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.

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.

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 back of their thighs today, and their hands will be slightly clenched from bagging for so long. They seem to have learned a great deal, and our three students in that class seem to be at least in the upper third with skills and knowledge.

More photos at this link.

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 to the people around me, including the ones I don’t know.

I see people devote hours each week to other volunteer jobs, Scouting, childrens’ sports, candystripers. That’s super. God bless you all. But, don’t you ever feel the urge to stand between your loved ones and evil? One day, out of the blue, evil comes to call. Some folks run forward, towards the danger. Others don’t.

It doesn’t take much to be a volunteer firefighter or EMT. Some training time, some on-duty time, and a willingness to help, no matter what. All it takes is a step forward.

Evil is towers crashing down. But evil is also what scares your grandmother on her last ride to the hospital, or your brother as he sits in his wrecked, smoking car. Evil is fear, and shame, and pain and I face that on every call. The 100 year old nun, the molested four year old girl, the alcoholic, the woman giving birth… I’m there so that you don’t have to face evil alone. There’s someone to stand between you and evil, with you in your crisis.

Sometimes all I can do is hold your hand, or whisper a prayer. I can stop the bleeding. I can start a stilled heart. I can be your witness as God calls you home.

So I sit here, waiting for a call. Waiting for another volunteer to take one step forward.

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