Desperate for heroes?

[DFIB]

There is a psychosocial phenomenon that I recently observed that makes absolutely no sense to me but seems to make perfect sense to each of the participants.

A young person that had volunteered at a local fire station for a couple of years suffers an MVC and unfortunately dies. This person has not ever put out any property fires and has not had the opportunity to save any lives because of their age but seems to be well liked. I never had the opportunity to meet this person.

The person dies as a civilian, in a civilian vehicle during the execution of activities that have nothing to do with EMS.

His FF partners and station give this person a funeral befitting a returning war hero, flags, lights and sirens, honor guards, flags flying from ladder trucks, you know, the works.

For some reason I feel like a total jerk for my feelings but I wonder if all of these people have gone mad? Is it that I am the crazy person and there is some deeper community meaning that is part of a tapestry I cannot comprehend? The community seems to agree with the resources spent to honor someone who has only done what thousands more have done before. Because of this person's young age they have probably done less. It seems these honors should be reserved for persons who have indeed earned them.

Do any of you guys have any insight into this mass psychology phenomenon?

Edited June 21, 2012 by DFIB

[Just Plain Ruff]

Because he volunteered his time plus he was a "fire" Fighter (picture mike myers in austin powers in his dr evil outfit using his fingers as parenthesis when he was talking about the lazer) which thus makes him a hero.

Just think if he had been a emt or medic and saved the local mayor from his heart attack after he had eaten too many of Mabels scrambled eggs and bacon sandwiches at the local whistle stop cafe. He'd have been given the key to the city posthumously and they would have renamed the post office after him and probably have closed the schools and the banks in honor of him.

Edited June 21, 2012 by Captain ToHellWithItAll

[emtdennis]

I wouldn't call it desparation for heros, but I have to acknowledge the fact that this person volunteered the time to be trained and made themself available to support the rest of the team if the need arose.

Maybe there were no incidents during this person's shifts, (which does happen),but he or she volunteered for other events in the firehouse that truly supported the mission.

Fire, EMS, and LEOs are essentially "families". They look out for each other on and sometimes off duty. I don't know how close the members of this ageny are, but they seem quite tight.

Just my .25

[Bieber]

I completely understand where you're coming from, man. I get frustrated with our need to idolize people based on their titles irrespective of what acts they may or may not have actually done. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot that can be done about it, and in the end it's really more about the people who are mourning than about the person who has died. The only thing I truly dislike about it is that people who really are heroes may be overlooked simply because they did not serve in one of the traditional "hero professions" (police, fire, military).

[DFIB]

If is almost as if the "surviving" FF are "honoring" their fallen camarad as a means to bring attention to themselves. Almost like they are saying "We are burying a hero" "We are heroes too"

I really, really just don't get it.

[Bieber]

Addendum: And I'm not just talking about the "woe is me" forgotten EMS folks, either, but the average everyday person who has done something heroic or lived an exemplary life. The computer programmer, the waitress, the bank manager, the construction worker, etc.

The other thing about it is, we try to make so many people heroes that I'm not sure anymore if I would recognize a hero when I saw him/her. I have no clue anymore what constitutes a heroic act by societal standards.

[DFIB]

I wouldn't call it desparation for heros, but I have to acknowledge the fact that this person volunteered the time to be trained and made themself available to support the rest of the team if the need arose.

Maybe there were no incidents during this person's shifts, (which does happen),but he or she volunteered for other events in the firehouse that truly supported the mission.

Fire, EMS, and LEOs are essentially "families". They look out for each other on and sometimes off duty. I don't know how close the members of this ageny are, but they seem quite tight.

Just my .25

I understand the fraternal love that develops among guys that face dangerous situations together. I love my team and have risked my own safety for them before, That said when I die I would hope they would not embarrass my memory by giving me honors that have neither been earned nor deserved.

I cannot put my finger on what is so disturbing about this.

[ambodriver]

......wow

Let them honor their dead however they choose. Absurd to even bash this.

[emtdennis]

"That said when I die I would hope they would not embarrass my memory by giving me honors that have neither been earned nor deserved."

They most likely won't do that!!!

But they will come together out of love, at the loss of a member of the "family" and respect for the deeds you have done! True honors are not ones that have to be fabricated, but are etched on the hearts of the ones you leave behind.

Now it's just my .50 worth.

[DFIB]

True honors are not ones that have to be fabricated, but are etched on the hearts of the ones you leave behind.

Now it's just my .50 worth.

That is way more than a .50 commentary. That is poetic truth my friend.

Edited June 27, 2012 by DFIB