Sometimes the crazy walks into my life despite the fact I thought I locked the door years ago...I swear that someday I am going to write a book.
Ok, that is bullshit-I can barely write a blog never mind a book...but it is a nice saying.
So, last night, I was laying in bed, minding my own business (and no, that is NOT some euphemism) when my cats all of a sudden got all kinds of sketched out. Now, we all know cats are ass holes....they see shit that is not there (or, we would like to think there is nothing there) and get all freaked out-but the kitty freak out was accompanied by my husbands voice saying, "who are you looking for, no there is no one living here by that name".
It was 2:30am.....these are not normal conversations by any stretch of the imagination, so I got my cold ass up to see what was going on.
The cats cowered in the bedroom. Fuckers
Anyways....
It turned out that some young lady decided to walk into our house, and no, we didn't know her. Add that to the fact I heard SOBBING coming from my back yard, I thought it was time to call our local officers to my house. This is where things get interesting....
This is kind of the exchange I had with the 911 dispatchers;
Dispatcher 1: 911, what it your emergency?
Tired Me: Um, some woman just tried to walk into our house and we don't know her....
Dis. 1: Ok, Ma'am (yeah, he went there)..I am going to transfer you, please hold
Tired-Irritated-me: oooooooo k
Dispatcher 2: 911, what is your emergency
Relieved Me: ok, um, there is some lady walking around outside, sobbing-and she tried to walk into our house, we do not know this person
Dis. 2: Ok, Ma'am (ok, that is WAAAY to many Ma'ams) please hold while I transfer you to 911
Really Irritated Me: oooooooo kay
Dispatcher 3: 911, where is your emergency?
Adrenaline-Filled Me: 42 Wallaby Way (you think I am giving internet strangers my real address, you are nuts)
Dis. 3: Ok Ma'am (STOP IT ALREADY!!!!) what is your emergency....
Waiting To Be Transferred Again Me: Ok, there is this woman, and she is sobbing she tried to get into our house and now there is a car. ......
And this is where the transfers stopped...and this is where I finally get to the point of my blog....
Recently, our Gov. decided to cut our state police budget and consolidated 911 services. Now, when one calls 911 in my side of my great state of Ct, ones call may go up to an hour away to a place I will now refer to as China-lite.
This is not our troopers fault at all. Ct State Police are some of the best in the country, that is simply a fact. This is the fault of our government-FAILING THE PEOPLE of this state.
I am going to play a game of "What If"
What If; I was an elderly person who confuses easily?
What If; I was a handicapped person who confuses easily?
What If; This person had a knife (gun, machete-insert weapon of choice) and was chasing my ass around the house.....(ok, I KNOW that this is an unrealistic scenerio as I do not run...anywhere, but just stick with me for a second.....)
What If; I was in a motor vehicle accident, bleeding, losing conciousness....yada yada...
I am expected to keep my wits about me while being transferred 3 times??????
SERIOUSLY???????
Who in the hell was the damn rocket scientist who thought of this? Let's consolidate a shit-ton of departments...Fire, State AND local police to one place 45 minutes away????? I no longer know how our 911 system works, but I am guessing these dispatchers are expected to know ALL the PD's, Fire departments in what was once a three district area....
This does not please me...and it WILL cost lives.
Growing up in a first responder household, I learned at a young age; ONE SHOULD NEVER...EVER cut EMS budgets. I want my tax dollars to go to two things, emergency services (town or state) and social services (the latter being MY profession)
Do NOT cut our Troopers....
I will tell you why....
Last night, pretty much EMS armageddon happened on I 95....3 major accidents involving NUMEROUS motor vehicles, a dead 2 year old and several serious injuries.
It is my preliminary opinion that there weren't enough Troopers on the road to prevent the third accident. On my area of 95, there are only 2 troopers who patrol a very long space of highway. The troopers, from what I understand also lend their services to local PD's as well.....
This is FAR.....FAR from enough.
Now, I am a card carrying liberal. I have a lot of conservative friends who I politically spar with on Facebook, I find them smart, hard working, incredible parents and they challenge how I look at the world. I will never dislike a good person based on the political views that may not line up with mine-I find the very idea of cutting ties with people who do not agree with my political view points to be shallow and incredibly moronic....
This is something we all seem to be in agreement on...DON'T CUT EMS.
EVER
I was just informed by one of my political sparring partners (whom I respect a great deal) that the Ct State Police can only staff the same number or troopers over the Columbus Day weekend as they did back in the 90's. Our area has grown since the 90's, not acceptable staffing levels at all.
Our State Government has failed us...and it HAS cost lives. Malloy must go. (I hear the gasp of my conservative friends as I declare my anti-democrat stance on local government....Fact is, I have always voted Republican when it comes to local government)
How can we accept this when now we know someones parents are trying to wrap their minds around the fact they have to plan their toddlers funeral? How?
Now, I promised I would not get political on this blog, obviously I am not good with promises. But I was listening to the local ems scanner last night, and when I heard an officer talk about worrying about overtime.....it hit me like a ton of bricks that this was BS. So what...OT....but it is the pressure to stay away from OT that is costing lives and we have only ONE person to blame...and that is our Governor.
As for our issue last night with Ms. Drinks-a-lot , we declined to press charges, she was young and in the middle of a fight with her boyfriend (from what we gather) .the local officers were extremely patient with her...and I hope she understands that if my husband was not home, there would have been a "stand your ground" issue to contend with.
Yes, I have a gun and I know how to use it.
Now, in speaking with my husband about this happening, he did bring up one thing, he told me I should have used the words, "home invasion", I think it would have been a very different night had I used those words, and it would not have ended well for me at all...probably me ending up in a cell, in my pink PJ's.....until Tuesday when the courts were opened and I could make bail.
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