Some things never change. Some people never change. I think prejudice will always exist. In my 30 years of life I have heard every racial slur known to man directed towards me and others. As a mulit-ethnic mutt, I am usually not offended and am often amused because you may have only offended 1/16 of me. I've heard stories of black or hispanic firefighters who arrive on scene to help a white medical patient only to be told they want a white firefighter to care for them. Pretty silly when you think about it, but hey we still live in the south and people will always be imperfect. Recently I have been the target of or I have been witness to the crossfire of this silly judging a person by the color of their skin business. It's true, in 2009, with Barrack as President.
Two such incidents happened in the same day at the same retirement community. In both incidents my partner was assessing the patient and the other EMT's were getting vitals. So I decided to be the person who finds the medications, driver's licenses, social security cards, and insurance cards to complete our records. In both situations as I asked the patients where there walletts were so I could get the information. A look of horror and disgust came on their faces. I know huh, a dark skinned bald headed guy, who you called for help, wants access to your money, credit cards and identity. One of them responded, not thinking I could hear her, for one of the white firefighters to "keep an eye on him" and the other told me outright in a stern voice "don't steal anything." They both wanted to look in their walletts when I was done.
One thing I've never been is a thief. I am human and have many a flaw. I'm a sinner with the best of them. Not all dark skinned people are thieves, murderers, rapists, gangsters, lazy unemployed, and illiterate. Some of us do have college degrees and have graduated with honors ahead of most students in predominiantly white schools. Some of us on scene finished number one in their paramedic classes. That's the guy I'd want taking care of me and I'd be willing to trust....
The third incident happened this weekend. We were talking to an older gentleman and trying to figure out his baseline mental status. He had a stroke before and it was exremely hard for us to understand him. His wife interpreted for him, like a mother does for her two or three year old. We asked him the normal questions, what's your name, where are you, what day of the week is it? He missed the day of the week-which I do a lot of the time, so I asked him another common question. I asked him who the president was. Without missing a beat and in the most understandable articulate words he spoke since we got there he answered, "the ni--er." I looked around the room and jaws were dropped to the floor. There was absolute silence and a quick look to the only black guy in the room to make sure he was okay. The man's wife broke the silence by asking, " Did he just say ni--er?" Then she apologized for his words. She became the black guys best friend the rest of our time there.
It's true that these incidents happened with the elderly, It's not just the elderly who have prejudices. Membership in "hate groups" has risen dramatically since the recent election, and increase in hate crimes has occurred as a result.
Regardless of how people treat me or my co-workers, we do the job required of us with professionalism and compassion. It's our job. We have a rule, the Holder Rule, to treat all people as if they were our own family. The Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, Jesus expounded on that by teaching that everyone is your neighbor. The Bible also says not to "judge by mere appearances" and that there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free." We are in fact all humans, all God's creation. We bleed the same blood, breathe the same oxygen, die the same deaths, and will have to answer to the same creator. When people show their prejudice and racism, we joke about it and laugh at their ignorance. We don't retaliate, because then their sterotypes and preconceived notions become justified and true for them. I live for the opportunity to prove them wrong, by loving the snot out of them.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Resurrection
So a couple of weeks ago we made this call that came in as a "Hanging, Possible Cardiac Arrest." These type of calls usually get the mind focused and the adrenalin pumping because you know you have a legitimate shot at "really" helping someone as opposed to the run of the mill sick call or panic attack. What we didn't know what that this young man would be 16 years old.
As we arrived, the family was understandably hysterical as they came home after being gone for 3 hours to find their son, with a belt around his neck and tied to the balcony. What a horrific thing to witness. We "worked" the kid for about an hour giving him every drug and medical treatment available. Experience and science were not on his side. There was absolutely no improvement after all we did. Upon arrival to the ER the doctor "called him," and gave the official time of death. Everyone- doctors, nurses, and firemen had the same look of devastation, thoughts of "he's too young, what was going through his mind?, could this have been prevented?" ran through all of our heads.
