“It’s not always just medical treatment we provide,”Lt. Todd Peden wrote about the scene of a recent car accident in Amarillo, Texas.
When firefighters are called out to a scene, their training as first responders takes over as they remove victims from wreckage, check vitals, and whatever other duties are needed in an emergency. But beyond the physical aspects of their jobs, they must also have a good bedside manner, showing compassion for people who could be suffering through the worst day of their lives.
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That compassion was on full display in the touching photo Peden took that day. The photo, which he posted on the Amarillo Fire Department’s Facebook page, has since gone viral.
Neither the boy nor girl pictured were physically injured in the accident, but the accident no doubt left them traumatized. Two of the firefighters who arrived on the scene, could sense their fear and confusion and rushed to comfort them.
Sam Berry cradles the little girl — and her stuffed animal — in his arms, while Jared Davis kneels several feet away, and talks to an older boy sprawled on the pavement at his feet, his head resting on an overstuffed backpack.
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Davis remains humble about the incident, saying every other firefighter at some point has probably done the exact same thing, but, “We just happened to get photographed.”
“I’m a firm believer that compassion is a form of medicine,”he added.
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Berry agreed, saying comforting victims is “just what we do”but that it’s “cool to see (the photo) out there”for the public to see.
Whether it is part of the job or not, these compassionate men deserve all the praise they are receiving.
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