"You like being a Red Cross man"

The title of this blog is my paraphrase of what the Battalion Chief says to Johnny Cage (Randolph Mantooth) at the 5:48 mark in this clip from the premiere of the television show "Emergency". The exchange occurred after Johnny - already tired from an all night structure fire - is dispatched on yet another rescue call and looks at the speaker in disgust. I think Johnny's comment is true - or at least it is for me - because, no matter how tired I am, I still like being a "Red Cross man".  Take today for example, I'm dragging because, over the weekend, I responded to two incidents AND worked three six-hour shifts dispatching.  Still, if the phone was to ring right this minute and I was asked to respond, I would because I enjoy helping other people in their time of despair. Truthfully, I think my desire to help others is at least one of the reasons that God allowed me to live when the doctor's said I wouldn't.


But what does it mean to be a "Rescue man" or a "Red Cross man"? It means that no matter how many times you've been out during your shift, how cold (or hot) you are, or how hungry you might be, you make that a secondary priority and answer the call for help. It means thinking "what can't somebody else handle this one" and, yet, never verbalizing the words. It means being polite to that client that has lost their home and never letting them see how tired you are or how many runs you've been on prior to theirs. And, when you leave that call, you're ready to respond to the next one.


Until next time . . .