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Last week, volunteers from my fire department were deployed to help with rescues and back-filling support for a sister fire department in North Carolina, in one of the hardest-hit areas affected by a recent devastating hurricane.<\/p>\nLast week, volunteers from my fire department were deployed to help with rescues and back-filling support for a sister fire department in North Carolina, in one of the hardest-hit areas affected by a recent devastating hurricane.<\/p>\n
I was not among those who volunteered to deploy… been there, done that. Not necessarily in this location, but over a span of two decades, I have deployed for response to provide support for hurricanes, floods, and other calamities wrought by Mother Nature. This hard, dirty, and ugly work is better suited for the younger generation.<\/p>\n
The deployment of a number of volunteers from my department left us in a position where an “all-call” to duty was made, and that includes me. What am I doing?
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\nI responded to the call to back-fill our own members and have been on duty at my local fire station since 1800 Friday night. I complete this assignment on Monday morning at 0600 when the regular day-shift arrives.<\/p>\n
Ordinarily, my position at my fire department is more of an honorary role for a long-time member whose role is on public education and outreach when supporting our “Senior Safety Saturdays.” It has been a long, long, LONG time since I rode a truck (on-duty, in uniform, operationally — other than during a parade.)<\/p>\n
My specialty is as a medic. I began and was trained as a paramedic (ALS \/ NREMT NRP) a million years ago and served for about eight years until work became too busy with lots of travel, and I could not maintain the training and get enough hours.<\/p>\n
While my voluntarism declined, I still maintained my skill as a Level I EMT and completed recertification as a CRT-I (cardiac rescue technician) again a few months ago. <\/p>\n
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Man, what a shift it’s been, and I think it’s because it’s a full moon. Four minor auto collisions, one motorcycle crash (kid on a crotch rocket and not wearing boots), and a half-dozen heart cases, most of which require stabilization and transport to the hospital. <\/p>\n
I am grateful for the women and men who are volunteering with me. Their skill, patience, and camaraderie is great. And after the first couple of calls, I felt better about my skills and ability to help.<\/p>\n
I have had little break time between calls, including now when I have finally had a chance to eat something, and if the alarm keeps quiet, maybe even get a nap. But now it’s raining — and if a full moon doesn’t bring out the crazies, the rain will. <\/p>\n
Ya know, some people think that there is no correlation between a full moon and medic calls. I disagree. Man, people are just crazy during a full moon — even the regulars have said that this shift has been particularly busy.<\/p>\n
My firefighter boots and uniform are getting a good workout. In fact, I had to stop at home twice to change clothes because my uniform pants got soiled. (Fortunately, I live a half-mile from the station.)<\/p>\n
Life is short: do your duty to your community. Even old-timers can contribute!<\/p>\n
PS: Our volunteers who deployed return tomorrow, thankfully!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last week, volunteers from my fire department were deployed to help with rescues and back-filling support for a sister fire department in North Carolina, in one of the hardest-hit areas affected by a recent devastating hurricane. I was not among … Continue reading