Obscured in the terrible news of the death of a child in Edgecomb over the weekend is this small detail: state police investigators on the scene spent the entirety of the Christmas holiday away from their loved ones.
This is to say missing a holiday with family obviously pales when compared to the tragedy at issue in Edgecomb, but it is not insignificant.
In many respects, the life of a first responder is living with the certainty you will be called to put duty before family, often, but even getting the chance to do that thing you love to do is small consolation when it comes to actually putting your boots on to leave your family and go tend to someone else’s tragedy.
We are reminded of the sacrifices our local first responders regularly make because many of them answered one or more of the many, many calls that came in this past weekend. We are fortunate Maine was spared the worst of the storm system that left death and destruction across the country last week and doubly fortunate the Midcoast escaped with less damage compared to other parts of our state.
Still, what was for many of us a minor inconvenience, required major efforts by men and women who are our neighbors. Every downed tree in the roadway, every tree limb on the wires, every smoke investigation; every emergency call requires a response. Every response takes time and effort and this past weekend required long hours and a lot of effort by many, many people.
Hats off too, to the utility crews, the last of whom are still in the field at press time putting things to right, as well as the staff in the Lincoln County Communications Center. The county’s entire emergency response system relies on the communications center to make it work and it works because those people are there to answer the bell literally every single time.
Responders don’t like to dwell on it, but their families can tell you exactly where that time comes from.
Across the country this past weekend, over and over again, the first responders in our community answered the call and we thank them one and all for their service.
