Over the past few days, I read a story out of Atlanta that honestly hit home for me. The article titled “‘We gotta go’ Atlanta officers rush 9 year old shooting victim to hospital on their own,” tells the story of officers with the Atlanta Police Department who made a split second decision that saved a child’s life.
A 9 year old boy was shot while sleeping in his own home during a drive by shooting. When officers arrived, they found him bleeding heavily. He was fading in and out. They could have waited. They could have stood there and hoped EMS arrived in time.
Instead, one officer said the words that matter: “We gotta go.”
They placed that child in their patrol car and rushed him to Grady Memorial Hospital themselves. And because of that decision, that little boy survived.
Let that sink in.
A Reminder We Don’t Hear Enough
We live in a time where law enforcement is constantly under a microscope. And listen, accountability matters. It always will. But stories like this deserve just as much attention as the negative headlines.
As a firefighter, I can tell you this police officers and firefighters are not waking up looking to hurt anyone. We wake up ready to help. Ready to serve. Ready to step into chaos when everyone else is running away from it.
Major props to those officers. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t worry about policy debates in the moment. They saw a dying child and acted. That’s courage. That’s humanity. That’s public service at its best.
They literally saved a child’s life.
The Hard Conversation About EMS Overload
Now I want to shift this into a teaching moment.
One thing people don’t always see is how stretched our EMS system really is. Ambulances are not unlimited. Units get tied up. Crews get stacked on non emergent calls.
And yes, I’m going to say it plainly ….calling 911 for flu symptoms, minor aches, or issues that could be handled at urgent care or with a primary doctor clogs the system.
Every ambulance tied up on a non emergency is one less ambulance available for:
- A shooting victim
- A cardiac arrest
- A child shot…
What happens when that real emergency comes in and there isn’t an ambulance available?
That’s not a hypothetical question. That’s something we deal with right now
As a firefighter, I’ve thought about it. What if I’m first on scene on a fire truck with a critical patient and our ambulances are tied up transporting someone with mild flu symptoms? Do I load them in the fire truck? Do I wait and hope an ambulance clears in time?
These are real decisions. Real stress. Real consequences.
I can’t say for sure if ambulance availability played a role in the Atlanta situation. But I do know this when officers decided not to wait, they understood that seconds matter.
Because they do.
Think Before You Dial
I always tell people: think before you call 911.
Ask yourself:
- Is this a true emergency?
- Is someone’s life in danger?
- Or is this something I can handle responsibly as an adult?
911 is for emergencies. It’s not for convenience. It’s not for minor discomfort. It’s not because you don’t feel like waiting at urgent care.
When you misuse the system, you may be delaying help for someone who truly needs it.
Maybe even a 9 year old child fighting for his life down the street
Respect….
We see so much negativity about law enforcement and first responders. But moments like this are a reminder of who we are and why we serve.
Police officers. Firefighters. EMS crews.
We are there to help.
We are there when it’s messy.
We are there when it’s scary.
We are there when seconds mean everything.
To the officers in Atlanta…..thank you. You showed the country what service really looks like.
