Has it been a decade? How time flies.
Last week, during a self-imposed pause in the day-to-day, businesses and groups came together to say thank you to the first responders in the area.
“This is our 10th year, and it’s grown from just serving burgers and hot dogs to the local police to encompassing the whole county and all seven counties,” said John Bishop, CEO of Emergency Ambulance Service Inc., one of the sponsors.
This year, some 175 life-savers showed up to have lunch and get a pat on the back.
“It’s just a simple way to get us all together in a non-stressful situation,” Bishop said. “Most of the time, we’re working on some kind of public safety issue or medical call. So this is just a laid-back way to get everybody together and just enjoy a good plate of food.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Other entities making the lunch happen were Foster Towing and Recovery and Midtown Auto and Tire, and also Helping Hands volunteers who dished up the food.
The impact of the luncheon was apparent on the faces of those being honored.
“Anytime anyone shows appreciation, it is a morale boost,” said Ernest Jones, interim fire chief for Pine Bluff. “You know, a lot of times we work late at night and when people have … one of the worst times of their lives, it’s really not the right time to show appreciation, but at times like this, it makes guys feel appreciated. Every opportunity we get to show appreciation, and for an organization like EASI to show appreciation, it helps us to work better together and provide those services for the citizens of Pine Bluff.”
Most people don’t interact with first responders very often, and that is a good place to be, but that also means it’s easy to forget how vital these brave individuals are to us as individuals and to a functioning community. These luncheons point up all of that. And even though we can’t all attend such events and applaud these folks, it wouldn’t hurt to show them a little love with a wave or thumbs up when you see them out on the streets and roadways. Every one of us needs some encouragement from time to time.