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Dear Brothers and Sisters:
10-13
How many times have we heard this call while ON THE JOB?
How many times had you been sitting in your radio car eating your lunch or drinking a cup of coffee when 10-13 was sent over the airwaves?
How well I remember. Out the window went the coffee the sandwiches or whatever else we had in our hands or on our laps and the only thought in our mind was to get to the scene and get there fast
10-13; OFFICER NEEDS ASSISTANCE. Officer down. Officer needs backup, Officer needs help. At that moment it was the only thing that traveled though our minds. The siren went on, the lights were flashing and we rushed off to get to the scene. One of our own needed us.
So here we are today in our retirement years with most of us in our golden years. We now join 10-13 clubs and other retiree organizations. Why?
Police Officers by nature alone seek each other out; we are comfortable being in each others company. We love talking about the past, cases that we caught, cases that we solved. We talk about the good times and the not so good times, the bad details and the good ones. We talk about our past partners, and how we relied on each other watching our backs and how that friendship and camaraderie lasted throughout the years. We talk about our departed brothers and how we would have like for them to be with us this day enjoying each other just meeting and talking. This is the Retirees 10-13. This is why we have been called The Finest.
Besides Police Officers we have other brothers also. They are called The Bravest. These brothers are The Firefighters.
The media keeps reporting of conflicts in New York between Police and Fire personnel, and we here in Florida wonder why? There is NO CONFLICT in Broward County. The respect we have for each other goes beyond camaraderie. We not only appear at each others retiree meetings but the leaders of these retiree organization have joined together to be inaugurated and installed as new officers each year at our Dinner and Dance functions.
For years we have know and stated that both Police and Fire personnel share a common bond. While we leave our blood on the streets and sidewalks of New York City, the Firefighters leave it in the burning building and rotten tenements. We have compassion for each other and our grief is the same when anyone of us falls in the field.
This is the true meaning of 10-13 and it is why our organization has grown and survived these many years. To all you new retirees and those of you who soon become one, we say that there are 10-13 clubs though out the country just waiting for you to join and become a member. On one of our links you will find the names and locations of the clubs, their addresses and contact person. Take time out to make that call. being a member of a 10-13 club gives meaning to the job we did when we were active and on the job, and it also gives meaning to our retirement. They say that soldiers just fade away, but I know that a 10-13er is never forgotten.