Hometown Hero--Kevin Keith, Durham EMS

At 3am this past Saturday, I did something that I had never done before in my life. I called 9-1-1…..for me. I’ve called for others in the past, but never for me.

This would turn out to be a day of “firsts” for me, some that I prefer to forget. I desperately want to forget that I screamed at the top of my lungs several times because of the pain that I was in. I want to forget being strapped to a backboard and carried down a corkscrew staircase…while I was screaming.

I also want to forget my first ride ever on a bedpan at the hospital. Bedpans have a way of humiliating you. I was in pain during my bedpan ride….but for some reason I didn’t scream.

Paramedic Kevin Keith from Durham County EMS and Mike Collier from Bethesda Fire and Rescue were on Medic 41 on Saturday. Upon their arrival they found their patient (me) in excruciating pain and unable to move.

Although I was dehydrated, Kevin was able to establish an IV access to re-hydrate me and get some pain medicine on board. He gave me all the morphine that he could, but it still did not touch the pain emitting from my lower back.

I wanted to be able to walk downstairs and get on the stretcher but my back was in spasms that I can’t begin to describe to you. The decision was made to call Durham FD Engine 13-B for assistance in getting me down the steps.

Kevin, I want to say thank you for taking such good care of me on Saturday. Your IV placement lasted for my entire hospital stay. You did everything that you could to alleviate my pain and make my trip to Durham Regional as smooth as possible. You are the Emergency Chaplains “Hometown Hero” for this week.

Special mention also goes to Mike Collier, EMT from Bethesda Fire and Rescue and to the crew on Engine 13-B. I hated calling you guys out at 3am, but every one of you are professionals at your job and courteous in every way. Thanks for helping me out.

My hospital stay was only 36 hours and it turns out that I was having an allergic reaction to a new medicine that I am taking. We don’t know if the back pain was part of the allergic reaction or maybe the pain was compounded by the reaction. I also had a virus at the same time.

While all of my doctors are still standing around scratching their heads as they try to figure out what was wrong with me, I’ll just sit at home for few days and try to recover. I will also remember what it is like to be a patient. I am always taking care of patients and it is awkward when I have to be taken care of. This past Saturday gave me a whole new perspective on patient care.

Thanks again to Kevin, Mike and Engine 13-B for taking care of me. You guys are the greatest!

********************************************

Note to Kevin: Sorry about the picture, but it was the only one that I could find of you.


Note to Readers: Kevin was posing for the camera doing an :Incredible Hulk" impersonation when this picture was taken.

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Hometown Hero--Justin Garner, Carthage PD

Cop Who Shot Active Shooter was Only Cop on Duty

On Sunday mornings in Mayberry, Andy and Barney would close down the courthouse and head to church with Aunt Bea, Opie, Gomer and even an occasional prisoner.

Carthage is a lot like Mayberry. Sure, times have changed...but Carthage is still a quiet little place. So quiet in fact that only one police officer is on duty on any given Sunday morning. Justin Garner was that officer on March 29th.

Sunday mornings are usually slow in Carthage. Folks that aren't in church are either asleep or quietly working around the house. No one would have ever suspected that an armed gunman had gone into Pinelake Rehab looking for his estranged wife and shooting anyone that he came in contact with.

Justin Garner answered the call. Some may call him foolish for entering the nursing home without backup. There is no doubt that he put his own life at risk--he has three wounds to prove that.

Robert Stewart had already shot and killed seven elderly patients and one employee when he was confronted by Corporal Garner. Although he was drawing fire from the gunman, Garner held his ground and returned fire, critically wounding Stewart and bringing the carnage to an end.

I believe that Robert Stewart was prepared to kill every person inside the nursing facility that day. Eight dead is too many...but the heroic actions of Justin Garner saved everyone else there.
Corporal Justin Garner of the Carthage Police Department is a hero in every right.

Thank you, Justin, for giving your life in service for the people of Carthage.

