“First Responders see trauma that can never be forgotten….As time goes on, the weight of these events start to pile up. What once may not have bothered someone may now start to cut a little deeper. As you advance into your career, you realize that the Hollywood code saves rarely occur in the real world. The sense of helplessness watching a person die in front of your eyes magnifies with each event.” – I wish my head could forget the things my eyes have seen – PTSD in First Responders.
Our community has suffered far too many tragedies involving children in recent years, but the last 48 hours have been especially hard. Most of us not directly affected will say a few prayers, shed some tears, hug our own children a little tighter and then move on with diminishing thoughts for the victims and their families.
There are those, however, who won’t be able to forget these precious ones or what they went through because they were there trying to rescue them.
Our police officers, fire fighters and medical personnel have THE toughest, most underappreciated jobs in our country. They sacrifice so much more than their physical safety. And while we can’t ever fully understand what they go through, we owe it to them to at least try to better empathize and love on them at every chance we get.
My love and prayers go out to all of you and your families. Whenever I hear sirens, I pray for God to guide your hearts and hands and to surround you and the people you are helping with angels. I pray, too, that He will comfort you in those dark moments that you are alone, left to dwell on what you’ve seen and heard.
Trina Baughn 
As a former reserve officer in Clinton for 22 years and a part time Dispatcher at the Sheriff’s office for 10 years, I would like to thank you for your comments. My daughter is now a Dispatcher for Clinton PD. Please don’t forget them as well. My daughter recently was the last person to talk to a lady who called 911 with a medical emergency. When the EMS got there she had died. That is something that will forever be in her mind. It’s tough trying to balance being calm and helpful with caring for someone. So please remember the ones who Dispatch the others to calls and answer 911 phone calls! Thank you Trina!
Mr. Stair –
Thank you for your service and for sharing your daughter’s story. I shall certainly keep dispatchers in my thoughts and prayers as well. God Bless.
Trina