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Chicago's public safety life

3K views 25 replies 25 participants last post by  Hybris 
#1 ·
Well, living and working in Chicago isn't easy. It's an overall great city, sadly politicians and corruption has always ruled over this city and the state. Sometimes I think that this state should be called "The State of Chicago" but anyway enough of that. I've been in public safety, law enforcement fire service and military for most of my life. Just lately I've been getting physically and mentally exhausted with all of what we experience as firefighters/EMT and paramedic in the fire service. The more I go to work, the more death and destruction I see of our youth. Kids not even adults just yet all shot up, murdered, executed like animals, rampant violence, black on black crime, and vice versa, young babies lost, lack of parents to care for the young, broken homes, family, so many people desperate for a solution that they themselves can't find.

It's getting to the point that every-time that go to work I'm already expecting to see just more carnage. Being a combat veteran who has experience combat in it's worst way, this is almost identical to being back I'm that way of life. I have to admit that you have to be mentally strong to know how to differentiate the differences. Don't know if I am trying to vent, rant or just be listened to. But whatever it is something needs to happen for some changes to occur. Sometimes I wonder if this all by design or maybe this is the way that our society is heading to. I try to not to allow myself to think about what I do in my job and how the affects it has on all of us who provide this type of services to the public, but that's why many pubic safety personnel become alcoholics, drug addicts, divorced, broken down, just broken overall, etc.

Of course that I am not saying that all of us do become the above but this type of career truly has an affect on all of us who do this type of work. If and when I get to retire, I have to admit that I will move out of this state, city and into a nice different peaceful lifestyle. In the past few days I've seen more kids being shot in the head, than fires themselves. Shoot, this summer alone I've seen more blood, brains, dead bodies than well, let me not go three..

It's very disconcerting to think to have a family, kids a family knowing what's going on in our own world. I know what a bullet can do, how devastating a certain caliber could be, in fact, any bullet caliber could be very destructive indeed. I approach my conceal carry sidearm with a different mindset not to take a life but to preserve a life. Way too many animals out there don't have the slightest respect for life, and that is very concerning. Thanks for allowing me to vent a lil bit...
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for your unselfish service, we need people like you. Yes it is sad to see what is happening in Chicago and across the nation. Wasn't like this when I was a kid. Our church, as well as many others, have reached out to our local community to give hope and try and stop what is happening. Some respond, most don't, but we will not stop. Someone has to do it. Like you, someone has to do it.
 
#4 ·
Focus on the good YOU do. The Value you provide to those in need. Yes you see lots of carnage, but it is not true that you personally prevent additional carnage and save lives every day. You Sir, are the safety net! Without you and what you do, the Carnage that currently causes you alarm, would be the norm and not alarming in anyway.

Thank you for your service in the past, present and future :)
 
#7 ·
God bless you, brother.

The sooner you can get out of that hell hole; the better.

It's a different world when you get away from the decay and corruption of the liberally run-into-the-ground "big cities."

Just pick a direction, and go; the south is always nice (away from the big cities), and one more Yankee give or take isn't going to hurt anything!:D
 
#22 ·
... It's a different world when you get away from the decay and corruption of the liberally run-into-the-ground "big cities."...
+1 One of the reasons that large cities exist is that's where the jobs were during the Industrial Revolution. In light of the fact so many jobs have left the country, some cities seem to have outlived the reason they were created to begin with. I really don't see things getting any better in the cities.

I moved to a more rural area twenty-five years ago and never looked back. My children grew up in relative peace, something that was very important to me. They've grown up and moved on, but they still call this home.:)
 
#9 ·
Thanks guys for all the good suggestions and advice. If only I could start my life all over again I wouldn't be here but honestly, things do happen for a reason and I have to admit that I love my job and serving the community I just don't like what I've been seeing lately, war zones are not easy to work it. If I only could retire and go live in a nice peaceful, restful place I would be happy.. But for now, reality is that won't be happening anytime soon. I hope that one day, society, ppl will start to do something, until then, we shall see...
 
