We often see devastating disasters, car wrecks, water rescues, and shootings on TV... but in real life, the emotional weight behind it is entirely different. For firefighters, talking about what they see on the job isn't their favorite topic.
It's a tragedy that made national headlines in Spokane County: four students shot and one of them killed at Freeman High School. It hit too close for home, even for firefighters.
"Some of our state troopers, they have kids that go to school here," said Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer.
But watching the coverage, you may have missed what was said by Spokane's fire chief in that moment.
"That's a lot to take from a first responder perspective."
It's not just Freeman; there are a number of traumatic events - as many as two a day, according to the chief. And in bigger cities, that rate of horrific calls is even more frequent.