Why is it that cops, firemen, and EMTs feel that they have some kind of
patent on working dangerous jobs?

I've never thought police work or EMS work was particularly dangerous...I've
done both, but firefighters definitely do have a tough and dangerous job.

Certainly no patent on being dangerous of course...I've heard that the Alaskan
crab fishermen have the truly dangerous job.

I also work at a dangerous job, and I,
like any of you, have the same option. If I don't like the danger, I can
quit.

Absolutely.

You see, I work in heavy industry, around voltages such as 13,800, 4160,
2140, and 480. At these voltages, when things go wrong, people die.
I
also work around gas streams that are the byproducts of the process. I
work around Hydrogen Sulfide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Benzene, and the like.
One breath of the first 2 gasses instantly renders you unconscious.

More
may render you dead. The last is quite carcinogenic. Die now or later, if
you will. (an expression, not a threat).
People are crushed, burned, they fall, things fall on them, they are
electrocuted, they are gassed. I think, of a working population of about
1200, we average 1.5 deaths a year, the injury rate is quite high, the
injuries are not uncommonly serious, many debilitating. People develop
cancer, I saw a 33 year old man die of cancer of everything. (liver,
bones, pancreas, etc.), he had been married only a couple of years and
recently had a child.

Granted. Sounds like an environment filled with hazards.

On the other hand, I imagine you are well paid for your work, and have an
excellent union, and doubtless an excellent benefits package.

I don't think any of your colleagues were killed in ambush, or need to be
concerned with frivilous lawsuits, or are required to pay for their own safety
equipment or training. Or have to work two or possibly three jobs to maintain
their families. Or have a bunch of untrained people looking over their
shoulders and videotaping them as they go about their tasks. I wonder how many
of your colleagues blew their brains out or OD'd or drank themselves due to job
stress? I could go on and on, but I think you get my point.

The dead from my plant and industry share something in common with dead
police and firemen. They are dead. They died violently, they died
unexpectedly.

Granted.

The problem with this endless adulation of the
public service section is that it masked the courageousness of the
citizens that contributed as much or more than the police and firemen.

I think your perspective is skewed. The cops and firefighters that were killed
on 9-11-01 *knew* they were going into harm's way, and many of them knew they
wouldn't be coming back. They chose to risk their lives to save others, if
possible, and they sure as hell didn't do it for a paycheck or 'adulation'.

Likely you will take umbrage with this post, so to save myself the
recriminations, I have killfiled it.

Oh well.


James S. Prine
http://hometown.aol.com/jsprine/