Quote:
Originally Posted by TraceyMooreRN
If someone was in cardiac arrest--do you know how many people it actually takes to save that life? I can tell you first hand--a group! More than the 2 on the EMS truck. So- if there is a code, be thankful someone other than the 2 person EMS truck arrived. Even after that, the fire truck usually follows to the hospital--since more staff is required on the ambulance.
Lifting power? Try picking up an unresponsive 300 pound patient with two people?
Security--drama in the house. Two people assisting victim-another gathering information and helping calm down the family or control the scene. When a loved one is in distress, people get emotional. Sometimes more often than less interfere with the initial response efforts of EMS due to grief/anxiety/stress.
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Great Post Tracey.....you said it well. As a career firefighter/Medic/Instructor, I have been on literally thousands of EMS calls....for all of the reasons Tracey stated. It takes two people to do CPR, someone to spike the bag, someone to push the Epi, etc, someone to get the meds the person takes together, someone to Intubate, someone to record everything done, etc on the PCR, someone to move furniture, bring in the guerney, help load the HUGE patient, someone to calm down the hysterical family, etc,etc.
In a 55+ community, I would think folks would consider good fire/EMS one of the most important factors in living here. Statistically, you WILL need all of the above in the future, probably more then once. Thank GOD we have them...they are never paid enough or appreciated enough.
It was a great career....I loved my work. Sometimes I earned my whole pay in 5 minutes. No two days were the same and I know I made a difference in many lives.
We had a politician once who wanted to cut our Fire Department and called us "parasites living off of the taxpayer." She went into cardiac arrest one night at a council meeting. We got there in under 2 minutes, performed Advanced life support, and she lived to continue her quest to cut our jobs.......oh well. I made it to retirement, moved to Florida and now I get to see many of you good folks. Life is good, and whenever I see a FF or a Medic, I thank them for their service.
Oh...we should also thank the RN's and ER folks...they put up with a lot also.
Respectfully, Frank D.