The Big Blowdown

Thanks to lmpd, ems, firefighters, national guards, metro corrections, lge and any other organization I may be forgetting. Yes it was a stressful and dangerous event that occur but the only thing we could have done was be patient. If you really wanted to help you should have cleaned your own yard and made the city worker's job easier for them. There was too much going on for someone to be complaining. And for the crooks out there, there's never a day off for them even during crisis situations. They look at that as overtime. Plus people do not know what the hell a 4-way stop is. I seen a lot of people running these stops. My car was struck at a 4-way stop bc some idiot ran the light coming from a side street. He was a young guy not even 20yrs old but still it was un-called for. Then hrs after that they placed stop signs at this intersection. I wish they was there a little sooner but would that have mattered?

And about hiring more officers, someone needs to do something about that because it doesn't make any since. A city should never be short on the amount of officers they need to protect and serve the community. That's ridiculous. Sorry to say but the hiring process is a joke. I applied and made it all the way to the psychological testing. I passed everything else to make it to this point. Yes it only took 8mos (A long ******** time). I'm not saying it's stupid but you do an extensive background check on all the applicants and if someone to have some kind of mental issues you should be able to find that out. For a doctor to tell me he can't recommand me at this time and not tell me why is like a slap in the face. Don't take this personal but the one's with the issues are the ones that get hired. These are the bad apples of the department. I appreciate everything you officers do. I know it is a very dangerous job and yall have the balls to do it. Continue doing a great job. Yes I do plan on reapplying and hopefully things change. I would love to join my brothers and sisters in blue.

I don't know names or anything but thanks to the officers that worked/are working the Hikes Ln/Breckenridge Ln intersection. I don't envy your job, seriously. I really appreciate that you guys are there because Lord knows people don't know how to work 4 way stops on their own ;)

We (dispatchers, policemen, firemen, ems, utilities) WE are not magicians. We all did what we had to do, the best we were able to do, in our circumstances. We worked with what we had to work with. We we tolerable, patient and tried, and tired, but we came together and helped. What else could we do?

I am so proud of everyone. Even though thieves, crooks, and opportunists persist, I still encountered kindness, understanding, sharing. Neighborhoods came together. People assisted one another, whether they personally benefited from it or not.

I am especially proud of my significant other, who sat on downed wires and tree limbs as a volunteer with red lights for hours, before going to his "day job", helping countless others by phone and radio, sending services to others in need.

I am proud of my "guys" who worked traffic intersections all week. Who patrolled because other agencies needed a break, needed the assistance. Because for reasons unknown, people still needed to travel, needed gas, needed to get out and drive.

I didn't have power at my house. Not for four days. (I was lucky to have my power back so soon!) Although a little agitated, we both managed, as this really was a "minor inconvenience" for most, compared to what could have been.

I am proud of our emergency response teams. EVEN, in the presence of a major event, we did the best we could, with what we had to work with at the time.

I am sorry for anyone who has to deal with loss. Life, property, belongings, time... It is frustrating and stressful, but hang in there, because, especially now, you're not alone.

I say "WE" are Miracle Workers, not magic men. Magic would be snapping our fingers and everything going back to the way it was before the windstorm swept through. Magic would be no suffering. Magic would mean cleanup, dealing, and moving on would be a breeze, and we all know it isn't. Miracle workers though, I think we all are. We got help to those in need. We dealt with what we had to deal with, with little complaint, little injury, and lots of time. It is, in my opinion, truly a miracle that we came out of this storm, and are able to move on, albeit a little slower. It is, in my opinion, truly a miracle, that even with loss of power, jammed up services, 911 running on generators, dispatchers and emergency workers still reported in for duty. We all have families too. I think it truly is a miracle that we all we able to come together and get our city back in order.

If anything should be learned from this experience, it's something that we all usually forget. Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. A little patience and understanding goes a long way.

Thank you everyone for your help, understanding, and assistance this past week. (even the crooks and thieves. without you and the windstorm, I would otherwise, be jobless)

:)

-DJ

I forgot to mention two important groups that have been working above and beyond. That is our Brothers ans Sisters at metro Corrections and the members of the Ky army National Guard. They have been taking a big load off of us by directing traffic at intersections during the day so we can still anwer calls for service.

PS

Here again is another example of the quality of men and women who do the job of police officer in the city of Louisville. Working beyond saftey levels they do the job as well as can be done despite the fact they constantly get used and abused by their own mayor and commanding officers that they once worked side by side with. This mayor wants a big time city here in Louisville but he refuses to put a big time police dept here. By that I mean he refuses to put the amount of officers on the dept that it needs to safley handle situations like this past week. Don't forget every derby the city stretches thin the number of officers on the street to a dangerous level and that never seems to change. The big cities have the big numbered police departments. Hire more police Jerry! If you all dont do something about how this mayor is running the police dept one of these days it will come back to haunt you. Listen to these officers , they are posting these comments for a reason.

I have been making runs every night in areas with no power. I am happy that most everyone is coping with patience and resolve. There are a few people I would like to strangle though. I am getting tired of making runs because someone is complaining that they can hear their neighbors generator. Yes I work in the highlands and this is probably the only area where someone would be stupid enough to waste our valuable time on something so trivial. GET OVER IT! Just because you didn't have the foresight to buy a generator don't begrudge your neighbor for having one. Just because you were relying on the government to come to your aid and/or clean up your yard for you that you shuld be doing yourself, this doesn't make you the conscience of your neighborhood. Hell, even the big headed mayor agrees that there is nothing illegal about using generators and it does not fall under the noise ordinance because it isn't 'unreasonable".

Why don't you contact Congressman Yarmuth about your plight? I am sure he would be able to help you out since he has plenty of spare time. He has been conspicuosly absent thoughout this whold disaster. Maybe he is too busy plotting his smear campaign agains Northup or too busy signing foolish legislation.

Another stupid call for service we have been getting is the "My neighbor has an extension cord running across the street and I don't think it is safe." OMG! Does that mean that we shoud not use extension cords anymore because some brainless highlands liberal thinks they are unsafe or is it possiblly that you cannot fathom why your neighbor chose him over you? Could it possibly be that he too doesn't like brainless liberals?

Are things that bad here in Louisville though?

I remember when the tornado hit Pioneer Village in Bullitt County. They asked for volunteers to go patrol that area until the National Guard got there. I noticed there were two types of people: ones who had generators and ones who had candles. I made my mind up that I would never be one the "candle people". My point is, a 5000 watt generator costs about $500-600 dollars. I did not lose power this time, so I lent it to another officer who needed it. Everyone should do themselves a favor and get one. It is a one time expense and well worth it. It will run your fridge, sump pump and other stuff. With all the overtime we've made as a result of the storm, now is the time to do it. Also, if you are one of the people without power, you know how valuable this machine is. Thanks to everyone who stepped up and got everyone else through this.

What do the top ten cities with the highest poverty rate and crime rate all have in common?

1. Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;

2. Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;

3. Cincinnati, OH (3rd)...since 1984;

4. Cleveland, OH (4th)...since 1989;

5. Miami, FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

6. St. Louis, MO (6th)....since 1949;

7. El Paso, TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

8. Milwaukee, WI (8th)...since 1908;

9. Philadelphia, PA (9th)...since 1952;

10. Newark, NJ(10th)...since 1907.

Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats --- yet are still disadvantaged. Jerry Abramson wants us to be #1

I'll bet the lightbulb would get changed!

very nice site :)

Obviously Jerry Abramson was inside during the storm. With that big ole' noggin, it would have caught enough wind to blow him into Canada (a good place for him) like a hot air balloon.