My Life, The Emt Wife

I'm back after a break

2015-03-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

I stopped writing in this blog over a year ago because it just seemed like no one was reading it. A recent comment on one of my posts made me realize that it is still being read and so I decided to get back into writing more posts.

Since my last post some changes have been made at home. The first was that we bought our first house, which was another reason I had taken a break from writing. At the time I quit writing we were looking at houses and I just didn't have the time. Then in March we closed on the house! The second was that Double D was injured on the job again by a combative patient that both him and his partner ended up off work for a few months. Double D injured the same arm that he had injured a couple years ago. After he returned to work, (after the Doctors said he was ok to return) He still was not at 100% and felt that he could not do his job as an EMT safely. So in September he walked away from his position as an EMT for a little bit and is a delivery driver now. He isn't done with EMS but needed to take a break from it to let his body heal. He really misses the job and wants so much to get back but for now, he needs to get healthy.

That's all for this post, I will try to keep up with it more now that I know more people are reading it! If you follow my Facebook page, which I gained over 100 new likes since the article mentioning my blog was published, please feel free to comment on any topics you would like to see me discuss on here.

Thanks!!

Black Friday

2013-11-27T23:25:00.001-05:00

So as the most hectic shopping day of the year, Black Friday, approaches, you hear so many people upset that the stores are going to be open earlier this year, opening on Thanksgiving. And that the stores should not be open because .....Thanksgiving should be family time......

This make me SO mad!!!! Whenever I hear this, I make sure to speak my mind!

Obviously the people that make that comment aren't thinking of the people like my Husband and many others in EMS that are working, whether volunteer or paid, because people do stupid things and have emergencies.

Thanksgiving holiday means extra safety hazards for adults

I keep hearing the phrase " Thanksgiving should be about spending time with your family ". Yes, I agree BUT in the same note, that shouldn't be the excuse people are using to explain why they don't want to work on Thanksgiving for retail.

That's been the biggest subject this year, because a lot of the stores are opening on Thanksgiving for their Black Friday sales. I'm sorry if I don't have a little bit more sympathy for those griping but if you work in retail, a business that looks forward to the Thanksgiving/Christmas season because they know their sales will be up and they can make more money, then you should expect it. Just like as much as Double D hates working on Thanksgiving this year, he knows that's a con of working EMS. Because EMS doesn't close.

One of the things thrown out there is that the stores don't need to be open, that the companies are just being greedy. Well, if your business was there to make money, by selling items, and you had a big chance to do it, wouldn't you be right there with them? Maybe if you were a small company that is super family oriented, you wouldn't but then most of the big companies that we all know and shop at, aren't that family oriented.

You don't hear Police, Fire, EMS throwing a fit because they have to work on the holiday, they know that as part of doing their job, it is possible to work on the holiday. They have learned it is a possibility, but know they also have a job to do either way. If they do complain, its usually just to their family or friends and rarely gets any public notice.

In the city here, there was actually a group that was protesting working on Thanksgiving! When I saw that, I thought to myself, maybe next year I should start a protest with other EMS families for ALL EMS companies to be closed. Then when someone would dial 911 they can get a recording that says " We're sorry but in observance of the Holiday, and so all our Police, Fire and EMS employees can spend time with their families, all Emergency services are closed. Please transport yourself to the hospital, protect your own property, and put out your own fires. Thank you and have a Great Thanksgiving."

People seem to forget the ones that don't get to spend time with their family at the holidays. The ones that are out there taking care of their family should the need arise. Whether it be because of a heart attack, a stroke, a family fight in which punches are thrown, or someone throwing a frozen turkey in a turkey fryer and catching the house on fire (yes, Double D has seen that one too when he was a vol FF).

So many people forget that EMS, nurses, Doctors, etc have families too and would like to spend time with them on the holidays just as much as everyone else, but as this quote says.....

"Missing their family while taking care of yours"

EMS Week 2013 May 19 - 25 - The Star of Life - Part 2

2013-05-22T21:05:00.002-04:00

Just as physicians have the caduceus, Emergency Medical Service personnel have the Star of Life.

Originally, many ambulances used a safety orange cross on a square background of reflective white to designate them as emergency units. But then the American National Red Cross complained that it was too close to their symbol that's when the Star of Life was created.

The Star of Life was designed by Leo R. Schwartz, Chief of the EMS Branch of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Each of the bars of the blue Star of Life represents the six system functions of emergency medical services.

