Lisa Watts: What are they worth?
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
In these difficult economic times when budget cuts are not an easy task and we are having discussions about salaries, what is most important and what isn’t, I thought I should share a thought about our first responders — those men and women who have dedicated their lives to saving ours.
Two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I ran into my youngest daughter’s room and faced a fear no parent ever wants to. My child was gripped in a full-blown seizure. She was turning blue, and I thought she was completely lost to me. I have never in all my life been so unprepared and totally terrified. My oldest daughter called 911. Now, believe me when I tell you that the dispatcher had quite a challenge. Our ability to reason was gripped by sheer panic, and I can’t really even remember what I said or did. The dispatcher remained calm and somehow held us together between uncontrolled screams and sobs.
As I held my baby, helplessly watching what I thought were her last minutes, I desperately prayed for someone to come, please, what if they didn’t get here in time?
What seemed like a million years to me were only minutes. I heard the siren, the thunder of boots running up the stairs, the room filled with people who knew exactly what to do. This happened not once, but twice in three nights.
I’ve searched for words that can adequately convey my gratitude. There simply are none that seem worthy. How do you truly thank people who are there when you need them most? When life and death can be separated by seconds and minutes? No matter who you are or aren’t, what you believe or don’t, they will come. They lay it all down on the line every single day to be there when we need them.
What is that worth? We so often don’t know the value of that until the moment of need. They commit their entire lives to being prepared to serve and save; are we committed to honoring that? I ask our elected officials and governments to be vigilant in valuing these heroes among us, protecting and preserving the service, giving and doing for them all that can be done are generously and without fail being there for them as they are for us. We literally owe them nothing less. I cannot find any value in any argument otherwise. My child’s life was the one they raced to this time. Next time it may be yours. Every parent, every child, every loved one deserves that.
Our forever thanks to EMTs Michael Arce, Brian Shively, Marnie Smith, Paul Gilbertson, Chris Welch, Scott Hetrick, Devin Borvansky and Mike Middleton.
Lisa Watts
Steamboat Springs
Comments
hereandthere 1 year, 5 months ago
Hope your daughter is doing better Ms. Watts . We do have a great group of dedicated emergency responders, and we should not take what they do for granted. They are embarassingly undercompensated for what they do, considering the level of training and commitment necessary to perform their duties.
In this current climate of attacks on public sector jobs and collective bargaining by the right, lets not forget how much we depend upon them to be there when needed. They deserve better from us, and we need to make sure that our policy makers understand this and support them fully.
spidermite 1 year, 5 months ago
What's going on here? Lisa had a horrible experience and called 911. The EMT'S responded and her child is safe. End of story. How did this become a comment about the response team possibly being
undercompensated for what they do? Did Lisa ask what they were paid? Get inline behind Wiggins.
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
How heartwarming. Thank you Lisa.
Now I am going to derail this forum, albeit momentarily I'm sure, since this will evoke little comment. But for your Turkey Day entertainment, I thought I'd share some Charles Barkley quotes I ran across:
I don't care what people think. people are stupid.
I love New York City; I've got a gun.
I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.
If I weren't earning $3 million a year to dunk a basketball, most people on the street would run in the other direction if they saw me coming.
My family got all over me because they said Bush is only for the rich people. Then I reminded them, 'Hey, I'm rich'.
My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character.
Poor people cannot rely on the government to come to help you in times of need. You have to get your education. Then nobody can control your destiny.
Sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel is a train.
These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it.
We don't need refs, but I guess white guys need something to do.
You know it's going to hell when the best rapper out there is white and the best golfer is black.
And possibly my favorite: I'm on TV 'cause I look good.
Digression over. Happy Thanksgiving!!
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
The above post would probably have been more appropriate in the "Vandalism" forum, it having degraded to poverty, and Chuck weighing in heavily on the issue. But the action seemed to be in Lisa's corner again. Sorry.
seeuski 1 year, 5 months ago
Happy Thanksgiving Lisa, I am sure yours is a warmer one tonight by your heartfelt letter. I hope the best for your daughter.
