America's North Shore Journal » East Rochester Ambulance
EMS Yesterday
Busted my hump yesterday. Four calls, three transports. Yeah, yeah… I know. You guys from the big cities laugh. Our tranports take 20 minutes. An average BLS call is an hour and a half. If the paragods come to play, all bets are off. Latest bit of EMS wisdom I’ve learned. If a guy thinks what is on his toilet paper is important, he probably doesn’t need ALS. … Read entire article »
Filed under: East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
EMS in ER
Four calls today. One sad one illustrative of the need for more people who care for the left out in our society. I’m beat. Bedtime. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Blogging, East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
EMS Training
I was asked by our Corps’s training director if I could assist at one of the state EMT training classes last night. Two of us took one of our ambulances over to Penfield’s base where we drove as the class of soon-to-be EMT’s practiced mobile CPR. Penfield, Brighton and West Webster also provided ambulances. The instructors created scenarios and put the students to work in four groups. All we had to do was drive around a bit and kibbitz while the students did their thing. Mobile CPR is tough. It’s far more taxing to try to keep your balance in a moving and swaying ambulance and do good CPR than many imagine. These “kids” did four scenarios, which translates into a lot of CPR. From experience, they’ll feel the burn in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
One Step Forward
From November 30, 2002 I’m sitting at the ambulance base, waiting, as I usually do, for a call. Once again, I’m only half a crew. There is no one available to join me to make a full crew. I’ve done this sort of thing for a decade now, first as a volunteer firefighter, and for the last seven years as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician. I’ve seen volunteers become fewer and fewer, and those who come in new often leave just as quickly. Volunteer means that you choose to do it. Nobody makes you. It’s a choice. I can’t imagine not volunteering to be a firefighter or EMT, perhaps it’s an inborn urge to throw myself on the bomb. Duty, I suppose, the old fashioned kind that says that I have a responsibility … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, East Rochester Ambulance, EMS, Original writing
We Buried Randy Today
Updated with the pics from the procession to the cemetary. That’s what faced us this morning as the Ambulance Corps and Randy’s family gathered for the service and burial. Family and friends overflowed the space at the funeral home. About 150 people joined us. We had about 20 of our members. Police and fire fighters, folks from Pittsford, Perinton and Penfield’s ambulance, the SEQ paramedics. The procession was very long, easily 50 vehicles. Our members were the pallbearers. We also provided our meeting room for the reception after the graveside service. Prior posts: EMS DEATH AN ORDINARY JOE, HERO HUMAN FRAILITY … Read entire article »
Filed under: East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
Human Fraility
Tomorrow I’ll be helping to wake a pal, Randy Blair. He was four years younger than I when he died, yet I have to wonder if he had done more good in his life. His tribute is here. The Ambulance Corps is going to do right by Randy. Whatever the family wants. He’s being buried in his uniform. We’re providing an honour guard and some pallbearers. We may even be transporting the casket in an ambulance. Many of us are urging the Board to recognize the exceptional effort Randy put in with the construction of the new office space at our base with a plaque. I’ve personally urged the people working with the family to apply for line-of-duty death benefits from both the federal and state governments. Randy took far more calls … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, East Rochester Ambulance, EMS, Original writing
An Ordinary Joe, Hero
I wasn’t Randy’s best friend. I just knew him from the Ambulance Corps. He joined in the last couple of years, after Karen had been in a while. Randy always had a smile and a joke. He was the kind of guy who did things, didn’t ask, just sized up the situation and steped in. We’ve added some new office space and Randy was largely responsible for that work getting done. He became a driver first, then took the EMT class. That’s when his light really began to shine. He took calls, calls at all times of the day or night. He worked in the Village this summer and his boss let him out for serious calls. And he took them. Sometimes he was a First Responder, until the mutual aid ambulance arrived. … Read entire article »
Filed under: East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
Shocking News
Just got word that a real good guy, member of our ambulance corps, had a heart attack last night. We had a crew, he coded, they used the defib three times and he came back. He’s at the level one trauma center in guarded condition. Prayers, please, for him and his family. … Read entire article »
Filed under: East Rochester Ambulance, EMS
Coming Soon: Future Posts
- Declaration of War 1812 (in 129 days)
- USS President vs HMS Belvidera (in 134 days)
- General Hull Invades Canada (in 153 days)
- First Battle of Sacketts Harbor (in 160 days)
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- Fuel Convoy Reaches Nome
- Russians Sail to Rescue of Ice Bound Alaska Community
- Pope Embraces Anglicans in U.S. with New Ordinariate
- Nebraska Nuke Plant Placed on Special Inspection Status
- Radioactive Water Leaks at Japanese Nuke Site
- Japan Damaged Nuke Plants Still Not Under Control
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EMS Days
July 30th, 2006 | Comments Off
Twelve hours today at the ambulance, with three calls. The heat was tough, but not the worst I’ve been in. FYI, when a patient says to you “I’m at extreme danger to hurt myself or other people.” take him seriously. Never take that same patient’s boots off. Footpowder, dispersal, surprise. I’m just saying. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, East Rochester Ambulance, EMS, Original writing