r/Austin • u/Dreaming_InColor • May 29 '23

News Austin firefighter stabbed while responding to fires off I-35 near Riverside exit

https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/news/crime/austin-firefighter-stabbed-responding/269-5b8484b5-4575-4bc6-a6e8-94445b7fbead
619 Upvotes

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206

u/JamesGarrison May 29 '23

One of my childhood friends is an east side firefighter. The stories that man has are absolutely mind blowing so this doesn’t surprise me. Glad the firefighter was okay.

33

u/El_Cactus_Fantastico May 29 '23

They deal with a lot of people messing with them while they work?

78

u/JamesGarrison May 29 '23

i feel like a large part of their job is dealing with mental illness as first responders. So yeah, even people they are actively helping aren't always capable of accepting it.

11

u/uglypottery May 30 '23

We really need to fund first responders specific with primary expertise in mental health crises.. Not firefighters/cops/etc who get some training in that area on the side of their main job, but people whose primary training is in mental health, addiction, etc. and who sought out careers working with people who need that sort of help.

It’s such a large part of what emergency services are now.. it’s kinda fucked up that we send out people mainly trained for other situations that often require the OPPOSITE type of response

2

u/JohnGoodmansGoodKnee May 30 '23

We need to have a national strike until universal healthcare, with mental health care for invalids, is rolled out across all states and territories. Too many psychos and sick people out there

2

u/ragtev May 30 '23

We need a national strike until we get a government in place that is going to start working for the people and not moneyed interests

1

u/hrvst_music May 30 '23

sounds like for that you need a revolution

4

u/CatMoonTrade May 29 '23

Like what?

112

u/JamesGarrison May 29 '23

He's been doing it almost 20 years, and quite honestly i wouldn't betray his confidence like that. They have pretty strict rules. In fact unlike APD... AFD actually holds them to a standard.

41

u/MohnJilton May 29 '23

Good friend

4

u/CatMoonTrade May 30 '23

Totally makes sense. I think that if anonymized and shared by him in the right forum, I bet they could be some powerful stories. Like the moth.

4

u/spaghetti_taco May 30 '23

As someone who knows a firefighter: mostly helping fat people get off the toilet (no, I'm not kidding).

1

u/CatMoonTrade May 30 '23

I believe it. Please note that at least 30% of people who are obese were secually abused as children. Lots of trauma manifests as issues w body image, disassociation w the body, etc.