The six branches of the star are symbols of the six main tasks executed by rescuers all through the emergency chain:

1.) Detection: The first rescuers on the scene, usually untrained civilians or those involved in the incident, observe the scene, understand the problem, identify the dangers to themselves and the others, and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety on the scene (environmental, electricity, chemicals, radiation, etc.).

2.) Reporting: The call for professional help is made and dispatch is connected with the victims, providing emergency medical dispatch.

3.) Response: The first rescuers provide first aid and immediate care to the extent of their capabilities.

4.) On scene care: The EMS personnel arrive and provide immediate care to the extent of their capabilities on-scene.

5.) Care in Transit: The EMS personnel proceed to transfer the patient to a hospital via an ambulance or helicopter for specialized care. They provide medical care during the transportation.

6.) Transfer to Definitive care: Appropriate specialized care is provided at the hospital.

The snake emblem is the Rod of Asclepius, widely used as the symbol of medical care worldwide. There are several theories as to its development, and it is named for the Greek mythology figure Asclepius, who was said to have possessed healing power.

References: Wikipedia, emsworld.com

EMS Week 2013 May 19 - 25 - History of EMS part 1

2013-05-22T02:05:00.001-04:00

This year's theme is "One Mission, One Team"

Once again, the week has arrived to honor and thank our EMS. (Even though that should be everyday!)

This year I am going to reflect on the History of EMS

Let's start with the first Ambulance.

The first record of ambulances being used for emergency purposes was the use by Queen Isabella of Spain, in 1487. The Spanish army of the time was treated extremely well and attracted volunteers from across the continent, and part of this was the first military hospitals or 'ambulancias', although injured soldiers were not picked up for treatment until after the cessation of the battle, resulting in many dying on the field

The term ambulance comes from the Latin word 'ambulare', meaning to walk or move about which is a reference to early medical care where patients were moved by lifting or wheeling.

The First Municipal Ambulance which started in Bellevue, NY.

June 30, 1869 The Nations first Municipal ambulance service was inaugurated.

The only warning device was a bell operated by a foot pedal on the floorboard of the ambulance. A single horse pulled the ambulance. A box underneath the driver's seat contained a quart flask of brandy, two tourniquets, a half-dozen bandages, a half-dozen small sponges, some splint material, pieces of old blankets for padding, strips of various lengths with buckles, and a two-ounce vial of persulphate of iron. Far cry from what they have now!!

The service was very popular and grew rapidly, with the year 1870 seeing the ambulances attend 1401 emergency calls, but twenty one years later, this had more than tripled to 4392.

The first motor powered ambulance was brought in to service in the last year of the 19th century, with the Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, taking delivery of the first automobile ambulance, donated by 500 prominent local businessmen, in February 1899 it only reached a speed of 16 mph!

Ambulance circa 1899

blog.hemmings.com

During World War One, the Red Cross brought in the first widespread battlefield motor ambulances to replace horse drawn vehicles, which was such a success, the horse drawn variants were quickly phased out.

During World War One, aviation moved from experimentation to a powerful military force, and following the war, with a surplus of aircraft in circulation, new uses were found for the aircraft. This included the conversion of planes throughout the world in to ambulance planes.

During the Korean War, the newly created United States Air Force created a number of air ambulance units for use in forward operating medical units, using helicopters for rapid evacuation of patients.

The H-13 Sioux helicopter, made famous by the film and television versions of M*A*S*H, transported 18,000 wounded soldiers during the conflict.

After a multiple train collision in London, ambulances in Britain were restructured to be a "mobile hospital", rather than just transporting patients, thus leading to modern ambulances.

Well-developed studies demonstrated the need for overhauling ambulance services. These studies placed pressure on governments to improve emergency care in general, including the care provided by ambulance services. Part of the result was the creation of standards in ambulance construction concerning the internal height of the patient care area (to allow for an attendant to continue to care for the patient during transport), and in the equipment (and thus weight) that an ambulance had to carry.

Few, or perhaps none of the then-available ambulances could meet these standards.

Ambulance design therefore underwent major changes in the 1970s.

High-topped car-based ambulances were developed, but car chassis proved unable to accept the weight and other demands of the new standards

The "Bread Box" Ambulances were used from the late 1960's to late 1970's. Because of their resemblance to the bread delivery trucks of the 50's- the nickname stuck.

