Friday, May 29, 2015

10-200


Alternate purpose for these things.....

Recently, I was asked what I do if I have to poop while on duty, considering all the stuff I have to wear while in patrol.  At first, I thought it was a funny question, and said, "I just go, man."  Then it hit me.  They were wondering what the hell I did with the gear.  After I was asked by a kid when I was washing my hands after eating a gourmet breakfast of Chick-fil-A (love that place!) the other morning, it got me thinking.  This must be a thing!

Well....... you asked, I'll answer.  Listed here is my approximate routine for taking the Browns to the Super Bowl.

BELT-----

As you see above, my favorite is the baby changing table, if they have one in the larger, sometimes marked Handicapped stall, which is my first choice of stall.  And, yes, that is really my rig.  It is within reach, and up off the floor.  If the stall doesn't have one of those changing tables, I loop and hook the belt around the grab handle in the stall.  This is my preferred method for securing the belt. 

At some of the fire stations, and at the police station, the stalls have a hook on the back of the door.  I use that hook to hang the belt from the hole in the hook side of the belt.  See that hole there?

hole for hanging....

If it is a private bathroom, I put it in the sink, making sure it's not one of those automatic faucets. And as my last resort.....I just loop it closed and place it on the floor in front of me.


SHIRT STAYS-----

What is a shirt stay, you ask?  These stupid straps that keep your shirt tucked in.....

I hate these fuckers........
Well, there is a pair for the front, and a pair for the back.  I unhook the back from my socks, pull them around my chest, and hook them together in front.  keeps my shirt tail from hanging in the toilet.

VEST-----

The vest has these tails, that are supposed to keep your vest from riding up.  looks kind of like this.....

Tails!

Well, the back one gets shoved between the back panel, and my t-shirt, to keep it from dangling.  And trust me...you do NOT want that dangling.

Then you sit, and........you know.

Getting the paperwork done takes practice, since you can't really bend, or twist normally, but you get used to it.  

After the job is done, suit up like normal, and there you have it.  Now, for #1, I'm a dude, so it's business as usual, if you catch my meaning.....


So, there you have it.  A little light-hearted post on a Friday, to answer a question I've been asked a few times by friends......and complete strangers.

If you have a question about how we take care of day-to day activities that you are curious about, respond in the comment section below. I'll answer it in the comments section.   If it has an answer that is post worthy, I'll do a post on it.

Stay safe out there, and enjoy your weekend, when ever it may be......

Shamus.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Mourning Bands

                   



I was asked recently what the black band across my badge was for. I answered the question as cooly and honestly as I could, without judgement or emotion. But that's the problem. It's hard to talk about that little black band without emotion. 

You see, that little black band represents the fallen officer. The ones that never came home at the end of the day. It represents sacrifice, loss, and sadness. It stands for an empty seat at the dinner table, a missing brother, sister, son, daughter, mother, or father. The loss is felt by many. All that emotion, that loss, that sacrifice, represented by a little black elastic band placed around a shiny badge. 



                                          




The badge feels much heavier when the band is fixed around it.   The symbolism that it holds is emotional and heavy. When you wear a badge that has the band on your uniform, it is a constant reminder every time you see it that life is fragile. That you might not make it home at the end of the shift. 



We have almost become numb, as a society, to the loss and sacrifice of our emergency workers.
Police, fire and military personnel have laid their lives down for centuries protecting the lives of the
often ungrateful masses. It has become expected in TV shows and movies to loose the unnamed
patrolman, or soldier for that big climax in action, while we glorify the antagonist in their evil scheme against the almighty hero in the story. But those unnamed heroes leave behind a void. The only time
in stories their identity is even known, or mentioned, is if it moves the story along, and adds conflict in the heroes heart and mind.  I can see this happening in real life, as news reports tell stories of "an officer", or "soldiers" who were hurt or killed in the line of duty. If you are lucky, the local news MIGHT run the story identifying the unsung hero and his sacrifice. 





                 

                                                 



It just so happens to be Police Week this week. Tonight, Wednesday 05-13-15, is the candle light vigil at the memorial. Now, admittingly, I won't be there. One year I hope to attend. This ceremony marks the addition of the names of the fallen officers from 2014 to the memorial wall in D.C.


273 names will be added to the wall this year. 117 from 2014. For the complete list go here:


http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/fallen-officers-memorial-wall/fallen-officers-pubyear-2015-website-FINAL-4-14-15.pdf


The memorial website is here: www.nloemf.org  If you have some time, check it out. If you live near D.C., visit it once. It's a powerful place.  I've been a few times, and each time is just as powerful as the first.

On the walls, there are 4 inscriptions.  Each of them are inscribed on the four ends of the two long walls containing the names of fallen officers. The inscriptions are on a panel underneath a lion.


"It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived."Vivian Eney Cross, Survivor
"In valor there is hope."Tacitus
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion."Proverbs 28:1
"Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream."President George H.W. Bush

These quotes serve to remind us of sacrifice. Of sons and daughters turned into heroes as they make the career choice to serve their public, and don a uniform, pin on a badge, strap on a gun, and enter the profession of law enforcement.


Every day I put my uniform on, I know, buried deep down and shoved away in the corners of my mind, that I might not come home. When you have that black band on, it comes to the front of your mind. This year, I think it's been a little closer to home, as one of our officers in my department was almost a statistic. A name on the wall, and a reason to wear the band.

In John 15 when asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied that the greatest commandment was to love your neighbor. In John 15:13, Jesus states, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends".

Not only does an officer lay down his life for his friends, and family, but often, he lays down his life for strangers that he has sworn to protect and serve. His community.



Stay safe out there,

Shamus