Chaplain Ralph
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March 31, 2009
CARTHAGE, N.C. (AP) — Justin Garner turned down a chance to join the state highway patrol so he could stay on his small hometown’s police force. In just five years, he’d already been named Officer of the Year. And when a call came in that a gunman was shooting up a nursing home, Garner was the only one on duty when seemingly everyone else in this town of 1,800 was at church.

The clean-cut outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and fishing raced to the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center. Armed with a .40-caliber Glock pistol, he entered the building to confront Robert Stewart, 45, in the hallway. Garner fired his weapon once, hitting Stewart in the chest, even though Garner had already been shot three times in his foot and leg.

A day later, Garner was being praised as a hero in this small town in North Carolina’s Sandhills region, about 60 miles southwest of Raleigh, for forging into the nursing home without waiting for backup to stop a man authorities say shot and killed eight people — many of them elderly and frail — inside.

“If that’s not heroism, I don’t know what is,” said Police Chief Chris McKenzie, who later added: “You can train all you want to, but it comes down to whether you have what it takes.”

Experts also took note. Nick Minzghor, whose business trains police and military personnel in Seattle, said a quick response to mass shootings is crucial, but that it’s not common for an officer by himself to be successful.

“This is one of the few instances nationwide where the lone officer took care of the bad guy,” said Minzghor, who’s also a police officer.

Garner, 25, grew up in the Carthage area like most of the town’s 18-officer police force, said McKenzie, who’s also a native. Garner, who is married, has been on the force for less than five years but already has been honored as the town’s Officer of the Year.

At one point, though, Garner nearly joined the North Carolina Highway Patrol before ultimately deciding to stay in Carthage, said the Rev. Tom Herndon, the chaplain for the police and fire departments. Herndon, who also is pastor of First Baptist Church of Carthage, described Garner as “a real clean-cut, handsome young fellow” who is fair to the people he serves.

“He’s one of the individuals who will give you a break if you happen to be speeding one mile an hour over the speed limit,” Herndon said, adding that his wife once received a warning from Garner though he didn’t know who she was.

McKenzie said Garner hunts and fishes whenever he gets the chance, and that he’s not surprised the officer stayed close to home.

“You don’t find too many country boys heading to the city (to become police),” McKenzie said. “They stay here to take care of their own.”

Seven nursing home residents and one of their caretakers were killed and three others, including Garner, were wounded. Stewart was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder.
McKenzie said Garner isn’t yet ready to speak publicly about the shootings. He was released from the hospital, but will need outpatient surgery, McKenzie said.

“He wants to sit at home with his family and rest. He almost died yesterday,” McKenzie said.

Life Lessons from the Family Dog

3-31-09
New York Times editor Dana Jennings writes every Tuesday about coping with an advanced form of prostate cancer.

Bijou, the family dog of Times editor Dana Jennings.

Our family dog started failing a couple of months ago. Her serious health problems began at about the same time I was coping with my own — finishing my radiation and hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

Since last summer, I’ve learned that my cancer is shockingly aggressive, and the surgery, radiation and hormone treatments have left me exhausted, incontinent and with an AWOL libido. These days I’m waiting for the first tests that will tell me the status of my health.
Even so, as I face my own profound health issues, it is my dog’s poor health that is piercing me to the heart. I’m dreading that morning when I walk downstairs and … well, those of us who love dogs understand that all dog stories end the same way.

Her full name is Bijou de Minuit (Jewel of Midnight) — my wife teaches French. She is a 12-year-old black miniature poodle, and she is, literally, on her last legs. Her hind quarters fly out from beneath her, her back creaks and cracks as she walks, she limps, she’s speckled with bright red warts the size of nickels, her snore is loud and labored (like a freight train chugging up some steep grade) and she spends most of the day drowsing on her pillow-bed next to the kitchen radiator.

Bijou’s medicine chest is impressive for a 23-pound dog: A baby dose of amoxicillin for chronic urinary tract infections; prednisone and Tramadol for pain; phenobarbital for seizures; Proin for incontinence – all of it wrapped in mini-slices of pepperoni.