Built by Olson Truck Body, these bare bones ambulances featured a single wood cabinet for supplies, and a one level Ferno cot which rarely was removed from the ambulance in favor of the Poles and Pads stretcher. The Ambulance Technician could only sit on the crew bench, but frequently stood in the passenger side wheel well- "holding the pole" like a city transit bus.

The original Federal mechanical sirens were located in the engine compartment under the cab floor and shook the whole ambulance. They were moved to the grill guard in later models.

The early van-based ambulances looked very similar to their civilian counterparts, having been given a limited amount of emergency vehicle equipment such as audible and visual warnings, and the internal fittings for carrying medical equipment, most notably a stretcher.

Modern ambulances are now often custom built, and as well as the specialist medical equipment now built in to the ambulances, industry wide improvements in vehicle design have had an impact, including improvements in audible and visual warning equipment to help protect crews in vulnerable situations (such as at a Road Traffic Collision), and general improvements such as ABS, which are particularly valuable for ambulances, due to the speeds reached and the weight carried. There have also been improvements to help safeguard the health and welfare of ambulance crews, such as the addition of patient tail lifts, ramps and winches, to cut down on the amount of manual handling a crew must perform.

Ambulance design is still evolving, largely due to the growing skills and role of Paramedics and other ambulance crew, which require specialist equipment. Other factors driving improvement include the need to help protect ambulance crews from common accidents, such as traffic collisions and rarer, but potentially catastrophic incidents such as terrorist activities.

As you can see the vehicles our loved ones drive/ride in have come a long way!!!

**info obtained from Wikipedia and emsmuseum.org

Day 2 EMS Today Conference

2013-03-10T23:27:00.000-04:00

Today (well, Friday) was the 3rd annual cook off for the Conference. Double D and his team didn't win but that's OK because they will always hold the first title of Champions for the 1st cook off 3 years ago. Plus, there is always next year! This year was difficult anyway because the ingredients that had to be included were tofu, green beans, orange marmalade, and french bread which has to be made into 1 dish. It doesn't help that alcohol is not allowed but people use it anyway and get away with it. Rules are placed but not enforced. Oh well, what can you do? Besides, they have fun with it. They made a Tofu Burger with Green Bean Fries and a Green Bean Corn Salad.

After the cook off, we walked around the exhibit hall for a little bit. I grabbed a few cool pens - a bone pen, a syringe pen, and a light up pen! Double D grabbed up information to take back to his company on various products.

They had a system at one of the booths for a medical alert bracelet that is similar to the ICEDot system I posted last year. It's basically a code that is put on your typical Medic alert bracelet, necklace, etc that responders can use to get your medical info, and even doses, and get permission from a doctor. While that's great for people with a medical condition, it leaves the rest of us that are healthy out. Again, I love the ICEDot program because you don't have to have a medical condition to be able to have emergency information accessible, plus the medic alert program costs $45 for the patient. There is no cost for ICEDot, unless you want the bracelet or crash sensor, etc.

The vests in the picture above are cooling vests for cooling down firefighters. I wouldn't mind one for myself to cool me down in the summer!! ;)

After walking around the exhibit hall of vendors, we headed to Madame Tussaud's Wax museum. If you've never been there, you have to go!! The wax celebrities were SO life like!! I was truly amazed!! I even got my picture taken with Johnny Depp!!! lol

Dwayne Johnson "The Rock"

Leonardo DiCaprio

Johnny Depp

Tom Cruise

All in all, this years conference wasn't as great as last years. There didn't seem to be as many vendors. Plus, DC is so busy, and expensive, it makes it hard to get around and be able to stay for cheap.

Day 1 of the EMS Today conference

2013-03-07T23:02:00.003-05:00

Well, we arrived safely in DC. Our hotel room is pretty nice we stayed at the District Hotel on Rhode Island. It is pretty close to the convention center and was a good price. We got checked into the EMS Conference today and got our badges, then headed to Phillips, an all you can eat seafood buffet. and OH MY was it good!!! I stuffed myself with crab legs because they were so good!!

Tomorrow is the cook off that Double D and his team are competing in....wish them luck! I'll post more pics from the conference for you all tomorrow, but for now I will leave you with this appetizing picture!!!

JEMS Conference 2013 (upcoming)

2013-02-12T19:08:00.001-05:00

EMSToday JEMS conference 2013

The EMSToday JEMS conference is coming up, which means its getting closer to my 1 year anniversary for this blog!! I started this blog a few weeks after last years conference, which was my first JEMS conference. This year's JEMS conference is being held in Washington D.C. on March 7-9. We won't be surprising Double D like we did last year (it probably wouldn't work 2 years in a row anyway lol). Instead, we will be making the trip with him. It will be an educational field trip for Widget, since we will be taking in some museums during our stay there, and she gets excused from classes for those days(she's cyber schooled).