One thing about this call has really stuck with me. Just after placing the kid in the ambulance, his father arrived, hopped in the back, laid hands on him and began praying for him. We kept on doing CPR and bagging him as he prayed. There was a look of disgust on some guys, confusion on others, as if the father was impeding our progress. I at first wanted to have him leave as we were exhausted from trying everything we could to revive his son andit was an emotional thing to witness. But then it hit me. The father was praying a prayer of life, somthing along the lines of "In the name of Jesus, you shall live and not die." Over and over again. He said those words with power, faith, and conviction. One might say he was just in denial. I got the feeling that this man knows exactly the God he serves. I had a wake up call. I preach faith in God, believe in the impossible, and I know that God is all powerful. I try to live it; I am not always successful, but I try.
Here this father was with a lifeless son, putting his faith into practice. Not grieving, not mourning, not yet anyway. I know he believed what he was praying. The Jesus he knows gave life again to Lazarus, who was dead for four days. If He did it then, he can do it again. He CAN do ANYTHING. It's one thing to say it and know it, it's another to put it into action. God chose not to raise this young man from the dead, but that doesn't change the fact that He can. I believe that father still believes in God even after God did not answer his prayer the way he wished. That is true faith. It also reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who told the king, even if God does not save them, they still will not bow to the statue. Our desired outcome of situations is sometimes not in God's will. He is still God. REAL FAITH is FAITH in ACTION. Do you believe? Do you have that kind of Faith? That man taught me a lesson in his darkest hour.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
"Look both ways..."
I can still hear the words of my mom, or any other influential adult in my early childhood life. It is one of the basic rules of commuting on foot. "Look both ways before you cross the street." I have tried to teach my own children this simplest of rules. Over the past two months I have had to care for 3 people who were hit by moving vehicles the following is a brief summary of their stories.
1. While trying to stop a tow truck driver from taking his truck, a young man was run over. The details of why and how it happened are sketchy, but one thing is certain, the tow truck won. The guy had road rash over face, a broken collar bone, a broken femur, tibia, and fibula and possible basilar skull fracture. The good thing, he was still alive and going strong when we got there. It is never a good idea to stand in front of a moving vehicle. The bad thing, the tow truck driver fled the scene. Is there such a thing as an honest or honorable tow truck driver?
2. After getting high on an unknown pharmacological agent, a violent and erratic man was tased by police officers to subdue him. One of our ambulances was called to transport him to the ER for injuries sustained from the being tased and falling. As soon as the ambulance was leaving the scene, this muscular, drug crazed maniac broke loose from the backboard and jumped out the back of the ambulance. Our guys did the right thing and called for police to come get him and called for a supervisor. The man broke into a few apartments to hide and once he was found he became a track star and ran in his boxers and white air force ones across the ever busy Hwy 59 in the dark- just like the classic arcade game, Frogger. The man almost made it across before being flattened by a car travelling 70mph +. He was still breathing, but barely. We began to "work" him and cerebral spinal fluid began pouring out of his eyes and nose. Needless to say, he didn't make it. In addition to "look both ways", "just say no."
3. This last one was tough. A kindergartner and his mother were walking in the crosswalk right in front of their school when they were hit by a guy who stopped at the stop sign and did not see them. The kid ended up under the car. When we arrived, the kid was fighting and trying to get out of his c-collar and back board. We hopped in the back of the ambulance and got to the ER fast. Maybe faster than ever. He sustained multiple injuries, was breathing, moaning and fighting, the whole way to the ER. As soon as we opened the doors of the ambulance at the bay, it all ceased. No pulse, no breathing, no movement, nothing. We started CPR and let the Drs and nurses do all they could for about 45 min, but nothing worked. It was his time. The worst part came when I stopped by the room to drop off my record. The mother who was also hit in the incident was holding her lifeless child telling him it was going to be okay. I can't imagine the pain she was feeling and no doubt is still feeling.
In this job, I've seen plenty of adults breathe their last breath. None of them affected me to the degree I was affected by this. I struggled to keep my composure. I wanted to cry, but still had to remain professional and manly. In five years, this was the first time I watched as a kid died, the first time I had to try to revive one. It was by far the toughest day I've ever had at work-emotionally. We had to go to mandatory counseling, which was awesome. I highly recommend it. After some rest and a good cry, I was ready to get back on the horse.
