Apr
9
2008
Resolution
Author:I made a donation yesterday for $50 to the Colerain Township Firefighters Fund in memory of slain firefighters Brian Schira and Robin Broxterman.
The amount pales in comparison to what they and their families have lost.
Every time I think of Broxterman and Schira, tears form. Two lives, filled with hope and promise and passion, extinguished in a mere moment. I didn’t know either of them, but I know oh, so many people like them.
When I first heard two firefighters had been killed, my thoughts immediately turned to Bill Ellison, a firefighter who was kind to me when I was a shy, insecure Fire Explorer. In 2001, he died after suffering third-degree burns on more than 50 percent of his body, leaving behind a wife and young children. Sometimes I will hear the wail of a fire engine and think of Bill, with his goofy grin and carefree attitude. Now, I will also think of Robin and Brian.
Just as with journalism, you don’t go into the fire or EMS service to become rich. The profession yields riches of a far different, more valuable kind. The firefighters and paramedics I know are all passionate about what it is they do and in helping people.
About a decade ago, I was certified as an EMT in hopes of becoming a volunteer and rode with a few agencies. I even started paramedic school, but couldn’t finish it because I had overextended myself. Somehow through the years, that dream took second seat to finishing my bachelor’s degree and now, my master’s. But even now, almost 10 years later, I can still remember the name and address of the first patient who died while en route to the hospital. I remember mentally willing her back to life, chanting “live” over and over again to the steady whine of the heart monitor. I can still recall cradling the head of the man shot execution-style in the back of his head, while I artificially breathed for him and the emergency room doctor who proclaimed him an “organ donor” despite our best efforts. These experiences and more indelibly changed me in ways I can never quite explain.
As soon as I finish my graduate degree, I will renew my EMT certification. I will sign on to a local department as a volunteer. This I will do in the memory of Robin Broxterman and Brian Schira. After all, carrying on their mission is the least I can do.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Very touching. Thank you for your donation. I worked with Brian at Home Depot [his other job] I grew close to him. He was a great friend and I miss him dearly and our little talks. I think of him everyday and speak his name and tell him I miss him. He is with God now but will always be in my heart and never to be forgotten. God bless you -Jenn