This month, the Gazette takes it annual pause to thank the police officers, firefighters and EMTs who keep our neighborhood safe, yet often work unnoticed and un-thanked.
First responders are granted an enormous amount of power over the residents of Boston, and one of the Gazette’s responsibilities is to hold them accountable for their mistakes and bad actors. Another responsibility is to partner with these agencies from time to time to make the public aware of important information to keep us all safer.
A third responsibility is much harder to fulfill. That is reminding everyone that, behind the badges and lights and gear, our first responders are fellow human beings doing often ugly jobs under incredible pressures and with a high rate of success. It is literally impossible to write the stories about the people who didn’t get shot, the houses that didn’t catch fire, the patients who didn’t die, because of their work.
What we can do is take you behind the scenes and introduce you to some first responders, and join you in saying thanks.