Life is unpredictable. One day you're here, the next day you're gone. One moment, you are getting high, the next minute you're not as fast as you thought. One moment, you are trying to keep your car from being towed, the next you're fighting for your life. One morning you are walking your kid to school the next you are an empty nester. We don't know what the future holds. Death changes your outlook on life. Relationships are what matter the most. Spend time with your loved ones. Make time for them. Tell them you love them. Hug them until they make you let go. More important than loving your friends and family is being certain of your eternity, your life after death and having a relationship with your Creator. For God so loved the world...
1. While trying to stop a tow truck driver from taking his truck, a young man was run over. The details of why and how it happened are sketchy, but one thing is certain, the tow truck won. The guy had road rash over face, a broken collar bone, a broken femur, tibia, and fibula and possible basilar skull fracture. The good thing, he was still alive and going strong when we got there. It is never a good idea to stand in front of a moving vehicle. The bad thing, the tow truck driver fled the scene. Is there such a thing as an honest or honorable tow truck driver?
2. After getting high on an unknown pharmacological agent, a violent and erratic man was tased by police officers to subdue him. One of our ambulances was called to transport him to the ER for injuries sustained from the being tased and falling. As soon as the ambulance was leaving the scene, this muscular, drug crazed maniac broke loose from the backboard and jumped out the back of the ambulance. Our guys did the right thing and called for police to come get him and called for a supervisor. The man broke into a few apartments to hide and once he was found he became a track star and ran in his boxers and white air force ones across the ever busy Hwy 59 in the dark- just like the classic arcade game, Frogger. The man almost made it across before being flattened by a car travelling 70mph +. He was still breathing, but barely. We began to "work" him and cerebral spinal fluid began pouring out of his eyes and nose. Needless to say, he didn't make it. In addition to "look both ways", "just say no."
3. This last one was tough. A kindergartner and his mother were walking in the crosswalk right in front of their school when they were hit by a guy who stopped at the stop sign and did not see them. The kid ended up under the car. When we arrived, the kid was fighting and trying to get out of his c-collar and back board. We hopped in the back of the ambulance and got to the ER fast. Maybe faster than ever. He sustained multiple injuries, was breathing, moaning and fighting, the whole way to the ER. As soon as we opened the doors of the ambulance at the bay, it all ceased. No pulse, no breathing, no movement, nothing. We started CPR and let the Drs and nurses do all they could for about 45 min, but nothing worked. It was his time. The worst part came when I stopped by the room to drop off my record. The mother who was also hit in the incident was holding her lifeless child telling him it was going to be okay. I can't imagine the pain she was feeling and no doubt is still feeling.
In this job, I've seen plenty of adults breathe their last breath. None of them affected me to the degree I was affected by this. I struggled to keep my composure. I wanted to cry, but still had to remain professional and manly. In five years, this was the first time I watched as a kid died, the first time I had to try to revive one. It was by far the toughest day I've ever had at work-emotionally. We had to go to mandatory counseling, which was awesome. I highly recommend it. After some rest and a good cry, I was ready to get back on the horse.
Life is unpredictable. One day you're here, the next day you're gone. One moment, you are getting high, the next minute you're not as fast as you thought. One moment, you are trying to keep your car from being towed, the next you're fighting for your life. One morning you are walking your kid to school the next you are an empty nester. We don't know what the future holds. Death changes your outlook on life. Relationships are what matter the most. Spend time with your loved ones. Make time for them. Tell them you love them. Hug them until they make you let go. More important than loving your friends and family is being certain of your eternity, your life after death and having a relationship with your Creator. For God so loved the world...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It's Gettin Hot In Herre....
Most of you all 35 and below can probably finish the lyrics of Nelly's Hot In Herre, and the title of this blog. For those of you who cannot appreciate hip-hop/rap music, the line ends,"so take off all your clothes." Thus the real reason why I decided to post.
Naked (or nekkit if your from Tx) is how we found a young man last week. The call came in as a "fall." We entered an apartment complex to find a young man about 18 years old, 110 pounds, lying "butt freakin nekkit" on the sidewalk in front of an apartment that wasn't his. Some kind bystander placed a wash cloth over is you know what. He has a good sized strawberry and bruising to his right shoulder and right knee. The kid wreaked of alcohol and was obviously not in his right mind. No one seems to have ever seen this guy before, there are kids all over the place peering over the stair rail.
