Heart attacks and Foreclosures

I was paged for a medical run today for a full arrest. When I pulled the rig up to the scene the Sheriff deputies were there throwing a family of four on the street because the bank foreclosed. Two little girls about 4 and 7 years a husband and wife.

The husband was on his back in the driveway dead from a heart attack. He did not have a shockable heart rhythm and the only thing I could do was chest compressions. As the family looked on in horror I could feel and hear a few ribs breaking as I was compressing. This happens quite often. The cracking was loud enough for the family to hear it. We loaded him in the rig and I pumped on him until we rolled him into the E.R.

He could not be saved, he was young and when that happens at a young age from stress you die. The home was extremely modest about 700 square feet worth maybe $40K.

I used to be a loan officer for a mortgage lender before I became a Firefighter. This crap about it being the peoples fault is a lie. Full stop lie. Almost every loan I approved that came over my desk was for an adjustable arm that started out at a 6-8% interest rate. These folks always had to prove an income and good job history. They were told that in two years because of the home loan they would have improved there credit score and get a prime fixed rate. The loan fit the budget and nearly every one of them made those payments on time and had no problem with the original payment.

Then the arm would expire and a home loan in just two years does not improve most peoples credit to the point that they can get that fixed rate of 5-6%.

You have all been given just examples by the media of people with exotic mortgages and getting homes that are way past there means. Those loans were and are rare and only a very minuscule percentage of these foreclosures are because of this rare type of loan. You have been fed this lie so you do not have empathy for your fellow human when your neighbors are being foreclosed. This is to keep you from doing something about it.

The banking system has crashed the world economy and is ruining families lives. They are your enemy not your neighbors. They created this hell we find ourselves in and could have given these folks a decent interest rate after they proved themselves by making years of on time payments at there original rate a prime borrower would have past up.

This man lost his life today in front of his little girls while I broke his ribs for nothing. If we keep doing nothing to help each other we will all rot in this hell the banks have created.

The time is now. Revolution is near.

Thank you, LGM

P.S. We are human beings not some dog eat dog animals.





[edit on 20-2-2009 by LoneGunMan]

Excellent post.
Thank you - for posting - and for doing the work that you do.
You are correct - our neighbors are not the enemies.
This is THE most important lesson for us to get at this time on the planet.

Star & flag for you LGM. I've spent a good portion of yesterday and today responding to asshat threads about how it's all the 'freeloading' homeowners fault. They shouldn' have bought a house in the first place (even though they did over 10yrs ago). What a crock.

When things get tough --- and man they are getting tough to a truly unprecedented degree --- people are always looking for someone to blame. I've always taught my kids that people try to get ahead one of two ways: they either work especially hard to come out on top or they expend their energy to tear everyone around them down below their level.

The true level of human suffering heaped upon people by the malfeasance of Wall Street and unscrupulous investment companies and the government's derriliction of their fiduciary responsibilities will never be known. You see the life-ending heart attacks and suicides. But what of the longterm health consequences of stress, increased substance abuse, depression, spousal abuse, fractured families? The toll of this catastrophe is going to be far greater than any of the armchair web pontificators can imagine.

Thankyou for what you do. Stay safe and above all stay sane.

First, thank you for your service.

I can only imagine how heart breaking it is sometimes.

People don't realize that by helping your neighbors, you help yourselves. If youd don't want to be lumped wth the animals, you help where you can. That is what seperates us.

But even in the animal kingdom they will help each other.

people lose their jobs, people have mental illnesses. People become widows, they become single parents when someoen takes off. Nothing in life is sure.


My line of work has people complaining about their neighbors all the time. My favorite is when they complain about a neighbor not cutting their grass. When I talk to the homeowner, it is a 90 year old widow.
Really, how selfish can you be?

Get some exercise and cut her grass for her.

The first question I always ask when someone calls to rat their neighbor out is: Did you try talking to them about it?

