I’d like to take a moment to thank some professions, and the people that work in them, for their efforts in times of storms and disaster. While I’m currently thinking about Franklin MA in particular, these thanks extend to those that support any community.
- Police: For working all hours of the day and night to respond to auto accidents, downed traffic signals, and pretty much anything else they can as civil servants. Standing in place and directing traffic in the wind and snow, wondering if each car will slide to a stop in time has to be one of the most thankless jobs around.
- Fire: For responding 24/7 to auto accidents, medical emergencies, fires, clearing snow and debris from fire hydrants (though that’s is our job as citizens), and more. Ever try wheeling a gurney or taking a stretcher through a foot of heavy snow? Yeah me either, but these guys and gals have.
- Power Company Linemen: While we sit inside complaining about not having power, they’re working 12 – 16hr days outside in the snow, ice, wind, and brutal cold. Often times they go days (sometimes weeks) without getting home to see their family. They’re out there with chainsaws on slippery slopes and in brush to remove downed trees from lines. They brave icy working conditions far above the ground as they manipulate live power lines with enough juice to make a simple mistake their last.
- Department of Public Works: The worse the weather the harder they work. Plowing, blowing, and shoveling snow day into night and night into day till it’s all been cleared. And all the while receiving complaints by citizens about how their street hasn’t been plowed often enough/well enough, etc. Then when spring comes around they have to repair all the damage the winter did to the roads. – Special shout-out to the Franklin DPW for their fantastic work this year on snow removal, in my experience, we’re truly one of the best towns in the country at keeping the roads clear.
- School System Administration: Talk about a no-win job. Decide to close school based on a nasty weather forecast and you get lambasted for being ‘overly cautious and adding unneeded snow days to the end of the school year.’ Don’t close the school and the weather gets moderately bad and ‘you’re risking the safety of our children.’ These folks are up at the wee hours of the morning (or middle of the night if you prefer) trying to make the right call by 5 or 5:30am . . . Doing their best to get it right for the safety and education of the kids, knowing they’re going to get complaints no matter what they do.
- USPS: Seriously . . . What other profession has the unofficial motto: ‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.‘ Postal drivers are out there in their big trucks braving the highways in the worst of conditions. And postal carriers are fording through snow, ice, and wind all day as they lug your favorite publication or delivery to your doorstep.
- Sanitation (Garbage and Recycling Removal): I mean really . . . Isn’t sanitation work thankless enough? Now add to it snow covered cans, snow narrowed streets, freezing cold, and icy surfaces. Ever try to lift or maneuver 100lb trash can while standing on a patch of ice? These folks have to do it repeatedly through their day (yes a lot of it is done by machine now, but certainly not all).
Once again, I and Safford Insurance, LLC thank you all for your outstanding service to the community!
To all I missed, I know I didn’t get to the plumbers, HVAC specialists, private plowing companies, home health care, and hospital workers. And I’m sure there are dozens of other occupations that should be mentioned. I appreciate you all but simply can’t cover everyone in one blog. Maybe we’ll get some help . . .
Please comment with other people and professions you’d like to thank!