A Somber Day.

There are things in life you just can't plan for. Naturally I would never have planned my second posting to be of sorrow and loss.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lelandheroux/journal
One of our beloved officers, Bri, gave birth to a brave baby boy, Leland. Leland was born with his bladder outside of his body. He has had surgery and is breathing on his own. Bri, however, has had many complicatons and has not regained consciousness since the C-section. This morning I walked into the communications center to find damp cheeks and red eyes. Overnight Bri took a turn for the worse. The hospital is currently filled with over 100 officers from St Paul, Stillwater, State Patrol and other agencies, in addition to close friends and family. It seems we are saying good bye.
The only way I can explain the relationship between the officers and the Dispatchers is to compare it to Doctors and Nurses. Both are a neccessary part of easch others job. Some get a long great and others, not so much. Bri is one of the great ones. When I worked over nights she frequently came in to dispatch to say hi. To laugh and sometimes gossip about calls and give us the dirt. Its small things like that that relieve a lot of the stress of the job. Knowing the offiers personally makes it easier in high stress situations. Knowing them, their voice and so on makes the job easier. You hear the distress in their voice before they tell you whats going on, you know how they do things and sometimes you can stay a step ahead of them.
The downside to this is that they are people. They are friends and family. When they hurt you hurt. This is hurting our family. The family of officers, fire fighters, EMS and Dispatchers. Even to those like me that weren't that close to her feel the pain.
Andy, Little Leland and family- You are in my thoughts.