I get stammers and hmmming and hawing and then a no.

Funny how about a day or two later, they call to retract their complaint, and they went to talk to their neighbor, who gladly remedied the situation. They call certainly sounding like they have eaten humble pie.

Good heavens my heart breaks for that poor mother.

[edit on 20-2-2009 by nixie_nox]

Originally posted by jtma508
above all stay sane.

I wish I knew how...

I may quit the fire service its just getting to me. Move to an island with an angel? *dreams*

I have such love for people but its gonna kill me. I want to go to D.C. right now swinging my fireman's axe. Damn them.

No need to thank me but I will say you are welcome.

reply to post by LoneGunMan


Don't do that lone. you CARE. While that care hurts, it is better then some of the macho cowboys that don't care that join the fire service. No insult to the folks who work hard but I do know plenty of firefighters and police officers, and I wonder why some even bother. They can be downright scarey.
I still can clearly remember some of the former MP friends of mine who became DC cops who were bragging about the best way to slam someone's face on the hood of their car.


I would much rather have a person that has feelings, that cares about me and family. Then someone who acts like I am just a gory story on the day on the job.


There would be a person who didn't care enough to carry on the news of that poor family. I think you should tip off the newspapers so there is a chance they can get support.

[edit on 20-2-2009 by nixie_nox]

reply to post by nixie_nox


Sounds like you work for central dispatch somewhere.

I wont quit.

Thanks.

Stuff happens. Part of my program works with the food inspectors, the number of people closing businesses is a record high. Our food program has never been so busy with closures. But openings as well. People trying to start little catering companies so they can make extra money on the side. The news calls us all the time wanting statistics, but we won't give it.

The situation is getting desperate. People need to realize a lot of situations are out of people's hands.

We are screwed becasue we tried to do the right thing. Put my husband through school, he is a mechanic. Had to make another 50k dollar investment in tools. The moment he gets off training, WHAM, the economy hits. He gets a car a day. So we have school loans, tool loans, and he makes about 40 hours every paycheck.

And I can't find a full time job, I am only working part right now.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Heartbreaking. I am sorry.

May God help us find the answers.

Kicking families out in the cold is not it.

I know violence is not the answer only awareness.

reply to post by LoneGunMan



I actually work for the health department. So I get to see a little of everything. Is an interesting perspective.

LGM I was a loan officer too- and I agree with you on the ARM situation. I now do "Loan Modifications", and I am helping a lot of people stay in their homes, cut their interest rates and payments, and lock in a low fixed rate. And we can do it without regards to credit history, late pymts., or property value.

This is a very sad and unfortunate situation. But there are options. One side note though, if the client has no source of permanent income, no loan mod.

The banks get way too lenient during the early 00's- and we are all to blame. Loan Officers, BAnks, Lenders, and yes, the clients themselves.

Hope his family makes it.

reply to post by MajesticJax


A lot of intelligent people have been duped into believing it was all the little guys fault. They assume the little guy just over-extended themselves.

I wish we could make everyone understand what has happened.

reply to post by LoneGunMan


I'm just sad about this. Whilst i believe here in the UK that many people were stupid with their mortgages it is also obvious that banks preyed upon others. They offered seductive rates to many and hiked them afterwards. Not everyone was irresponsible and this situation you saw today is a small part of a much bigger picture.

I hope his girls get over it, but i don't think you could ever forget your father dying in such a way. It's bad enough when someone is old but when they're young the shock factor is worse.

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984


It sure is funny this thread died so quickly.

The kids will never get over what they witnessed as long as they live.

Originally posted by LoneGunMan
reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984

 

It sure is funny this thread died so quickly.

Not sure what you mean. I think many people viewed the thread they don't always post something.

Originally posted by LoneGunMan
The kids will never get over what they witnessed as long as they live.

I agree, i just hope that it doesn't wreck their lives. Your father dying is bad but in those circumstances the trauma must be awful.