Firefighters leave behind
‘ EMOTIONAL MARKERS ’
in close-knit community
BY CAROL BAKER DAWSON
There are obvious physical risks JFD firefighters make , but often the public forgets about the mental scars . Jeffersonville is considered a small town with close-knit neighborhoods . Firefighters often make runs on people they love and care about , sometimes with considerable grief .
Every firefighter has a story about his or her worst run ; the call that turns them on their heels and melts their fortitude into a puddle of angst and tears .
In 2018 , Sgt . Justin Ames ( Ames ) shared his worst run with a local television station in order to bring attention to the Post Traumatic Stress that can be experienced by firefights across the nation . He wanted other firefighters to know it is all right to speak openly about tragedies they have encountered and to seek counseling when needed .
On Mother ’ s Day 2010 , Ames heard the call across the speaker state the run was on a 54-year-old woman , unconscious and unresponsive and then came the address and he knew the run was for his mother . Despite knowing he should not make the run , Ames felt he had no other choice .
“ I knew my mother would be thinking , my son is coming to help me ,” he said .
Jeffersonville Fire Department / 150 years 45