wonder if my experience has changed how I approach my tasks as a DAT. If nothing else I think I am more compassionate because I can relate to the loss they are feeling.

Some calls are a little harder than others to respond to. I struggle whenever a pet is lost in a fire so I was very relieved to hear the owners dog survived the above fire.

Sunday night/Monday morning had Carl and I busy. We were both on the calendar again and responded to 2 different fires. The first fire was a house fire in Raytown, MO. Fortunately for the resident he was able to escape safely as well as get his dogs out safely. Damage was limited to a small portion of the house and he should be able to return to living in the house within a few days. He was in the middle of dinner at the time, heard a strange noise and upon investigation he discovered the fire. He called 911 and used a fire extenguisher to help extenguish the fire. Fire extenguishers can be great tools if you know how to use them properly and know when a fire is too big to knock out yourself. He was smart and got out with his pets instead of trying to be a hero when he realized the fire was bigger than the extenguisher could handle.

The second fire was a house fire on the east side of KC. The house is currently under renovation and is set up to be apartments. 2 young men were living in the house at the time of the fire. They were fortunate in that they were able to get out unharmed. They lost quite a bit of their posssessions though and again that is hard to handle no matter who you are. They were quite humbled though and knew how fortunate they were to get out safely. Below is a picture of that fire. A KC Firefighter was injured when the roof collapsed. Although his injuries are not life threatening, it is a sober reminder of how dangerous fires are and how fortunate we are when we are able to safely escape.

The fires were within hours of each other Sunday pm/Monday am so consequently I didn't get much sleep. By time I got home from the 2nd fire it was dawn and I was too wound up to sleep. That's the downside to responding to disasters, I get wound up and can't sleep afterward which makes taking the overnight shift hard. However, I feel like providing support to others when they need it outweighs the hours of sleep I may lose from time to time. I am proud to volunteer for the Red Cross and hope to do so for many years to come.