Double D and his team are also participating in the JEMS cook off. They won the first year but came in Second last year. I helped with the idea for the recipe this year, so I'm sure they will win!! ;) The cook off happens on Friday of the conference, so if any of you go, you can smell all the yummy food cooking! Spectators can't sample the food, unfortunately, so you just get hungry sitting there LOL.

During the conference I will try to blog a couple times while I am there. If you can make it, please try. The tickets I believe are $25, and you can register using the above link.

Double D is working on a new logo for me, to put on my blog, and I'll be getting a hoodie, or t-shirt made up with it on it. I can't wait!! He made a rough draft so far and just has to clean it up and then I can get it transferred into a digital image. I am hoping to have it done by the time the JEMS conference is here, but that is so close so I'm not sure it will happen. I still would need to get it copyrighted since it would be Double D's original artwork.

I am looking forward to it to see what new ideas and equipment will be introduced to make Double D's job a little bit easier. And help me understand even more about the job that he loves. If you've never been to an EMS conference, whether it be JEMS, or just a local one, try to go to one with your spouse. You can learn so much about what they do and the tools they use. Don't be afraid to ask your spouse questions about something you aren't sure of after visiting an exhibitors booth. I'm sure they will be happy that you are asking and are interested in what they do.

Happy New Year!!

2013-01-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

With a year ahead of us, I like to reflect on the past year accomplishments, sadness, great events, and whatever comes to mind. And also see what the new year has in store.

With reflecting on 2012, some good things that happened:

Surprising Double D in Baltimore at the JEMS conference

Starting this blog (thanks everyone for coming back to read it! :) )

Saw dolphins swimming at Virginia Beach for the first time

Swam in the ocean for the first time

A friend adopted a new baby

Visited some great places, a battlefield, railroads, amusement parks, etc

Bought my first NEW car (not just new to me!)

Saw some Elk up close

Caught and ate fresh bluecrab (yum!)

and some sadness....

We lost a wonderful Grandmother, although she is in a better place, and joined her equally wonderful husband of 70 years, she will be missed.

Multiple parents going into the hospital, with 2 still there.

What 2013 will hold for me/us......

JEMS conference in Washington DC in March

20 year class reunion for me (yikes! that means I'm getting old!! lol)

Possibly moving away from the city

Our Parents that are still in the hospital, coming home

Start some sort of Web Design class

Take a few day trips

Hopefully all of you will have a GREAT 2013 and have some good things happen. Some bad things are ok, as its what rounds us but as long as the good things outweigh the bad, its a good year and Life Is Good!!!

HAPPY 2013!!!!!!!!

Emergency Services Christmas Prayer

2012-12-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

~Author Unknown~

Please make this, Lord, a silent night

this one night of the year.

No sirens wailing through the dark,

no shouts of hate or fear

No crumpled cars and twisted steel,

no blood and tears that spill.

No messages of grief to take,

to homes that suddenly grow still.

Please, King of Peace, no drunken fights

that wreck the family tree,

And all the dreams of some small child,

who clings, in fear, to me.

Let travelers tread the tinseled streets

safe from assault and harm.

On this night, this special night,

no red lights, no alarms.

I'd like to be at home, Oh Lord,

where spice and cedar scent the air.

I hope the children don't wake up,

until I can be there.

Please make this Lord, a silent night,

no hate, or hurt, or crime,

But if this cannot be, Oh Lord,

help me get there in time.

Amen

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

2012-11-21T16:05:00.001-05:00

I apologize now for not updating my blog recently, but I've had a lot going on in my life the last couple months that I may tell you later in another post.

For now, I am going to talk about Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Around this time you constantly hear about Walmart workers and Target workers that complain about working on Thanksgiving or super early on Black Friday. They state that it is interrupting their family time by having to leave early during dinner to go to work. boo hoo. Or that what they go through isn't worth the pay on Black Friday. again, boo hoo.

I hope those employees never become VOLUNTEER employees. OR on call employees for EMS (firefighters, EMT, paramedic, etc). Volunteers get paid pennies, if anything at all, and anyone on call, has to leave at the sound of the tones....meaning they may just sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and have to leave and by the time they get back, dinner is over, food is cold, and many friends/family have gone home.

