11 years ago right around this time, I was spending every free moment that I had studying for my Paramedic Class Final. It had been 11 long months of work, where I had sacrificed time away from family and friends to help achieve a dream that I had: to be a Paramedic. That 250 question final was staring me straight in the face, and after that, it would be off to my Clinical and Field time. I had learned a lot in those 11 months, and had also learned a lot in my 4 and a half years that I had been an EMT prior to that. There were still plenty of lessons that were waiting for me on the road ahead throughout my career. If someone was to ask me what I thought some of the most important qualities that a Paramedic should have, some buzzwords that come to mind are “caring,” “compassionate,” “clinically competent,” and “hard working.” That would be my politically correct answer though. There are some other qualities that lie under the surface that are rarely discussed with the public that people should know about and be ready for if they choose to make EMS their career: Strong stomach — During your career, you will see and smell things that no person should ever have to. When you encounter them, you will be expected to keep a straight face, stay calm, and act like it doesn’t bother you one bit. Able to work independently — There will be times when that other truck, or even your partner might not be near by. You may have to work a cardiac arrest by yourself. You could pick up the radio and ask for another truck and hear those terrifying words: “No units available.” Above all else, be ready for as much as you can with little to no help. Innovative — In EMT and Paramedic class, you will learn about algorithms and what to do for a patient quiet often in the best case scenario, but remember what Murphy’s Law teaches us: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” You need to be able to think outside the box and adjust...

It’s Thanksgiving. The fire is burning in the fire place, football is on the TV and the bird is in the oven. I’m in New Jersey with my family, and all is well. The way would not be complete without talking about and recognizing the people and things that I’m thankful for. My Family — As some of you may know, I’m an only child. Shocking, right? As a result, I am extremely close with my parents. Over the years, they’ve helped me become the person that I am, taught me to be the best EMT and Paramedic that I can be, and they have supported me through every decision I’ve made in my life, good or bad. Joe and Amy Francis — Joe was my roommate in college for three years, and I have considered him my best friend ever since. He’s helped me through many, many crises in my life, and shared some of my best memories. Three years ago, he and his wife Amy brought into the world their son Thomas. They were the first in our group of friends to have a kid, and he was, as a result, adopted by all of us. I don’t know where I’d be without Joe and his family. Emily — A few of you have met her. She’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met and she doesn’t realize it. Although she might not be at her best right now, I am proud of her, and will always stand by her no matter what. There are few people that I care about more than her. Natalie — We’ve both been through some tough times over the last couple of months, and frankly, I couldn’t imagine dealing with any of it without her friendship. She always brings a smile to my face, and always knows the right thing to say. She’s a strong, beautiful woman with a huge heart. I’m proud to call her my friend. Ted, Justin, Mark and the whole Chronicles of EMS Team — Never in my life would I have expected to be part of a community lead by a group as strong and amazing as these guys. They’ve...

During our careers, we all make mistakes. We’re human. It happens. What really matters is what you do with the lessons that you learn. The only thing that is more difficult than accepting that you made a mistake is admitting that you made one, so I thought I would share one here. I started out my EMS career working the weekend overnights. Every Friday and Saturday night, I spent my time flying around the city while everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. Well, thankfully, I was enjoying myself too. I looked forward to going in every night. I had a great partner, and a great group of coworkers who I became very close with. Everyone had everyone else’s back, and as afar as an EMS environment goes, it was exactly how I hoped it would be. Every Saturday morning, the core of the group (about 6 or 8 of us) would head out for breakfast and drinks together at our local watering hole. We’d swap stories and talk about the experiences we had the night before, and then head to bed to ready ourselves for the Saturday night that was ahead of us. Occasionally, we would repeat this ritual on Sunday mornings. Sadly, our usual spot was closed on Sundays, so we would randomly pick another breakfast nook somewhere in the city. The Saturday night before the morning in question was a particularly busy one. We hadn’t seen much of each other, so a little quality time with the group was welcomed by all of us. As we sat waiting for our breakfast, the topic of conversation turned to two patients that we had encountered the night before. One had called us three times, the other twice. This was not an uncommon occurrence for either of these individuals. The three time caller, we’ll call him Fred, was our most notorious of frequent fliers. He was a lonely alcoholic who would take trips to the ER just to have someone to spend time with. On this night though, the ER didn’t want anything to do with him, so each hospital discharged him quickly, put him in a cab, and sent him home. The other...

