"Frank" wrote in message
news:01c3ab6f$76e0cf30$0125250a@mxdulebfmqtxlczq.. .
Soliloquy .. .

^ If the pay is so low, what attracts people to become
^ police anyway?

The glory. The recognition as a hero. Just look at the statement that
someone
else made in response to your message:

"How many lives did you save last week?"

That is what attracts most people to dangerous jobs. If the money isn't
there
then it is for the glory. So we give them their glory.

Frank


For the record, there are no such things as BORN heros. NO ONE in their
right mind goes into the EMS/FIRE/POLICE service OR Military for that matter
to "BE" a hero. Usually the only "heros" are DEAD heros. ANYONE who goes in
to a scene regardless the type with the tunnel vision of becoming a hero, is
a hinderance to ALL at the scene. THEY lose track of all training, signs of
danger, and thus place themselves and/or many others in danger. SHOULD
someone save a life, they may be called a hero.. BUT YOU DON"T GO LOOKING
FOR IT. ANYONE who HAS joined the services for that reason are in it for the
WRONG reason. AND - I don't know about the other states, but here in PA, it
is at last check - 85% VOLUNTEER. WE DO NOT GET PAID to learn how to save
lives and property. Our families get little in return if we are disabled or
killed in the line of duty and we're no longer able to supply the income. WE
DO IT BECAUSE WE CARE. WE NEVER KNOW when that call minor or major as it be,
will be our last.

YOU WANT HEROS? Continue to look to the Sports arenas. THEY are too busy
trying to be heros. WE who take our jobs seriously - do NOT look to be
heros. Give us our due for doing our jobs paid or volunteer and call it a
day. G.W.

Ghost writer ...

^ NO ONE in their right mind goes into the EMS/FIRE/POLICE
^ service OR Military for that matter to "BE" a hero.

Whether they are in their "right mind" or not, there are a great many who do.
I spent 25 years working in dangerous jobs and being an observer of people
and their behaviors I've learned that most people go into a dangerous job for
the glory they perceive it will bring them. Once they are in the job and have
gone through the education, the training, and the drills much of their desire
for glory is suppressed, but there is still enough of it there to keep them
from leaving the job.

Frank

The mystical Frank, observer of humanity, sagely penned:

I spent 25 years working in dangerous jobs and being an observer of people
and their behaviors I've learned that most people go into a dangerous job for
the glory they perceive it will bring them.

I wish you'd provide some documentation on this interesting perception of
yours. What exactly did you do, to gain this insight?

Not trying to initiate a flame-war, mind you, but your perceptions and
experiences and mine are diametrically opposed, and it piques my curiosity.

Once they are in the job and have
gone through the education, the training, and the drills much of their desire
for glory is suppressed, but there is still enough of it there to keep them
from leaving the job.

You know, I've worked for a major municipal police department, and a few
smaller agencies, over the years. Nearly all of the agencies make it clear,
*very* early in the recruiting process, that glory, acclaim, etc., etc., have
nothing whatever to do with the job and, if one is seeking that, to go
elsewhere and save everyone a lot of time and trouble.

They literally try to persuade everyone from entering the job because of the
perceptions most civilians have about the work, due mainly to television and
idiotic thriller films.

I know that recently a major city department was hiring non-sworn (civilian)
personnel to work as crime scene technicians, and of course they had these
potential employees 'browse' through a color 'scrapbook' detailing exactly what
they'd be facing on the job.

Many of them left at that point, and many others left within the first week of
on-the-job training, which was the best for everyone involved.

Glory? LOL...don't make me laugh.

Again...if you want glory, go into professional sports. Or politics g.




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

Ghost writer wrote:

You know, many years back, my team was called...our of our jurisdiction...to
handle an overturned 18-wheeler blocking a roadway.

When we got there, we discovered that the driver was pinned inside the cab, and
screaming for help. The tank...filled with gasoline...had split, and the
gasoline was literally pouring out and rapidly filling in the little ditch we
were working in, trying to extricate the driver.

It was an extremely interesting experience, trying to get the driver out of the
truck and continue breathing in the unbelievable fumes from the gasoline...I
was up midway to my shins at one point!

Somehow we got the guy out without anyone (including us) being incinerated; we
got him to the hospital for treatment (he did fine), and of course the entire
team had to go off duty and discard our ruined clothing.

I think my first shower was an hour long, and I smelled like a fuel farm for a
week.

We all got sick from inhaling the gasoline fumes of course, and, as a reward,
the driver slapped us with a huge civil suit!

Yes, the intense 'glory' of public service work....the heady feel of being a
'hero'....

LOL










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

Not sure how MY name got affixed to the story below, that certainly wasn't
MY story! Tags are getting confused here! G.W.

"James S. Prine" wrote in message
...
Ghost writer wrote:

You know, many years back, my team was called...our of our
jurisdiction...to
handle an overturned 18-wheeler blocking a roadway.

When we got there, we discovered that the driver was pinned inside the
cab, and
screaming for help. The tank...filled with gasoline...had split, and the
gasoline was literally pouring out and rapidly filling in the little ditch
we
were working in, trying to extricate the driver.

It was an extremely interesting experience, trying to get the driver out
of the
truck and continue breathing in the unbelievable fumes from the
gasoline...I
was up midway to my shins at one point!

Somehow we got the guy out without anyone (including us) being
incinerated; we
got him to the hospital for treatment (he did fine), and of course the
entire
team had to go off duty and discard our ruined clothing.

I think my first shower was an hour long, and I smelled like a fuel farm
for a
week.

We all got sick from inhaling the gasoline fumes of course, and, as a
reward,
the driver slapped us with a huge civil suit!

Yes, the intense 'glory' of public service work....the heady feel of being
a
'hero'....

LOL










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

Just suffice it to say, there is no room in the Police, EMS, Fire OR
Military for people who "try" to be HEROES. It only ends up getting them or
others killed or seriously hurt. As I said, they in their quest, lose all
track of training, danger signals and so on.
IT DOESN'T PAY. You want to be or see a hero, look to sports. You want
glory, look to sports or Politics - as another also pointed out as well. IT
DOESN'T BELONG in the Emergency or Military areas. People may come in with
that in mind, but as one man pointed out, TRAINERS do their damndest to
chase that out of the services. WE can't stop people from seeking glory or
wanting to be a hero, but we sure don't need them either. As stated, it puts
us all at risk. When the tones go off, I do my job. Will I end up a hero? I
don't know nor do I care. I go to do the job required. Will I come back
alive or unhurt? I don't know, but I can rely on my skills to try to assure
that. I'd rather be alive to help another day than to be a hero and risk
getting myself or others killed or seriously hurt in the process.

As to budget cuts, most everyone is experiencing them. Crime is up and it
will take longer for a response from Police with fewer working. Here, even
the State Police are swamped with calls due to providing coverage in areas
where local police aren't available - plus their own State assigned areas.
They've even had response times of about 45 minutes. Calls are prioritized.
They can only do so much and if it is a nasty call, it will tie up more for
longer periods of time...

As one man pointed out, where is the "heroism or glory" of scraping up one's
remains? THERE ISN'T. I've done it a few times and it is very sad and
disgusting. If you get a "thrill" out of that, you got a serious problem.
G.W.

Not sure how MY name got affixed to the story below, that certainly wasn't
MY story! Tags are getting confused here! G.W.

Sorry about that, Ghost Writer.


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

"James S. Prine" wrote in message
...
Not sure how MY name got affixed to the story below, that certainly
wasn't
MY story! Tags are getting confused here! G.W.

Sorry about that, Ghost Writer.


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



No problem! G.W.