#SB STRONG

It seems like an eternity, but the terrorist attack in San Bernardino was five years ago today.

I always say that you never know what to expect day to day when you work in news, and this day was certainly never expected, and more importantly will never be forgotten.

Covering a story, I never felt as helpless and vulnerable as I did that day. We had sent our nearest reporter to check out some rumors of a shooting but not truly believing what we had heard. Alle was covering a fun story nearby in Redlands.

Often in a newsroom you hear things that end up being a training exercise, drill or just a plain old misunderstanding.

Once we realized that this was the real deal, and we had just sent a reporter alone into it, I grabbed what gear I could and drove out to meet her. Getting to the scene was a frustrating experience. All the roads were closed and no one wanted to let me through. I tried three different ways to get in, finally abandoning my car and walking in. Even then I was stuck on one side of the street while Alle was on the other.

Eventually I made it through to her and we spent the rest of the 14 hour day in a dirt field, with no food or supplies. This was a wake up call to be better prepared for the unexpected in the future.

Later that night Alle and I found the only restaurant open for miles and had some thai noodles. We were the only ones there and so grateful for the owners staying open and serving us. After the day we had it was one of the best meals ever.

While standing in that field, surrounded by media from all around the world, I felt so helpless. I worried for my family, and for my coworkers. For most of the day the shooters were still at large, and we did not know where they were going to attack next or even if they would return to the scene.

The loss of life and coldness of the attack was unbelievable. Not until I heard President Obama refer to it as a terrorist attack did I believe what I was witnessing.

After covering the event for the rest of the week, I did something I had never done before. I brought my girls by on one of the mornings and showed them the scene and then took our crew out to breakfast.

This was a moment that I realized that as Journalists sometimes we need to step back, understand how a story is impacting us and take the time to decompress.

I will never forget San Bernardino #SB STRONG.