Not a Moment's Hesitation - The Perpetual Motion of the Fire Service

This is Isabella. She's four. She is in a state of perpetual motion. Because of this state, the lens on my camera phone represents a moment's hesitation. The lens just doesn't open fast enough to keep up with her energy without creating the blur impact of the photo. 

Being a part of the Fire Service family means being in a state of perpetual "readiness" motion. Whether dinner's on the table or you haven't slept yet all night, the pager call must be answered. The only difference between your service and the limitations of this camera phone, as you know, is that moment's hesitation cannot exist.

At the recent Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in Baltimore, MD, one of the keynote speakers was Lee Woodruff, who shared her inspiring experience of perseverance and family first in the aftermath of her husband Bob's traumatic brain injury while embedded with our brave troops in Iraq. She and Bob have started ReMind.org to raise awareness of and support the impact of traumatic brain injury in our US Military. 

Lee credits the medics who ignored the safety warnings while the convoy her husband was part of was attacked by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with saving her husband's life. Throughout the experience, she felt gratitude for the reality that "No one hesitates." 

Those medics, all service men and women and the civilian medical personnel who go over for six month tours together form a cocoon of care for the most critical war times. Please pause as you read this and know you are part of the stateside cocoon of care at the most critical times here at home. 

Thank you, with extra thanks to those of you who have served with our military, too! The quality of life in our communities is stronger because you honor the call that, "No one hesitates."