EMT Paramedic Stories

I think it was in about 1995 that we had a blizzard where I live. In just a few hours we received over 18 inches of snow, and it closed everything down. After the night of the original snowfall, we continued to get about 2 to 3 more inches a day for over a week. Here in Indiana, that is a lot!

I was at work when the snow started coming in. Most of the local businesses had already closed and sent their workers home, so luckily the streets were fairly empty. The night went by calmly and we didn’t do much of anything other than watch all of the white stuff blanket our cars. However, morning would be a little different.

The morning after we received the majority of snow was a mess. People awoke to find more than 18 inches of snow, and no way to get around. It was so deep that a person could barely walk outside, leave alone try to drive. Even the county highway department was overwhelmed and there was little they could do. That didn’t stop people from having medical problems though. People would call 911, and request help to no avail. We were snowed in, and if a person needed help, it would just have to wait.

Somewhere in the mayhem, someone had a great idea. They notified the National Guard of our dilemma, and help came quickly. The local Army National Guard brought 6 Humvees to our aid. They let us load them up with supplies, and they became unstoppable ambulances. People would call 911 and those of us that were stuck staying on duty made a mad rush to see who could get to ride the Humvee first.

We had a blast! Busting through huge 10 foot snow drifts, and cutting across fields. At one point we dared the driver to go into the woods. We probably should not have done that, because he took us up on it, and through the woods we went. Until we got hung up on a downed tree anyway. At that point, the driver had to radio his commander and ask for another Humvee to pull him out. He had a very hard time explaining that situation.

The snow stayed on the ground, and kept everything locked in for about a week. The National guardsmen camped out at our stations, and between them and our crew, there were about 30 people living together for a week.

It’s funny how such terrible events actually bring up fond memories later on. We did have a great time, even though we couldn’t leave. Perhaps one of the most vivid memories I will always have are two guys that had no money to eat on. They were stuck eating whatever we had in the fridge at station. Sure, we could have lent them money, but then we would have never been able to watch to guys eat Oreo’s and Braunswager on Ritz crackers, and actually say they liked it!

Is it me, or do all EMS professionals look like they live out of their cars?

I know a Paramedic that has no home at all. He lives from one station to another, and does all of his laundry at the local Laundromat. He works 3 jobs that are 24 hour shifts each, and has managed to schedule his hours around each of them, so that he can leave one and still get to the other on time. He also works part-time as a flight medic for a local air ambulance.

Now, this guy makes pretty decent money, for a Paramedic. He has been at it for several years, and has some experience under his belt. I am going to make a rough estimate that between all of his jobs; he is making mid 6 figures. But, he has no home; so therefore, he pays no rent, water, lights, heat, electric, and not even something as simple as a cable bill. His only real expense is his transportation, and that is nothing elaborate. He is not married, and has no kids. He is a single, middle aged guy that lives, eats, and sleeps EMS.

This scenario, although a bit extreme, is sort of typical. Most of the EMS workers that I know, work more than they are off. Most of them carry at least 2 changes of clothes with them, and almost all of them carry at least one duffle bag to work with them every day. Many even bring personal items, like books, crafts, blankets, bed linens, and any of the other comforts of home that a lot of people take for granted. I use to tease some of my partners about “Moving in,” every time they came to work.

I think the majority of full-time EMS workers are very dedicated people. While some will claim to only be in the job to “Help people,” the majorities are just addicted to the job, and let it become the priority in their life. About half of them are single solitary people, and the ones that are not single, soon find themselves that way. The divorce rate among EMS professionals is astounding.

If you are like me, and somehow make it through many years in the business, and still be married, you learn what the real priorities are, and end up holding the job responsible for a lot of problems in life. Though the job is exciting, and many times very rewarding, there is just no substitute for a “real life” with a family.

Since my partial exit from EMS, I have a new look on life. My family is the most important thing to me now, and the regret I have for all of my wife and daughter’s Christmases and birthdays that I missed while at work, will never be made up. However, I have a lot more to come, and I look forward to them all.

My car is empty now. I don’t carry a change of clothes with me any more. I don’t even have a first aid kit. I cleaned out the back seat, and swept the floors. I can tell me daughter that I will be at her basketball game next week, and not have to tell her “I will try.” I am not afraid to watch a 2 part movie anymore, because I know I will be home to see the conclusion.

It is just the little things in life that we miss. We become accustomed to being gone for a day or two at a time, and don’t even realize that a different life is going on without us in our own homes. While some people are just designed in a way that suits them perfectly for the job, others like myself, never even knew what we missed, until we had a chance to see it.

Remember the guy that lived his life in EMS? He died at age 48, of a heart attack. Never knowing what it was like to do something as simple as sit and watch TV with his family.