Love how the freaks come out. Classless.
Phoebe Hackman 1 year, 5 months ago
"How did this become a comment about the response team possibly being undercompensated for what they do?" Uh, spidy ... the article is titled "What are they worth?" Besides expressing her gratitude to the response team, Lisa's commentary IS about their value. Don't be so blinded by your opposition to her views on pot that you can't show a little empathy to her as a human being. That was a cold shot, baby. @Lisa: Very happy your little girl is okay. Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes to you and your family.
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
I hope I am not considered among the classless -- I truly am happy everything worked out well for Lisa. To a parent, kids surmount everything. Or so I hear.
I used the excuse to inject a little levity, which I hope was not lost on all.
I hope everyone had as good a day as I did. Peace, brothers and sisters!!
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
You can talk without saying a thing. I don't ever want to be that type of person.
-- Chuck
spidermite 1 year, 5 months ago
Uh, phoebe, What are they worth? They are worth are respect and gratitude. We all know they are valuable members of are community."Worth" and "value" don't always suggest $, baby. Her article states they are undercompensated in their wages. Lisa wants elected officials and government to be vigilant in valuing these heros. What makes Lisa think they are undercompensated? Did she ask them? I have never opposed Lisa's views on pot. Look it up.
Highway, I wouldn't be upset about seeuski's remarks. Those are two of the words people use to describe her.
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
spidy -- Thanks, my self-esteem was at stake. Apparently I missed a post that was jerked.
I feel so good, I think I'll treat you to another Check gem the ladies will enjoy:
I'd never buy my girl a watch... she's already got a clock over the stove.
spidermite 1 year, 5 months ago
highway, Your a funny guy and a bit twisted. If a nasty "see hag " criticizes you, it means your on the right track.
spidermite 1 year, 5 months ago
that should read "our respect and gratitude." It takes a village.
rhys jones 1 year, 5 months ago
I'm the court jester. Gotta keep ya chuckling. Those who grok. Some don't get it.
spidy do.
Joe Solomon 1 year, 5 months ago
@Lisa - I am glad your family is ok. We went through the same thing one late night with the croup, and I don't think anything is scarier than your child suffering and you feeling helpless.
@spidermite - while I respect your opinion on this issue, I suggest you dig a bit and find out for yourself what these folks actually make. You would be surprised at how little it really is, and what a challenge it is for these folks to support a family on these salaries. It make it especially more relevant as our appointed officials "argue" that they are not getting paid enough to do their respective jobs while their current salaries are well above what we are discussing here.
I do agree, however, with your assessment that "worth" and "value" DONT suggest a position's monetary value in this society. When I see our county management positions averaging in the high-90k range and then compare that to a firefighter or EMT who risk their lives on a daily basis while not even coming close to this number, I personally feel that we need to re-evaluate how this system rewards these skill sets.
And I also recognize that this is my opinion, and respect those that feel otherwise. Just something to keep in mind next time we hear about someone rushing out in the middle of an icy evening to save the life of someone we love.
Scott Wedel 1 year, 5 months ago
Glad that everyone is okay now.
I am surprised at the apparent argument that people should be paid according to their worth. That is a discredited socialist concept of determining the social value of various jobs and then paying according to the job's social value.
In a capitalist economy the appropriate pay is supposed to be determined by the free market. If qualified EMTs apply for job openings then the current pay is appropriate. If the EMT dept is short staffed because they cannot fill job openings then the pay scale gets increased.
In a free market capitalist economy it is completely irrelevant to a person's pay whether they save lives or remove trash. Market forces of supply and demand set pay, not the social value of the job.
spidermite 1 year, 5 months ago
Joe, Where will the money needed for these wage increases come from?
Your comment was excellent.
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