KC firefighters cheer me on. Awkward
Yael T. AbouhalkahSome of Kansas City’s firefighters were at the 5k Glow Run Saturday night in the River Market area.
I know because I heard them cheering me on before and during the race. At least a few yelled, “Go, Yael,” and then, in the race, “Pick it up, Yael, faster,” during the race.
Afterward, when I came around the final curve in a good finish to the race and once again heard them, I went over to shake the hand of one firefighter and to thank a few others standing nearby. We had a short but civil chat.
Awkward.
These are the guys, after all, whom I am often criticizing in mass for wanting too much pay, too much in pensions and just too much from KC taxpayers.
Of course, events like Saturday night remind me - and I hope the firefighters, too - that we’re all Kansas Citians. All doing our jobs.
I know that, personally, there are a lot of great young men (these all were younger men) on the Fire Department. I know that I have spent plenty of time engaged in legitimate critique of how much their service helps KC - and how much it costs us.
I know we don’t need as many firefighters as we now have.
But I also know that, individually, the firefighters often are good people, too.
Phil Cardarella
10 months, 1 week agoAnd, like I have always said, they would not have hesitated to haul your behind out of a burning building — although some might set you down gentler than others.
Your failure regarding public safety employees is to understand the need for redundancy: You cannot merely have the number of police and firefighters that you need on the AVERAGE day, but must have a margin for the extraordinary day. Unlike other public employees, emergency personnell cannot put up a sign that tells you to come back with your fire or burglary tomorrow.
Some days, cops will just write tickets and firefighters will spend their time lifting weights. But, when bad things happen, better to have more than you need than to need more than you have.