Editor in Chief - John McMahon Ret. Deputy Chief

ALMOST A YEAR AGO

By Jim Preston

Fast approaching is the anniversary of a day that will stay with us forever.
It was December 3rd 1999, as most of us were picking up those last minute Christmas gifts and planning for the Holiday gatherings ahead, things were about to happen that would leave the Fire service and the world heartbroken!

Just after 1800 hrs. (6pm) Members of the Worcester, Massachusetts Fire Department were toned out to a structure fire at the Worcester cold storage and warehouse co.
There is no doubt in my mind that if your a member of the fire service, or not, you will always remember where you were on that evening.

I had just gotten home from a day shift, 7am to 7pm.

As I walked through the door my Wife said " Hurry there's a fire in Worcester!" As I entered the living room, the TV news was already on top of the story. As I got out of the uniform, my eyes were glued to the scene on the news.

I looked at my Wife and said, " This is not a good fire!"
For some reason I had this big knot in my stomach. Knowing this type of building posed many more dangers than the ordinary structure fire. Then it was reported that two Firefighters were missing! The rest we all know, and I will not go further into it.

In the days that followed this tragedy we all waited for the return of our fallen Brothers. Some made the trip to the scene, to offer help or just to show support.

We came from across the Country and the World, this Brotherhood of ours, coming together in a showing of unity and of love. And on the day of the Memorial, over 30,000 Firefighters from around the world, gathered in this New England town to honor our fallen Heroes. Thousands of citizens lined the streets; small children held signs with words that would bring tears to the hardest of men.

This is what we do for ours, our Family! The ones we spend as much if not more time than we spend at home. It's been said many times before, "If your not one of us then you just couldn't understand!"

On the days that followed, our Brothers were laid to rest, and we began the road to healing. But do we heal?

Do we really heal from a loss this great? It's something we must work on daily, to keep in its place. That place we store all the sorrow we see every day. We handle these things in our own way, because we must handle them!

In this Country over one hundred of our Brothers and Sisters die each year, doing this job.
We all know the risk but we do what must be done, because we love doing it and because we love each other!

We spend our time discussing it, in seminars, in classes, and on the Internet. It's part of us; we can't do without it. We must always speak of the fallen, and not let it be trivialized.

There does not have to be this many! We can decrease the number of Line of Duty Deaths, but it will take time, training, and Federal assistance! We need funding that will enable Departments large and small to have the training and equipment needed to protect our communities, and ourselves!

Every chance we get, we must talk of this. Write letters to your local newspaper, your Congressmen and anyone else you can get to listen! And when we see that a Brother or Sister has fallen, let it ring out across the Nation, across the globe, that we have lost another of OURS!

Look for them and always voice your feelings! When on your favorite web sites, check the LODD forums, for it is not very long before another is posted. This is the sad truth of what we do. Do your part; there are many things we have opinions on, but none as important!

Post to these threads, we need to see them; they need to see them. For they are with us, watching over us on every call. It means so much to the Families and to our Family to know our feelings.

I have had Family members email me to express how much the words meant to them. We cannot let this become trivial, we must let all who will listen know, We want it to stop!!! We need help, and we need it now! Just as we help others!
GOD Bless and Watch over you and may He Hold our fallen Heroes close to his Heart!

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