Yesterday my daughter and her partner, both of whom work operationally on the Division attended a RTC where two young men had lost their lives. Theirs was the continuity responsibility and they accompanied the two tragic young men to the hospital mortuary and did all that had to be done if you undertand what I mean...
During my own service I dealt with 16 fatal accidents involving 20 fatalities and although you never get used to it you do become better able to cope, developing all sort of strategies and often kidding yourself that you were quite unnaffected. One thing that NEVER happened was that someone checked out how you were feeling or made any attempt to debrief you after such an incident.
I was so pleased this morning when the experienced traffic officer dealing with the incident- in all his busyness - found time to telephone and enquire how my daughter and her partner were. This was not his responsibility nor even expected, no supervisory officer had instructed him to do it - after all they were not new to sudden and violent death - but he did this out of the goodness of his heart and out of concern for his colleagues. I was blessed and impressed and really encouraged. It also gave me the opportunity to talk to him and, in thanking him for his concern to express my own concern for him.
This made me reflect - the job has changed - its not all macho and bravado like once it was. And it reminded me of the peculiar bond that exists between men and women who share the horrors that the job can deliver. Jesus must have known that such a bond must exist between his disciples when he was gone, that the world was going to be a difficult place for them, no wonder he said that they must have love one towards another...
During my own service I dealt with 16 fatal accidents involving 20 fatalities and although you never get used to it you do become better able to cope, developing all sort of strategies and often kidding yourself that you were quite unnaffected. One thing that NEVER happened was that someone checked out how you were feeling or made any attempt to debrief you after such an incident.
I was so pleased this morning when the experienced traffic officer dealing with the incident- in all his busyness - found time to telephone and enquire how my daughter and her partner were. This was not his responsibility nor even expected, no supervisory officer had instructed him to do it - after all they were not new to sudden and violent death - but he did this out of the goodness of his heart and out of concern for his colleagues. I was blessed and impressed and really encouraged. It also gave me the opportunity to talk to him and, in thanking him for his concern to express my own concern for him.
This made me reflect - the job has changed - its not all macho and bravado like once it was. And it reminded me of the peculiar bond that exists between men and women who share the horrors that the job can deliver. Jesus must have known that such a bond must exist between his disciples when he was gone, that the world was going to be a difficult place for them, no wonder he said that they must have love one towards another...
1 comment:
Great to hear of natural support between colleagues - not everything should be done by reference to unthinking procedure! Thanks for taking the time to record your observations too - my first time of logging on, but a useful and encouraging insight.
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