The life of a First Responder, a firefighter or a police officer isn’t an easy one, especially in a small, rural area.
Taking the call for a fire or car crash signals the start of what could very easily turn out to be a nightmare scenario for these men and women, one that can sometimes leave an emotional wound that can only heal in its own time, if ever.
Just this year, emergency personnel in Tracy have answered far too many calls that involve familiar faces.
In February, responders were called to the home of Kurt Enderson who died in his home.
In March, it was a frightening semi-car crash at Garvin Corner that left Tracy Area High School student Trevor Smith in the hospital.
About two months later, Steve Meyer was killed in a motorcycle accident south of Tracy.
Four days after that, Bruce Larson perished in a grain bin entrapment near Balaton.
Last month, Gary Johns was involved in a two-vehicle crash just outside of Amiret.
And most recently, on July 29, the call came out for an incident in Tracy that involved public works worker Dave “Petey” Peterson, who would pass later that day.
These were no ordinary calls for Tracy emergency responders during what has been a horrific year. While all calls are drop-everything important, it’s the ones that involve familiar faces that have a way of sticking with local heroes who respond. However, when at a scene, there is no name. There is no face. There is just a victim.