I read a post on FaceBook earlier today that was about the Walmart employees going on strike for the Black Friday hours. The news wanted to know peoples opinions on that. Of course i put in my 2 cents because I think its ridiculous! for one, they picked where they work. They are in retail. It is the holidays. It's common sense to know there will longer/crazier hours during that time. It's just part of the job. If they don't like it, quit. Walmart employees are a dime a dozen, I'm sure they can replace them and fast. Some of the comments on there were stupid too. Some people said that Walmart employees can't be compared to Police, Firefighters, Doctors, etc because they get paid twice as much! HAHAHAHA. If only they knew...I can somewhat agree with the Doctors because we all know they get paid good money. but the main complaint with the Walmart employees and the Target employee last year wasn't necessarily the pay, but the fact that they had to work Thursday night, and shorten their time with their families.

SO I hope that the next time they get hurt, or sick, or their house catches on fire, they remember about "family time" and wait until regular business hours to call anyone or go to a hospital. Meanwhile they will be bleeding to death, watching their house burn down, or stuck in a car after an accident. Because I mean, who wants to have their Thanksgiving dinner interrupted to go into work?

Don't forget to also remember EMS today, September 11th

2012-09-11T07:53:00.000-04:00

As I was thinking about how unrecognized EMS actually is, it came to my attention that during 9/11, the focus is usually on the remembrance of the Firefighters, the Police officers, and the general public that died that day, but not much is mentioned about the brave EMS that also died that day. They seem to be lumped into the Firefighter and Police Officers. Why? They deserve to have individual recognition!!

Did you know that of the 343 FDNY lost, that 2 of them were Paramedics? They were Paramedic Carlos Lillo, age 37 and Paramedic Ricardo Quinn, age 40.

I am having problems with finding a definitive total for the number of EMS that died on 9/11, Some sites say 8 some say 9 some say 10 some say 42...the list goes on. The issue here, I think, is that they only include the "on duty" EMTs and Paramedics when the count is 8 or 9 or 10. They don't include the ones that volunteer and have full time jobs elsewhere, but helped out since they had the skills to help. An EMT like Jeff Simpson, who lived in VA, but worked in NY. Instead of fleeing to safety, he instead went toward the danger to help. And that's what an EMT that is passionate about his job as an EMT would do....

If we can't include all of the EMS that died on September 11, during the attacks that weren't "on duty" then why do we honor a police officer that died when he crashed his motorcycle - off duty? It just seems that EMS is left out when it comes to remembering their heroism. You always hear of a firefighter that died or a police officer that died...and it is always mentioned in an article if they were either, but hardly ever for an EMT or a Paramedic.

So lets take this day to also remember all the EMS that died that day. Hopefully all of their names are listed below:

Don't need an Ambulance subscription

2012-07-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

This will be a chuckable post :)

The one service that Double D works for is literally 5 minutes away, and about 2-3 miles away, SO that puts us somewhat in their jurisdiction.

Well, I received a piece of mail yesterday from this service, which, had me confused. If they needed to get something to me (which I wouldn't know why), why not save postage and just give it to Double D when he was in on Friday, or today when he came in? I almost opened it when I saw on the envelope about my "2012 Subscription" which more than likely meant that they wanted me to subscribe to their Ambulance service. I nearly burst out laughing....Ok, maybe I actually did. :)

This made me laugh because I will never call for an Ambulance personally, since that means I would be going to the hospital, something I won't do, so I would not need to subscribe to an Ambulance service. Besides, I already have an EMT in house ;) so, step 1 of any injury would be to have Double D assess me, then if he feels I need to go to the hospital, he can write up a refusal because I will not go! No need for an Ambulance since they bring the EMTs to you, and take you to a hospital....EMT is already here, and I'm not going to any Hospital.....Going to the hospital means I have to face the doctors that will screw things up anyway....NO THANKS!

Sorry, not fond of doctors or Hospitals....I don't trust them. I've had too many bad things happen personally in regards to ERs, Hospitals, and Doctors that I don't want to deal with any of them. You all can go, if you want but you won't find me willingly going. Double D jokes that he has ways of getting me to go :) And I told him, well, you better hope I don't remember when I wake up!! :)

ICEDot part 2

2012-07-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

This is a follow up to my previous post on ICEDot.

I ordered 3 of the ICEDot bands for Me, Double D, and Widget. They arrived within 2 weeks after I ordered them and came with the ID card for me to carry in my wallet, a keychain dot for my keys, the ICEDot band for me to wear, and an ICEDot sticker to put on my car.