#12 ·
Thanks for your multiple acts of service.Fellow paramedic/ firefighter here as well. We all have those stretches when it seems the world is raining carnage. Remember: when you see the horrors of the job, it's because you are there to help. I always tell people who get irate during extractions and rescues "i need you to stay calm with me.I didn't put you here. I came here to help and get you out of this mess." The same holds true when a death is involved. You didn't cause it, but you can always make the situation better. Comfort family, give the dead dignity by honoring the remains, and comfort the traumatized bystanders. Sometime I remind myself that God puts me exactly where he needs me. Maybe you are in the middle of this stretch of carnage because you are the man who can be strong enough to bear it. God bless, stay safe, and "carry" on.
 
#13 ·
chgofirefighter,
Hang in there. You can't fix the larger problem. None of us can, alone. But you CAN make your small part of the world a little better. Day by day. In fact, you are already doing that. You may save a life here, inspire someone there, you may never even know.

Keep up the good fight as long as you can then call it a career.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I visited my sister in NC in July. It was like a different world, people were smiling as I walked by, kids outside playing and old cars were not rusted out. It was very refreshing and I enjoyed every hum drum minute of it. My wife and I are considering getting job transfers and just leaving the North. Thanks for your service, I hope you find peace there or relocate. Life is too short to live in misery. Just to keep it gun related, my brother in law and me just walked to back of his yard set up cans and blasted away, 2 of his neighbors came by to join us.
 
#15 ·
Sounds like Chicago will be losing one of their good guys soon !! Bail out of that hell hole asap, but heads up, there are plenty of places down here in the south that aren't any better than Chicago and you'll definitely want to stay away from them as well. Do your homework ... remember --- location location.
 
#17 ·
With all due respect, I wouldn't live in Chicago if you made me mayor AND QB for the Bears. It will never change with the current demographics. See Detroit for further study.
 
#18 ·
I have known many men, and women, who while they truly loved their occupation, slowly became weary from the emotional toll it placed on their lives and their families. A short term for it is "burn out." No matter what the pay, or appreciation of society, any job, some more than others, can eventually lead to a feeling of mental exhaustion. And if the environment, the climate, is less than wonderful, it can hasten the onset of professional fatigue.

Sometimes the cost to a person's family is just too great, and they too suffer from the breadwinner's emotional emptyness.

About two decades ago, i was the physician for Kansas' teen incarceration center. After several years of this part time work, i slowly began to see all teens as insolent and violent, and finally my wife said I had to quit, so I did.

18 years ago i was unhappy in my then practice and location, and my wife and I decided that we just didn't want to live out our remaining days there, and found a new place to live and work, and moved with our three young children across country to Upstate SC. We have made some important decisions, and the decision to leave after 12 years in KS was perhaps the best one we ever did.

So my advice to you, Firefighter, along with my appreciation, is to examine closely what options you have to change to a place and occupation, or retirement, and if at all possible, accomplish that change.

Life is short, and we only get one go-around, to live out our time unhappy.

All the best....
 
#20 ·
God bless you. I will pray for you.

Consider taking a week off out-of town with your wife to meditate upon and draw up (literally) an intentional plan for the rest of your career and life. Make yourself work at it like a term paper. Be open to what you learn about yourselves.
 
#25 ·
I grew up in a Chicago sub, with my dad going to the city for work.

Typical big city problems. The bad part is that big city politicians would like to see the entire country go that way. Social engineering at work.

Thanks for all that you do.
 
#26 · (Edited)
For what it's worth sir I can on some small level relate with what you are going through.

I work for U-Haul in Kansas City KS and I have been there as a CSR (AKA Grunt) for 6 years. The average lifespan (Time working for the company) for a CSR is 3 weeks to 6 months.

It is the first job I have held since graduating high school so entered it wanting to be a good worker and helping the customer. But after awhile you hear all manner of stories of why people are moving.

Death, divorce, eviction, family feuds, lost jobs, and so so many more some admittedly better reasons then others that I find it harder as the months wear on to still have compassion for many of the customers that walk in through my shops door.

I'm not a veteran nor have I seen the blood and horrors that you sir have seen but I still feel I can relate on some level with what you say.

God help us all I don't think its over yet so all we can do is bunker down (I feel at least) and defy the rest of the world and live our lives the way we want to, grounded on the basic principles of honor, responsibility, compassion, discipline, and knowing when to tell the world "No.".

My $0.02.
 
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