We try and treat him and get him on a backboard and he tries to get away. When I grab his arm, he tries to strong arm me. I'm 2x plus this guys size. I've eaten bigger steaks than this guy. He surrenders shortly there after and we get him into the ambulance at which point he goes unresponsive for several minutes. On the way to the ambulance I was sure to address all the kids. I told them not do to drugs because they will end up like this guy. I tell them to stay in school and graduate. They all nodded their heads. Oh the teachable moments. The guy "comes to" while in the ER. The Dr asks him if he has any family and he says, "solo tu"- only you. I start laughing and the doctor is a little embarrassed but amused as well. What a character.
The story goes something like this. A teenage girl was upstairs when the patient approached her with all his clothes on and tried to hug her. She denies knowing the guy. She says she pushed him away and he took his shirt off. Some time later the guy came back and was fully in the buff, and I guess very proud of his physique. She says he fell over the rail, hit his head and has been lying there for almost 2hrs.
So why wait 2 hours to call 911? She said he came back with no clothes on yet her family had the guys shirt, cell phone, and wallet. I'm no CSI, but some things just don't add up. Her older brothers were there and were being noble and said they covered him up because of all the kids around.
Fry/Wet/Sherm(marijuana dipped/soaked in formaldehyde) can mess people up. These people love to take their clothes off because their body temperatures climb and they sweat profusely. It also makes you lose your inhibitions as do most drugs including alcohol. Could he have been high so high on the wet?
Did the brothers throw him over the rail?
Did the girl slip this guy a date rape drug in his drink, so she could take his stuff?
What do you think happened?
The truth is out there somewhere. Some people say there is no truth, or that truth is whatever you think it is. I struggle with that logic dearly. I know people have different perceptions from past experiences, that shape their reality, but surely there is still truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." What a crazy statement. What a bold statement. Who else calls themselves the truth? It has been said that Jesus was/is who he said he was/is; he was a big fat liar, or he was insane. For me I believe He is all that he claimed/s to be and more. Who do you say Jesus is? We all have already decided or have not yet made up our minds.
Naked (or nekkit if your from Tx) is how we found a young man last week. The call came in as a "fall." We entered an apartment complex to find a young man about 18 years old, 110 pounds, lying "butt freakin nekkit" on the sidewalk in front of an apartment that wasn't his. Some kind bystander placed a wash cloth over is you know what. He has a good sized strawberry and bruising to his right shoulder and right knee. The kid wreaked of alcohol and was obviously not in his right mind. No one seems to have ever seen this guy before, there are kids all over the place peering over the stair rail.
We try and treat him and get him on a backboard and he tries to get away. When I grab his arm, he tries to strong arm me. I'm 2x plus this guys size. I've eaten bigger steaks than this guy. He surrenders shortly there after and we get him into the ambulance at which point he goes unresponsive for several minutes. On the way to the ambulance I was sure to address all the kids. I told them not do to drugs because they will end up like this guy. I tell them to stay in school and graduate. They all nodded their heads. Oh the teachable moments. The guy "comes to" while in the ER. The Dr asks him if he has any family and he says, "solo tu"- only you. I start laughing and the doctor is a little embarrassed but amused as well. What a character.
The story goes something like this. A teenage girl was upstairs when the patient approached her with all his clothes on and tried to hug her. She denies knowing the guy. She says she pushed him away and he took his shirt off. Some time later the guy came back and was fully in the buff, and I guess very proud of his physique. She says he fell over the rail, hit his head and has been lying there for almost 2hrs.
So why wait 2 hours to call 911? She said he came back with no clothes on yet her family had the guys shirt, cell phone, and wallet. I'm no CSI, but some things just don't add up. Her older brothers were there and were being noble and said they covered him up because of all the kids around.
Fry/Wet/Sherm(marijuana dipped/soaked in formaldehyde) can mess people up. These people love to take their clothes off because their body temperatures climb and they sweat profusely. It also makes you lose your inhibitions as do most drugs including alcohol. Could he have been high so high on the wet?
Did the brothers throw him over the rail?
Did the girl slip this guy a date rape drug in his drink, so she could take his stuff?
What do you think happened?
