Jumpline magazine April 2024 - Flipbook - Page 18
18
Paul D Blake, Ret.
Treasurer
Thankful
It’s March 5, 2024, “305 Day” in
Miami. On this day I am in Washington, DC, attending the IAFF Legislative Conference. The purpose
of this conference is so leaders of
IAFF af昀椀liates gather and learn about issues that impact IAFF
members at the national level. Af昀椀liates then meet with their
respective politicians regarding these issues to seek their support and sign on as co-sponsors. Mind you, when a person
seeks one of these seats, they come to us seeking our endorsement.
One of our meetings was with Congressman Carlos
Gimenez. Congressman Gimenez once served as a commissioner with for Miami-Dade County, eventually becoming the
County Mayor. Prior to that he had served as the Fire Chief
for the City of Miami. I was accompanied by other members
of L-1403’s political team. Also in attendance were other IAFF
locals within our region, as well as the President of the Miami
Fraternal Order of Police.
Back in Miami the news reports that:
“Miami 昀椀re昀椀ghters raced to the rescue to save one of their
own after a 昀椀re昀椀ghter went into cardiac arrest during SWAT
medic training on the Rickenbacker Causeway. He was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.” The video
shows Miami R-24 arriving at Ryder Trauma Center, the doors
opening to the back of the rescue with the presence of numerous 昀椀re department and police department personnel.
Back in Washington, while meeting with Congressman
Gimenez, I received a phone call. At the same time, the FOP
President had also received a phone call. I reply via a text
message, “Call you back shortly.” Soon, the Miami 昀椀re昀椀ghters
had also received word about a 昀椀re昀椀ghter that had gone into
cardiac arrest. The responding text to me was, “You need
to call me now, it’s an emergency.” I got up from my chair
and exited the congressman’s conference room. Somehow,
I believe that the Miami 昀椀re昀椀ghters knew it was my son but
did not know how to tell me. Congressman Gimenez saw the
commotion and asked, “What was going on.” As I returned
the call, I felt a hand on my shoulder. The news was a gut
shot, one that literally dropped me to the 昀氀oor. The 昀椀re昀椀ghter
that had gone into cardiac arrest was my 23-year-old son, my
middle child, Reece.
Congressman Gimenez abruptly ended the meeting and
took me and others into his of昀椀ce. I was updated that the
crews had achieved “ROSC” – Return of Spontaneous Circulation. While this sounds great to the lay public, it just led
me to think of other things, such as complications that could
take his life and/or quality of life. Things such as aspiration
pneumonia or an anoxic brain injury. Not to mention the heart
itself. As Bill Gustin says, “Some things are worse than death
itself.” Congressman Gimenez instructed his staff to 昀椀nd an
earlier 昀氀ight out of Washington and to drive both myself and
Lisa Bullard to the airport.
We were leaving that night anyway. The earlier 昀氀ight was
delayed and would only be departing 24 minutes prior to our
booked 昀氀ight. So, we kept our original itinerary. My 昀椀rst call
was to my wife. Extremely tough to 昀椀nd the words to tell her
that Reece had gone into cardiac arrest, but I did. I was also
told that somebody would drive her to the hospital, but by the
time I had hung up the phone with her, she and Reece’s little
brother, Dylan, were already enroute. When Reece was being transported to the hospital, Miami sent a unit to St. Mary’s
Church to pick up their department chaplain, Father Marino.
I arrived at the airport three hours before my 昀氀ight was
scheduled to leave. Lisa kept me focused. Simple tasks like
having my driver’s license for TSA, to drinking water. I would
soon receive numerous texts wishing thoughts and prayers
for Reece. I would eventually board the plane. Sitting next
to me was Elio Perez. Elio guided me through the grief process. It was a three-hour 昀氀ight. I used that time to pray, think,
and re昀氀ect on my son. I scrolled through my phone, looking
at photos I had taken of him. I also thought that if he did not
survive, I would be willing to accept it.
Reece was doing what he loved, with people he loved. Considering we are all on “borrowed time” he had given my family
a great 23 years of existence. He had a police escort to the
hospital and the entrance to Ryder Trauma Center was shut
down due to the presence of numerous police and 昀椀re vehicles
April 2024 | JUMPLINE Magazine
