Celebrating Those That Serve Us Every Day

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the privilege to write about a number of professionals who have chosen to retire from the ranks of our first responders. This week I had the opportunity to congratulate another one of that special breed who had served our community with distinction and dedication for over two decades.

Although it is a privilege to cover the story, it is equally sad to think about the departure of personnel with so much institutional knowledge about our community and professional knowledge to be passed on to new recruits who are fresh to our professions.

Things are a bit different from 1970 when I went on the job. I was notified I was hired and that I should swing by central station on Warren Street, and I would be issued my uniforms, turnout gear and ID. I was told to report the next evening for duty at 6 pm but be there ahead of time for a debrief by my deputy chief. We worked a 56-hour work week with three days on, and then, on the fourth day, we would report for three evening shifts. I would report on the last of the three evening shifts and was told I would be trained beginning on the next three-day shifts.

I do have a funny story about that first night on, but I’ll leave that for another time. The purpose of telling you this is to have you understand the differences between then and now. Our people are so much better trained today than in the past. They attend a two-month certification school before they show up or are hired. Then their department puts them through another rigorous set of training exercises that are department specific. These are very well trained and professional men and women who serve you today and are very valuable assets to the department, the community they serve and the profession they represent.

I speak about all of this today because of the challenges facing communities, especially smaller ones like ours, in retention of those valuable assets and what it means to a community. Whether it is in the fire service, law enforcement or EMS, the loss of personnel is one of the biggest challenges facing municipalities today. 

The acquisition of well trained and knowledgeable employees is as important as the retention of those who presently are employed by a municipality. Whether your community becomes a pond for others to fish in is up to the leadership shown by the top levels of both elected and appointed officials within any organization.

In its infancy as a municipality, Marco Island had become any easy target from which to recruit personnel. The lack of respect for those who worked for us, as well as the failure to understand the value of a well-educated and committed workforce, was all too well known. As we matured as a community, we came to understand that, but it was a long uphill battle to educate those who eventually would make a difference.

Bringing salaries and benefit packages into line with surrounding communities was a huge effort to be undertaken. The lack of understanding of the unique nature and challenges within the public safety field and the demands on those personnel and their families would take years to overcome but, to the credit of both sides, it was accomplished.

All that has been obtained can easily be gone in an instant when we forget the importance that these professionals play in providing our community with a safe environment in which to grow our families and our businesses. 

I remember the ride into New York City the day after 9-11 and the throngs of citizens who lined the streets waving flags and holding up signs thanking first responders for their dedication to duty the morning after that tragic event, as well as stories by our personnel bringing in vehicles and equipment to that badly wounded city.

I remember the wonderful accolades heaped upon our personnel on our island after every hurricane event, starting with Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and only four years ago with Irma in 2017, and how our personnel went above and beyond the call to assist residents in their time of need and the outpouring of support.

I also recall during the height of the issues concerning Covid-19 and the assistance rendered by our first responders to the needs of this community and its residents. Never once did they turn their backs or refuse the call to duty. Instead, they always would respond under the direst of circumstances.

Communities sometimes have a short memory, but they never fail to remember the number which will bring them the help they need when that help is needed most.

Let us always remember all those men and women who work for us on a daily basis and make this the special place we all love. Whether it’s ensuring you have water when you turn on your faucet, assisting you with confusing paperwork at city hall, responding to a strange noise in your home, putting on special events at Mackle Park or rushing into your local church to extinguish a fire in the ceiling. These are your city employees. Respect them every day - not just those days that you call on them.