Think back through your EMS career, whether it is a long one or short one. How many times have you been dispatched to this call: “Unconscious in a vehicle” or “Person slumped over the wheel?” I know in my ten years a paramedic, that’s happened more than a few times. Today, however, those calls carry a great risk that could injure you, your partner, other responders, or the unsuspecting public. Back in 2008, Japan saw an increase in their suicide rate due to something called Hydrogen Sulfide poisoning. The person would mix household chemicals together into a potent combination that with just a few breaths can render someone unconscious, and put them into Respiratory Arrest. This also poses a risk to rescuers and bystanders, because often, these suicides take place in confined spaces, which does not allow the gas to dissipate. When access is gained to the potential patient by rescuers, they could also be overcome by the fumes. In the spirit of Scene Safety, what should you be looking for as warning signs? 1. The Dispatch — As previously mentioned, these suicides often take place in confined spaces, such as a bathroom or closet. Most often though, it is encountered in motor vehicles. 2. Warning “signs” — Thanks to the Internet, information on Hydrogen Sulfide poisoning is easily accessible. Many of the sites that advocate for this form of suicide also share the risks to those around them. Quite often, the suicidal party will place signs around where they are to warn potential rescuers of the risks presented before them. They will often say “Warning: hazardous gas” or “Do not open, HAZMAT team required.” 3. Rotten egg smell — Quite often, there is a detectable rotten egg or sulfur smell present, although if the patient is inside a car, you might not be able to smell it. 4. Presence of chemicals/mixtures — Take a good look inside the car before you open the door. Is there a bucket on the passenger seat? Are there any bottles visible in the car? If so, take a big step back, and wait for more help. Hydrogen Sulfide is created by mixing a Strong Acid source with...

Battle On Over Emergency Response Vs. Emergency Caution – Jackson News Story – WAPT Jackson Jackson, Mississippi is back in the news, and Councilman Kenneth Stokes is at it again. Take a look at the video that I linked above, and reread my previous post on this issue. Why doesn’t Kenneth Stokes see what the problem here really is? Its not faster ambulance response, its a larger police presence. The question at hand is should an ambulance respond into a potentially dangerous scene until it has been secured by the police department? My training and my gut both tell me NO. Kenneth Stokes recommends bullet proof vests for AMR’s staff, but a vest isn’t a magical suit of armor that will keep you safe. The right angle to take of all of this is to promote safety at the scene. Bulk up Jackson’s police force. If the city is that unsafe that this has become so much of a problem, make it safer. Expecting AMR’s Ambulance staff to do some of the police’s work for them is unfair, and it puts more people at risk. But, remember, that would cost tax dollars. Its much cheaper to drag the Ambulance Company through the mud, encouraging them to drive into potential “war zones” and put themselves in the line of potential danger. I looked up some information about Jackson, Mississippi. It ranks 4th in the nation for homicide rates per 100,000 residents behind Baltimore, St Louis and New Orleans. In 2009, it was ranked as the 23rd most dangerous city in the United States. If anything should scream for a larger police department, that should. It doesn’t give Jackson the portrait of being a safe city, or a safe place for EMTs and Paramedics to work. What Councilman Stokes is doing is making it more dangerous for the Paramedics and EMTs in Jackson, Mississippi. He’s setting them up so that each time they walk into a scene after the police department, the perception could be “What took you so long?” Every time a truck is posting in a parking lot, or waiting for police to arrive at the scene, it will spark the question of “What...