She is, I realize, “just” a dog. But she has, nonetheless, taught me a few lessons about life, living and illness. Despite all her troubles, Bijou is still game. She still groans to her feet to go outside, still barks at and with the neighborhood dogs, is willing to hobble around the kitchen to carouse with a rubber ball — her shrub of a tail quivering in joy.

I know now that Bijou was an important part of my therapy as I recovered from having my prostate removed. I learned that dogs, besides being pets, can also be our teachers.
Human beings constantly struggle to live in the moment. We’re either obsessing over the past (”Gee, life would’ve been different if I’d only joined the Peace Corps.”), or obsessing over the future (”Gee, I hope my 401K holds up”). We forget that life, real life, is lived right now, in this very moment.

But living in the moment is something that dogs (and cancer patients) do by their very nature. Bijou eats when she’s hungry, drinks when she’s thirsty, sleeps when she’s tired and will still gratefully curl up in whatever swatch of sunlight steals through the windows.

She’d jump up onto my sickbed last summer, nuzzle me and ask for her ears and pointy snout to be scratched. It made both of us happy as she sighed in satisfaction. And she was the subject of one of our favorite family jokes as I recuperated: “You take the dog out. I have cancer.”

In spending so much time with Bijou, I began to realize that our dogs, in their carefree dogginess, make us more human, force us to shed our narcissistic skins. Even when you have cancer, you can’t be utterly self-involved when you have a floppy-eared mutt who needs to be fed, walked and belly-scratched. And you can’t help but ponder the mysteries of creation as you gaze into the eyes of your dog, or wonder why and how we chose dogs and they chose us.

Dogs also tell us – especially when we’re sick – of our own finitude. And, partly, that’s why we cry when they die, because we also know that all human-being stories end the same way, too.
Good dogs – and most dogs are good dogs – are canine candles that briefly blaze and shine, illuminating our lives. Bijou has been here with us for the past 12 years, reminding us that simple pleasures are the ones to be treasured: a treat, a game of fetch, a nose-to-the-ground stroll in the park.

Simple pleasures. As I lazed and dozed at home last summer after surgery, there was nothing sweeter to me in this world than to hear Bijou drinking from her water dish outside my door. It was if her gentle lap-lapping ferried me to waters of healing. I’ll miss her.

Bethesda Bluegrass Boys

Carter, Carl and I had the pleasure of attending Angier Avenue Baptist Church on March 29th. Our friends, The Bethesda Bluegrass Boys led the worship service.

Mark (the old guy in the picture) taught himself to play the guitar a few years ago. He later taught all three of his boys to play one or more instruments. When congratulated for teaching the boys to play so well, he tells me that he evidently taught them everything that he knew....because he doesn't know anything anymore.

The boys are Caleb, Jackson and Connor. For years I have told the Hagwood boys to continue eating their Wheaties and stay away from cigarettes and coffee---do that and one day they would be as tall as me. Judging by this picture it looks like they took my advice.

Holly is the only non-Hagwood in the group. She plays fiddle and adds vocals.

Karen is the mom. (Not-pictured) She is the brains behind the boys.

I love you guys. Keep using your talents to honor the Lord.

Hometown Hero--Andy Barringer

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
Colossians 1:4-6 NLT

When Andy Barringer was a child he had visions of being a hero. He could see himself rushing into a burning building to save a helpless child. He probably pictured himself bringing that child out of a smoke filled house while giving rescue breaths. He collapses to the ground, barely able to breathe himself, with the child in his arms.

Suddenly—the child begins to cough. An oxygen mask is placed on the young boy as he is loaded into a waiting ambulance. Andy returns to his duties—life saved—now we need to put out that fire.

For 29 years, Andy risked his life to help others. He joined Parkwood Fire Department as a teenager. He later became a full-time firefighter. At the time of his death he was an Assistant Chief—still serving at the same department where he started.

From the first time that Andy put on the turnout gear, his life was on the line. Every firefighter knows that. However, a firefighter not only puts his life at risk to save others, he dedicates his life to the service of others. On call, 24 hours at a time, waiting for someone to call out for help.