When you apply the sticker to your window (it goes on the driver side of the back window) make sure you have the print out of your info in your glovebox, or the sticker means nothing.

The band is $10 and can be worn all the time. They are a rubber material similar to the Livestrong bands, or other bands you see. They were extremely useful when we all went to the beach on vacation, because of how they fit, there was no concern of them coming off in the water. The do not easily slip off. of course we are all adult size, but they do make child size ones too.

The print on them is very good, as it is engraved in the band and not just printed on, so even if the color would wear off, the code would still be able to be read. I kinda wish the print around the band was bigger so it could be read easier for EMS that aren't aware of the ICEDot.

Thankfully I can't give you a personal experience with using the ICEDot and EMS, but it makes me feel alot better knowing Widget wears hers all the time JUST IN CASE.

I have made it my mission to get the word out there to all EMS through Double D, and this blog so that In Case of Emergency, and you are alone, and can't speak for your self, EMS crews that tend to you will be able to get some info about you.

Their website is www.ICEDot.org. Register for free and print out the info cards to put in your glove box, and order a sticker. Then maybe buy the Premium service for $10 and an ICEDot band, button, or bracelet so you have the information even when you don't have a pocket. I don't get any compensation for this from them, I just think its a great idea/concept and think everyone should know about it and at least register for the free profile.

Thank You.

Kids say the greatest things

2012-06-26T22:33:00.000-04:00

We went to a local Airshow, it was me, Double D, Widget, Widget's BFF and her BFF's younger Sister whom was 12. During the Airshow, Widget's BFF's Sister asked if Double D was a doctor, because he was talking about an incident at work. He said "no, He just works on an Ambulance." What she said next was really great, and painted the picture of what kids see.... She asked, "well isn't that the same thing?" :) He said "No, I can't give you stitches, or anything, but I can treat you until a Doctor can look at you and give you the stitches if that is what you need" and she said "close enough"......

Priceless......

Hot, Humid and Miserable

2012-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

The last few days where I live, have been Hot and Humid with temperatures in the 90s. Now the 90s by them selves isn't so bad but add the humidity with it, and every minute spent outside of A/C is nearly unbearable. I know for me, it makes it hard for me to breath and I start becoming very congested.

Can you imagine working outside in this miserable weather? Some like it, others, like their job so much that they suffer through it. I couldn't handle it, but then again, my body doesn't do very well in it either! When it gets too humid, not only do I get congested, but if I am doing anything strenuous, I get light headed too, even if I am keeping up with my fluids.

Our EMS crews are out in it though, taking care of the people that heat like this is bad for them. The ones that overdo it and collapse in the heat. Meanwhile, sometime jeopardizing their own health by working to hard themselves and not being able to take the time to replenish their own fluids, or take a break in some A/C.

I want to say THANKS to a particular EMS company that Double D works for near where we live. I actually can't say thanks enough! They make sure to take care of their crews, by allowing them to work in cooler uniforms, yet staying professional looking, and making sure they are not being pounded with trips, so they don't get to cool down. And also checking up on them to make sure the crews are staying cool and hydrated.

I also want to say SHAME ON YOU,(and that's putting it nicely) to the EMS companies that don't take care of their crews. Run them with trip after trip after trip for the whole 24 hours they are on. Don't allow them to take a break in the A/C, and just don't check up on them except to see where they are for the next trip that they get sent on.

For those of you that know who I am, probably know the companies I am referring to. and those that don't know who I am, probably know a few companies out there like those. If you are fortunate to work for a company that takes care of you when it is miserable weather, make sure to thank them once in awhile for looking out for your health and that you appreciate it.

Maybe if you see a case of Gatorade or Powerade or any of those on sale for a good price, you could purchase it and donate it to an EMS station near you. Just a suggestion. or maybe even deliver some cold ones (and I'm not talking about beer) personally to a crew you might see, whether fueling up their Boo Boo wagons, or sitting on standby somewhere.

Stay Cool out there guys and girls!!!

Now THIS is hot!!! LOL

I'm still here

2012-06-20T09:33:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let all my regular readers know that i'm still here, just haven't had much time to write a new post. Hopefully I can find some time in the next 2 weeks of vacation to get you some more stuff to read. Here are some chuckles to keep you entertained until then!

Poem - EMT Prayer

2012-05-31T15:25:00.000-04:00

Author Unknown

LORD,

Grant me the wisdom so that I may treat

those of your children that lay at my feet.

