When you are out doing some shopping before starting what could be anything up to a 17-24 hour shift responding to 999 (& 111) calls, then the last thing you would expect to happen whilst you shop, is that someone would offer to pay for your shopping just because of the job that you do.
But that is exactly what happened to Sarra Studd as she grabbed some food before starting her shift with East of England Ambulance Service.
It was reported on the Gazette-News.co.uk that Sarra “wanted to cry” after a man and his little boy approached her whilst she was in Tescos, Brook Retail Park, Clacton.
Sarra told the Gazette-News.co.uk:
“He told me his son had to be rushed to hospital and the ambulance crew saved his life
“I just didn’t know what to say, I told him I can’t expect him to do that.
“He said he was doing it whether I liked it or not.
“It made me want to cry.
“I have done this job for three years and you do get good and bad reactions.
“It just really touched me.
“I love the job – I started as a volunteer five years ago as a first responder.”
“I have had a couple of people come up and shake my hand before.
“You get the odd thank you, but you don’t really think about getting any recognition.
“You’re just doing a job.
“You forget, sometimes, what a difference you can make.
“Some days you save a life and take them to hospital.
“You never hear about that person again.
“The only time you do is if you get a letter from them or something like that, but this doesn’t happen often.”
We know that stories such as this one will help to reinforce to members of the emergency services just how valued their hard work and dedication is by the vast majority of the public.
Many people were truly humbled by the generosity of members of the public recently who took it upon themselves to leave thank you notes and money for coffees etc on the windscreens of emergency ambulances up-and-down the country.
And whilst, yes, there will ALWAYS be individuals who do not appreciate the hard work and dedication of the emergency services, the number of decent people out there will ALWAYS outnumber the ungrateful few.
Written by one of the many admins of Emergency Services Humour who is also a regular blogger in our fortnightly eMagazine ’S__ts & Giggles’ which you can sign up to by visiting our Facebook page and clicking on the ‘sign up’ button or by visiting: ShitsAndGiggles.Online
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