On Sunday, March 1st, Andy was the one who called out for help. While serving as a chaperon on a ski trip for a group that included his son, he began to experience chest pains. When the paramedics arrived, Andy walked to the ambulance and climbed in under his own power.

No one would have ever expected that on the way to the hospital Andy would go into cardiac arrest. The medics did everything they could do. So did the doctors and nurses at the hospital. It seems tragic that a man who had dedicated his life to helping others could find no help on his day of trouble. There were lots of people that tried to help—but to no avail.

As I talked with Andy’s wife, Amanda, I struggled for the words to say that might bring comfort to her and to Colton. As we talked, her words were the ones bringing comfort to me.

Amanda told me that the last few years of Andy’s life had been his best. He had come to understand John 10:10 and what Jesus meant about giving him a full life—abundant life.

She told me that Andy did cry out for help many years ago. He cried out to Jesus and Jesus heard him. Jesus helped him. Jesus saved him from his sin and during the past few years Andy grew in his faith. By leaps and bounds—especially after the family moved to Rolesville.

Moving caused Andy and Amanda to seek out a new church where they met Pastor David Sims, and they all ended up together at Richland Creek Community Church.

The Lord used Pastor David and the church family at “The Creek” to build into Andy’s life and things changed for the Barringer family—to better than ever before. That is not to say that Andy, Amanda and Colton did not face difficult circumstances over the past few years. Just like any other family they have had their share of hard times.

The big change was this—when looking back over the hard times they faced over the past few years, Amanda sees them as sweet times—because Andy had allowed Jesus to change his life and put things in proper perspective. Don’t miss the point—Jesus changed Andy’s life. Drastically.

Andy was changed and so was his family. Andy was the spiritual leader of his home and Jesus was at the center of everything they did. Together, they came to find out what a life of true “JOY” is all about.

Everybody is looking for joy in this dark and difficult world that we live in. If Andy could speak to you right now, he would want you to know that he found there is only one true source of joy—Jesus Christ. As Andy led his family to understand the proper perspective of life, he understood the word joy and that you can find joy by following the letters—J-O-Y.

J=Jesus: Simply put Jesus first in your life—in everything that you do—give Him first place and honor Him above all else. This comes by understanding the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

O=Others: Honor and serve others. Put the needs of other people before your own needs. Love people and serve them in a way that brings glory to God.

Y=You: That leaves you—last. Honor Jesus first and honor all others before yourself. Most people try to work this model upside down. Doesn’t work that way. I think Andy would want you to know that.

Many of you who are reading this knew Andy Barringer. Some of you are still grieving over his death. Life will never be the same again for some of you because of the void that Andy’s death leaves.

One thing I believe that my brother Andy would want you to remember about him is this—His life was changed forever by his relationship with Jesus Christ. He would want you to know that Jesus can bring you the same joy, peace and hope that he lived with here on earth.

Andy would also want you to know that you should not weep for him. Because of his faith in Jesus Christ, his hope has now become sight. The Savior that he trusted in faith here on earth is now his Savior by sight—forever—in heaven.

Gunman Kills 4 Police Officers in Oakland, CA

Slain Oakland Cops Remembered as Proud Veterans

OAKLAND, Calif. — The shootings of four Oakland police officers on a single day was remarkable not just for its death toll, but for the years of law enforcement experience Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai had racked up between them. Sakai, at 35 the youngest of the three officers killed Saturday by a 26-year-old parolee with two ...READ MORE


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Forgiving A Killer

Watch CBS Videos Online

Andy Barringer, Assistant Chief, Parkwood Fire and Rescue, died on Sunday, March 1st.

Andy (pictured--on right) was a dear brother in the Lord. Everytime that we got together, our conversations always centered on serving Jesus and reaching others.

He was a faithful encourager to me and I will miss him. Pray for his family and for his extended family at Parkwood Fire and Rescue.