Let my hands be gentle, sure and swift

to impart to them your sacred gift.

Let me see only a patient's need

not their color, race or creed.

Help me always to be my best

even when it's on my hours rest.

Grant me the insight to understand why

patients of mine are going to die.

Let me remember that when they do

there is a wonderful life in Heaven with You.

Lord, if in the time of duty I should fall

help my family to hold their heads tall.

For it was You who decided that I should be

one of your chosen few, an EMT.

Very Hurt.....

2012-05-24T13:11:00.002-04:00

So I made the cake you see below for Double D to take into work with him for EMS Week. I wanted to do this to show MY appreciation for all that he and his co-workers do for the public. I wasn't asking for anything in return, other than for them to know that what they do is appreciated.

Instead, what I received was criticism for the cake!! One person said it was the worst cake she had ever had!! and that it was dry (which it isn't). and no one ate hardly any of it until very much later in the day!.

I feel hurt because I took the time to make the cake and decorate it, in between working a full time job and my usual tasks at home, and it seemed like it wasn't even appreciated. Yet, that is one complaint that the EMS crews bitch about....that they are never shown appreciation for what they do.

Needless to say, I won't be making a cake for next year.

EMS WEEK 2012 CAKE

2012-05-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

This is the cake I made for Double D to take to work for all his co workers this week:

But this would be for ALL EMS workers out there!

EMS Week 2012 - May 20 - 26

2012-05-14T23:05:00.000-04:00

Starting Sunday, it will be EMS Appreciation Week. This comes once a year around this time.

Every year the 3rd week in May is designated as National EMS Week. It is a time for America's EMS community to celebrate its history and look to what the future has to offer.

It is also a time to honor those in the EMS profession who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the public. If you see someone who works in EMS this week, please take a moment to thank them for being there for you when you need them, even if you haven't needed their services yet.

I bet it will make their day.

Or better yet, if you have a positive experience you would like to share with them regarding your need for their service, share it with them.

I bet it will make their day too.

You may ask, why do I need to thank them for doing their job? That's what they get paid for....No one ever thanks me for doing MY job...

Well, what if someone DID thank you for doing your job? Or if someone came up to you, knowing what your profession is, and told you that you made a difference in their life?

I bet it would make your day too.....

Many of the men and women out there doing their "calling" could not see themselves doing any other thing in their career, even if that meant making more money. And when they have that frame of mind, it means you will receive their best care and compassion when you need them.

In the midst of the storm of human tragedy and panic, they are often the calming voice of reassurance.

I'm not saying that everyone that is in the EMS profession thinks of their work as more than a "job". You will have those out there, just like in any profession, that goes in to work, does their job and leaves and could care less about what happens in between shifts. But knowing the pay and how much work goes into that pay, I would say there are more than 75% of the EMS professionals out there that look at their work as more of a calling than a job. The ones that take their skills further than their shift and use it even when they are not on the clock.

I know. I've seen if first hand. And even experienced it first hand.

I've seen it first hand by seeing how Double D reacts to someone being hurt, or needing his skills. I've also seen it first hand with our friends that are Paramedics. They recently had to use their skills, outside of their "job" to help some people in a horrible car accident.

I've experienced it first hand when I needed the help when I passed out or "fell out" as Double D puts it. I was at a trade show with my brother and felt lightheaded, I put my hand on a table and next thing I knew i was laying on the floor, wondering what happened. Every time my brother tried to help me up, I went down again. Finally an off duty Paramedic came over, identified herself as such and assisted my brother in getting me over to a chair. Then she kinda gave me a quick assessment, the best she could without having anything with her, and went to find me something to eat, thinking it might have been my blood sugar dropping.

I wish I knew where to find her to thank her for what she did for me that day.

All I am asking is that you show your appreciation for all the EMS workers out there for all that they do and if by chance you see them taking a much needed lunch break, or stopping quickly to grab some refreshments at a gas station or convenience store, or maybe even if you are stopped beside them at a traffic light, just say....

Thank You.

Poem - Sorry.....

2012-04-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Author Unknown

Sorry if we woke you in the middle of the night,

But someone in your neighborhood is fighting for their life.

Sorry if we block the road and make you turn around,

But there's been a bad wreck with dying children on the ground.

When you see us coming I hope you'll understand,

Let us have the right of way someone needs our helping hand.

