First responders are a vital component of all levels of emergency management. When first responders reach the site of an emergency that is in progress, it often is unnerving and unsettling. They must keep their wits about them and perform their duty while focusing on their own personal safety. And in certain situations, first responders must work to deflate rising levels of emotionalism to prevent further incidents.
The plane crash at the Elizabethton Municipal Airport involving the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. family was a scary incident. Thankfully, the occupants of the plane were able to get out of the plane before flames devoured the commercial jet, and any injuries were minor.
The accident thrust Elizabethton into the national spotlight as the incident was the lead story on all major networks Thursday evening and again Friday morning. As so, it also thrust many of our leading citizens into the spotlight — Elizabethton Police Chief Jason Shaw, Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier, Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford, and Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander. All represented our community well, but, even more so our first responders performed professionally. Within minutes of the crash, the Elizabethton Fire Department and Elizabethton Police Department were on the scene, as were the Carter County Rescue Squad, Carter County Sheriff’s Department, local volunteer fire departments, and Tennessee Highway Patrol. They arrived fast and performed their duties well.
These are the men and women who sprint head first into danger and violence when everyone else is scrambling to get away from it. They deserve our praise and respect.
Thursday’s incident is a sobering reminder of the risks emergency workers face every day. Their speedy response to the plane crash and knowing what to do when they got there kept curious onlookers away and defused a dangerous situation as fuel from the downed plane was leaking onto the road and into a nearby creek.
The crash for a time closed Highway 91 and the Elizabethton Municipal Airport.
The job of a first responder isn’t easy. Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel must be on call whenever a crisis arises. They are often called away from their families, meals and even recreation to serve us in our most desperate times. And because of the risk associated with their duty, these heroes never truly know if today might be their last.
Our first responders need our prayers, too. The horrors they see and the trauma they experience can take a toll and should not be overlooked.
In helping everyday people in the worst of times, they witness death, destruction, and much of the worst of what humans can do to hurt one another.
So if you see a police officer, paramedic or firefighter, let them know they have your support and appreciation for putting their lives on the line to keep us and our streets safe. Because we just don’t know when the next life saved might be our own.
Sometimes, helping hurts.