Barringer
DURHAM - Andy Barringer, 46, passed away Sunday evening in W. Virginia.

Andy was born in Salisbury. He moved in 1965 to Durham where he graduated from Jordan High School. Several years ago Andy moved his family to Rolesville and his life was transformed by Christ! He loved God and being at church with his family.

Andy was a godly and loving father to Colton.Andy was a deacon at Richland Creek Community Church, where he played in the church orchestra. Andy made several mission trips to South East Asia, Greece, W. Virginia, and France to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He enjoyed playing golf, especially with his golfing buddies at Hillandale Golf Club.

Andy served for 29 years at Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department. He has been assistant chief since 1997 and past president of the Durham County Fire Chief's Association.

He is survived by his wife, Amanda Aiken Barringer of Rolesville; son, Colton Barringer; parents, Peggy Eidson Barringer and James M. Barringer of Durham; and brother, Tony Barringer of Hillsborough.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Richland Creek Community Church in Wake Forest with Pastor David Sims and Chaplain Mark Holland officiating. Burial will follow in Rolesville Cemetery.

A visitation is scheduled Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Clements Funeral Service in Durham. Pallbearers will be Keith Edmonds, Duane Webb, Archie Dinglasan, Troy Meachum, Mike Crawley and John Wright.

The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral Service in Durham. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Colton A. Barringer Scholarship Account, Suntrust Bank 401 S. Main Street Rolesville, NC 27571.

Emergency Chaplain's Web Site

Finally...

Our new website is up. Go to http://www.echap.org/ and check it out!

We have more to add---especially pictures. If you have pics I can use, send them to ChaplainRalph@yahoo.com

Many Blessings!
Chaplain Ralph

On The Streets--"Dealing With Sorrows"

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982. In the first 15 years, 54,000 items were left at the Wall. It still takes almost an hour every night, and much longer on Memorial Day, to collect the mementos—a teddy bear, a photo of a soldier’s grandchild, a letter from a daughter who never knew her dad.

The Wall reminds us that sorrow comes to us all. We often carry our grief around for years—struggling with our emotions. While the Wall provides a place to leave mementos—is there a place where we can truly lay down our sorrows?

The holidays bring out the best and the worst in some people. As Emergency Responders, we know about the worst all too well.

All of us will have to deal with folks during the holiday season that are at their worst. People have pain and grief in their lives that has gone unresolved and for some reason—the holidays seem to magnify the pain.

Our “customers” often try to handle the pain in ways that are neither healthy nor productive. Those who choose to use alcohol and drugs to ease their pain will use too much. The 911 center will get calls about fights, car wrecks and other bad decisions caused by too much “medication”. Some of the sights that we see over the holidays are too heart breaking to talk about.

As we take calls from hysterical people, respond to domestic situations, arrest DWI drivers and transport depressed patients to the hospital—we do our best to distance ourselves from the situation. We can’t get too personally involved—but do we understand that many of the people that we come in contact with are dealing with their sorrows and grief in ways that are “not good?”

While most of us that respond to these emergencies know that this happens to the public—do we keep a check on ourselves? Do we deal with our life struggles in a way that is productive and healthy? We know that the difficulties of life come to us all, but is there a place where we can leave our sorrows and find healing for the wounds of life?

The Old Testament book of Isaiah tells the prophecy of the coming Christ. If you go to a Christmas program you will probably hear from Isaiah 7:14—“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” You may also hear Isaiah 9:6—“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Immanuel means “God with us”. Another name that Isaiah tells us that Jesus will be known by is “Prince of Peace”. We always talk about peace at Christmas…but where is the peace that I need when I am dealing with the great struggles that I face?

Keep reading in Isaiah and you will come to Chapter 53. Here the prophet speaks of the Messiah as the One who came to be with us and “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…By His stripes we are healed” (vv4-5). When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin, we also come to know Him as the One who can lift the weight of sadness from our shoulders.

We can bring our grief to the Man of sorrows. There is help and healing and closure at the cross for the deepest pain of our hearts.

Car vs big tree on US 70