Sometimes a child is choking; sometimes a broken leg,

Sometimes a heart stops beating and when we get there it's too late.

So if you see us crying when we think we are alone,

You'll know we had a bad one and we're feeling mighty down.

We don't do it for the money you know we don't get paid,

We don't do it for the glory but for life that might be saved.

Somewhere deep within us our souls are crying out,

We're here to help our neighbors in their hour of pain and doubt.

God gave us something special to help us see you through,

We do it because we love you and we care about you too.

Words from Double D

2012-04-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share a wonder experience that Double D had today:

"I'm wearing 1 of my Company t-shirts, & some guy at the gas station comes up 2 me, & asks:

'Are you an ambulance person?',

'Yes, I'm an EMT' (even though it's all over my shirt & on the sleeve).

He puts his hand on my shoulder, bows his head, & starts to cry.

He says that he just buried his wife of 30 yrs this week & wanted to say thank you for all that we do.

When his wife had her heart attack, the EMS crew that came to his house, went above & beyond anything he could have hoped for.

He proceeded to tell me how he thought that all we did was ride around running lights & sirens, & never really gave a crap about the patient.

Though he was basing his views from what he saw on TV.

That night, he saw for himself, that what we do, goes way beyond anything he could have imagined.

He said that even though the crew could not save his wife, they showed her compassion, caring, & a deep sense of grief over not saving her.

He said thank you again, shook my hand, & left.

It made me understand, that we really do some amazing things through out the course of our EMS career, & sometimes, people do take notice."

And again, it's why I am writing this blog....So that others will know just what these guys go through, what they take for granted as just part of their job. Along with that job is the compassion, the caring and the sadness that comes when they just can not save that life.....

Poem - My Husband - the EMT

2012-04-15T20:17:00.001-04:00

by Heidi Marie Divine

You go to work to save a life

See lots of pain and people's strife

You are compassionate, proud and true

And this is why I Love You

An EMT is your job

Comforting those in fear and sob

You are a kind and gentle soul

At times this job may take a toll

I want you to know that for all you do

I am so very proud of you.

For Double D..... <3

Some Funnies....

2012-04-11T12:31:00.000-04:00

Pull Over Please!!!

2012-04-07T12:21:00.000-04:00

Why can't people learn to move to the side when they see an ambulance coming down the road? You may be in a hurry to get to where you are going, but so are they.

And I think their reason is a bit more important than your reason!

It only takes 10 seconds, if that, to pull over while they go past you to either get to a patient that needs help or get to the hospital so a patient can get additional help.

Whenever I see an Ambulance, or Firetruck, or Police Cruiser, or even a volunteer, I move over. The main reason? What if they are responding to someone I care about? Or its my house that is on fire? If I don't move over, I could be causing them to waste precious seconds trying to get there. How would that make me feel if when I found out later that it was something of mine, that had they gotten there a few seconds sooner, all would be alright....

The other reason? I don't want to be the one that was in the way of the EMS crew getting to their destination. I don't want to be the reason they couldn't save the patient, or give the fastest care. I couldn't live with that being on my conscience.

You may think, "That won't happen to me", or "I always know what's going on in my life", but .... what IF? You can't possibly know EVERYTHING that is going on.

You could also think, " But I don't live around here so I don't know anyone here". Are you completely sure of that? Do you know EVERY road trip someone you know is taking??

Or maybe you're just a heartless twit, that doesn't care about anyone but themselves and figures, why should I get out of the way? There's nothing in it for me.....

While driving, you should always be aware of what is around you anyway, so there should be no excuse of "But, I didn't know they were behind me...." for not pulling over when they have been right behind you for miles, or blocks with their lights and sirens on. And " It wasn't in a safe area" is not an excuse either. Um, the Ambulance isn't pulling YOU over, they are just trying to get past you.

Ambulances and Firetrucks aren't allowed by law to use their sirens for non-emergency reasons. They can not turn on their sirens just because they don't want to sit in traffic, or because they are hungry and are in a hurry to get food. If you see them sitting in traffic, and they all of a sudden turn their lights and sirens on, more than likely the patient made a turn for the worse and they now need to hurry.

Next time you see an ambulance coming with their lights and/or sirens on, just pull over. Put yourself in their shoes, they need to get to the patient, or get the patient to the hospital, before its too late. Or better yet, put yourself in the patient's loved ones shoes. Imagine what it would be like watching the ambulance going down the road as fast as they safely can, with your loved one in the back, and NO ONE is moving out of the way for the ambulance.