by Karolyn Hart

Twice a week I wake up early in the morning and follow my husband around the house helping him get ready.  It’s a pretty standard scene in a lot of homes with a pretty standard conversation. I ask ”Do you have your lunch?” “Do you have everything you need?”  He asks me “What do you have on the go today?” “Can you make sure you feed the dog?” It’s a pretty mundane conversation but at the end of it, just as he is about to leave we have a routine. We hug and kiss each other, say a quick prayer, and then as he walks down the steps towards the vehicle I always say “Be safe.”  I stand at the door and watch him drive away.

Now I’m not trying to be melodramatic and I don’t spend my life in fear but the reality (our reality) is that twice a week my husband goes to a job where it is expected that he will put his life on the line for others.  When I met him we were both in college and we were married for eight years before he became a firefighter. It was his dream and so we pursued it. We had conversations about the risk and I couldn’t deny that he was built to help others.  Anyone who knows him will know that he is a man of action. Our friends and family will laugh as they think about all the times I followed along besides him as we rescued injured animals from uncertain fates.  Everyone in our circle knew it was a logical step for he (and I) to pursue.

When he first started I would get asked how I dealt with him going to a dangerous job.  I would jokingly say “It’s easy because I live right by a river called ‘Da nile’ and it allows me to never think about it.” The reality of the dangers of his job came crashing in around us on March 3, 2007.  He called and asked me where I was. I said driving. His next words gave me chills “Ok, don’t speed but come directly home. There’s been an accident.”  My mind raced because he would not tell me who it was.  Our brother-in-law is a firefighter as is some of our closest friends. 

I ended up spending three days at the hospital with my friend.  We’d known each since we were eight and she was my maid of honour.  Four of the guys had been in a serious accident when the truck flipped.  It was a moment of truth for all of us that made us re-evaluate many things in our lives.  I knew my husband was meant to be a firefighter but in the early hours of the morning as I quietly talked with my girlfriend I considered the price. 

I already knew the answer when my husband and I talked later.  This was a reality we accepted with this job.  Emergencies weren’t going to magically stop around the City and they still required trained professionals to respond.  We talked about all the families around the City including the Police and EMS who find themselves in the most volatile situations.  We envisioned what it would look like if there was an emergency and no Police, Fire, or EMS coming.

So twice a week I kiss my husband and watch him leave praying that he is safe and returns to me.  What is absolutely breaking my heart right now is that in the City where I live people are criticizing these men.  Comments being made on a story claiming they make $90,000 a year (they make substantially less) to work two days a week have upset me.  I wonder, what IS the price tag on my husband’s life?  To add insult to injury its come out that these guys are working in conditions that are appalling.  They found SIX health and safety violations at one of the halls.  Even one or two in most work places would result in severe reprimands but how do they explain SIX?  Again, I ask myself as a wife “What IS the price tag on my husband’s life?”

This is all starting to come out because in our city the guys haven’t had a contract for three years.  I am painfully aware and understand that many union members at other companies  have made unreasonable demands. In Windsor and Detroit we are being impacted by the automotive downturn and everyone is quick to blame saying things like “Unions have broken our Cities backs.” On the other side is the fact that Unions are meant to protect and supporters are fierce and vocal attacking those who criticize the unions. It’s in this extremely volatile environment that the firefighters and their Union must navigate.  In Windsor firefighters are considered an “essential service” which means they can’t strike (even if they find violation after violation in their workplace).  Now I admit that I don’t understand all the intricacies of the negotiations.  What I do know is that every week my husband works 48 hours and only gets paid for 42.  Is it unreasonable to ask your employer to either pay you for 48 or only make you work 42?  Most people only work 40 hours a week and any hours over that is considered over time.  This has people talking about the fact they get paid too much and attacking the guys. As a wife I am asking one more time “What IS the price of my husband’s life?”

The fact is that my husband is willing to pay the ultimate price and he’s not alone.  Every day 300 firefighters wake up across the City willing to do the same.  He loves his job and he loves the guys he works with.  I feel like I instantly inherited a large family.  Personally, I am grateful for each and every one of them and I am even grateful for the weekly reminder I am given that life is precious and that we must make the most of it.  The question I am facing now is how do I make sure my family is safe? How do I make sure that when my husband is away from our home and is eating, working, and sleeping at the hall that it is safe and comfortable?

I love my City and I love my Firefighters.   There is NO way that I want to get caught up in the political nightmare that is union negotiations.  There is also NO way that I can be a good wife and just stand by. 

So what am I going to do?
I am going to call on my community to help fix the issues. If my husband is running into a fire I don’t want him to be exhausted or feeling sick because his workplace environment is so awful. I want him alert and at the top of his game so he can do his job well and come  home to me! I get it - times are tough here - which is why we as a community have to come together.  To that end I am looking for volunteers to help me with a fundraising event.  All the proceeds will be going to making sure the men are looked after.  That means halls are fixed up and safe. 
 
If you are interested then please email me at karolynzhart@gmail.com . Let’s work together to thank the guys for all they do.

Oh and as to the question “What IS the price of my husband’s life?” The answer is he’s priceless.  So let’s do all that we can to make sure these guys know how important they are to us.

Filed under: Life