Should policemen or firefighters....?

Question

what do you think...should policemen and firefighters be given awards such as bravery and such when they are just doing what they were sworn in to do in the first place? I realize that some of them do a great job and all but to give them a special award to pull a person from a burning car or to save a woman from being shot and killed by her drunken boyfriend....Is'nt that just part of the job? i thought firemen are suppose to run in burning buildings and save lives!

Answer 1

Sunny; I have to agree with you to some extent. God bless our policemen and firemen, but they are doing what they are paid to do. They know when they take the job that there are inherent risks. A cop got killed in my city when he was chasing a punk. His wife got rich as a result. The Mayor promised her a job for life, her children were given free educations to Catholic high schools and College. She will continue to receive the wage he was earning for the rest of her life. If you're a surgeon and save a life but die as a result of putting in too many hours, what do you get???

Answer 2

Everyone likes to be recognized for a good job whether they are a Policeman, Fireman, or the person who puts the nuts and bolts in a car on the assembly line. It makes people feel good about themselves and the job that they are doing.
In some of the cases you mention some of these policemen and firefighters were off duty when they did these deeds. They had the option of going on about their business but they put themselves on the line to do what had to be done. In a lot of these awards the recipient is commended for going "above and beyond the call of duty" which means that he or she did more than what was expected of them in the given situation. Their training and department policies tell them the minimum that they should do. These people obviously did more than the minimum.
Being a Policeman or a Firefighter is a difficult and demanding job. They get little thanks from us for what they do but whenever something negative happens, a Police shooting or a Fire Captain shouting at someone to get off the sidewalk so a stretcher with a heart attack victim can get through it is blown out of proportion. I think that by giving these awards, the Department gets a chance to cast these men and women in a positive light.

Answer 3

Well, the law protects that person (fire fighter or policemen) from risking their lives in such occurrences.

For example a fire chief can roll up on a fire scene and not put water on it and let it burn to the ground. Laws protect his decision but may be criticized by fellow fighters and community members.

So a badge to be pinned on someone that puts their life at risk every time they put a uniform and actually went and saved a life is worth it to the community to recognize what their tax dollars are working for and most important for the policeman that ran the risk of being burned (forever) to save someone they never met before.

I guess it could be beneficial to the person burning to die than live with pain everyday of their lives.

I would rather see award badge monies put into overtime training.

Answer 4

They don't get awards for regular work, -only if they exceed expectations. For example-during a dangerous fire when the building is in danger of collapsing the chief MUST order all his people out-even if there are people still in there. However some firemen go above and beyond the call of duty and job requirements and deliberately risk their lives in a huge gamble when they were not required to do so.
The same goes for police officers -they too are real heros. If it was not for them we would not be able to sleep at night or walk the streets safely. I would risk my life for any firefighter or cop because they put their lives on the line daily for us-Joe Public-and I don't think they get enough credit-it's almost a thankless job.

Answer 5

Absolutely!
Police and Fire are not paid enough for the job their job.
They are paid to find criminals and arrest them...When they take that extra step and put there life on the line, risk everything for joe public, they deserive more than we as a community could give them.

How dare you imply that it is just their job. A job is serving fries at McDonalds. A job is budget manager as an exec assistant...I might have a tough day at work...but never do I run the risk at my job of catching AIDS, being shot...or damaging my back because a 300 lb drugged up suspect is resisting arrest and I end up on the bottom of him and 6 cops trying to subdue him.

My sister is a cop..I had lunch with her yesterday...while at lunch, a police car pulled up in front of us, and ordered some people in car out at gun point. They were murder suspects.
I, as joe public, sat there and watched...my sisters...pulled her gun and backed up the other officers...because she has sworn to protect the public. I can ignore that email from my boss till lunch is over...she can not.

No wonder cops and fire fighters are so jaded and bitter. No wonder so many of their marriages fail. Because this question illustrates how clearly the american people do not appreciate true heros in their midst. They deal with all the bad things in our society...every day. They should be given an award at the end of every shift. And you question if they should be given an award when they truelly risk it all to save the life of someone they dont even know or care about. Heck sometimes they risk there lives to save the life of someone they dont even like. Because they are filled with honor and duty...a concept which most of america is missing out on today.

Answer 6

As in any place you might work, realize there are some employees who are better than others because of where their heart is or who doesn't hesitate and rise to the occasion when something difficult has to be done. For instance if you work in customer service or sales, notice there are some workers who would go the extra mile for the customer. These workers should be recognized. The same is true for police and firemen. We can't individually give them a hug -- but a recognition is something like that. A BIG PUBLIC HUG.

Answer 7

I think the purpose of these awards is as much to keep the community aware of the important work that public safety workers do as it is to recognize the bravery of the individual. As a manager, I can tell you that these awards motivate people and it is good for society to have motivated public safety workers.

Having said all that, I also agree that humans, Americans in particular, are way too hung up on external validation. That is because we get our self worth on what we do NOT who we are. As a Buddhist, I can tell you that is one of the primary causes of suffering.

Answer 8

Absolutely we should give awards for exceptional feats.

These things are registered in a file, and a strong file helps them achieve promotions, and it helps protect the officers from reviewing the bloody details over and over. Really, do you believe that a tiny cheap piece of metal is in any way 'rewarding'? It is but a tiny reminder that in this cold hard world there truly are good days. The real significance lies within the file behind the award.

I find your question offensive. What if it were you in that burning car, and the officer were having a bad day? Do you feel that he or she would find satisfaction in saving your life?

Haha....what's in it for them? It might not even cost them a paycheck....just depends on who's watching.

Answer 9

These awards are a way of the community thanking the firefighters and police officers for doing a great job. For being there and being dedicated. And many go beyond anything that is in their job descriptions.

Answer 10

Yes, what you say is true, but like our military members,whose job is to protect America and kill our enemies when ordered to do so. Occasionally a soldier will exhibit valor above normal expectations and will be rewarded for exemplary conduct with a citation or medal for bravery. A policeman/fireman who exhibits similar bravery under the most trying circumstances are similarly rewarded.

Answer 11

Most awards are for taking extraordinary measures to save someones life.....so the burning car and the drunken husband scenarios are not likely to generate that type of award.