The truth is out there somewhere. Some people say there is no truth, or that truth is whatever you think it is. I struggle with that logic dearly. I know people have different perceptions from past experiences, that shape their reality, but surely there is still truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." What a crazy statement. What a bold statement. Who else calls themselves the truth? It has been said that Jesus was/is who he said he was/is; he was a big fat liar, or he was insane. For me I believe He is all that he claimed/s to be and more. Who do you say Jesus is? We all have already decided or have not yet made up our minds.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I'm Hungry
What an interesting call. I just had to write about this misuse of public funds and the apathy/laziness/stupidity of some nursing home/assisted living center staff. This past Saturday morning, we raced around the 610 loop to a call that came in as "Chest Pain." On our arrival to this assisted living center we found the ambulance crew wheeling an 91 year old lady on the stretcher. So I turned around and hopped in the back of the ambulance to get ready to run an EKG and decide if she needs advance life support(ALS) of basic life support(BLS).
The ambulance crew told me that the front desk nurses/help said the patient was short of breath, had chest pain and had ischemic heart disease. Sounds serious. Like a "real" emergency. I looked at the patient who did not look like she was in any type of distress, but looked like she was along for the ride-straight chillin.
I like to get the story straight from the horses mouth. So I asked her what was wrong with her today. Without missing a beat she said, "I'm hungry." I asked why she needed an ambulance for that. She said, "I don't know." She then told u how she was hungry and really wanted some milk, but that she had none in her room, so she went to the nurses station. Next thing she knows, they call 911 and she is on a stretcher. I asked her if she was ever short of breath. She said she was 91 and has been short of breath for 4 or 5 years. She also denied having chest pain. I ran a 12 lead EKG just to cover my you know what. It looked as good as it could.
I asked her if she thought she needed to go to the hospital, and she said she was just following the orders of the staff. She asked if we could stop by McDonald's on the way so she could get something to eat, and then chose the hospital according to how good their food is. We all agreed that Methodist Hospital has the best food. So we left her in the caring hands of the ambulance crew.
When they got to the ER, the triage nurse asked for the patients "chief complaint." He said "hunger." The nurse didn't believe them and thought they were joking. The nurse then asked the lady if she was really hungry and she said," of course I'm hungry, these guys didn't stop at McDonald's on the way here." They were told to place this poor lady on a wheel chair so she could wait in the waiting room.
I take a lot of issues with this call. More firemen are injured in car accidents than any other job hazard. I take issue with us racing to a fictitious call risking our lives on the aggressive highways of Houston. And why? So that a nurse has one less patient to deal with, or maybe because she is fully incompetent at doing her job of caring for her elderly patients. It wasn't fair to us, the patient, the hospital, or the citizens who may have had a true emergency at that time, who could have received delayed care. Is it too much to ask people to do their jobs well?
If you want to make sure your elderly family is getting the proper care, often it is best if you do it yourself. As a matter of fact, God expects us to. "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." 1 Tim 5:4. If you can't physically or medically do so, then you better make darn sure well the people you are paying to do their job, are fully capable of doing so.
The ambulance crew told me that the front desk nurses/help said the patient was short of breath, had chest pain and had ischemic heart disease. Sounds serious. Like a "real" emergency. I looked at the patient who did not look like she was in any type of distress, but looked like she was along for the ride-straight chillin.
I like to get the story straight from the horses mouth. So I asked her what was wrong with her today. Without missing a beat she said, "I'm hungry." I asked why she needed an ambulance for that. She said, "I don't know." She then told u how she was hungry and really wanted some milk, but that she had none in her room, so she went to the nurses station. Next thing she knows, they call 911 and she is on a stretcher. I asked her if she was ever short of breath. She said she was 91 and has been short of breath for 4 or 5 years. She also denied having chest pain. I ran a 12 lead EKG just to cover my you know what. It looked as good as it could.
I asked her if she thought she needed to go to the hospital, and she said she was just following the orders of the staff. She asked if we could stop by McDonald's on the way so she could get something to eat, and then chose the hospital according to how good their food is. We all agreed that Methodist Hospital has the best food. So we left her in the caring hands of the ambulance crew.
When they got to the ER, the triage nurse asked for the patients "chief complaint." He said "hunger." The nurse didn't believe them and thought they were joking. The nurse then asked the lady if she was really hungry and she said," of course I'm hungry, these guys didn't stop at McDonald's on the way here." They were told to place this poor lady on a wheel chair so she could wait in the waiting room.
I take a lot of issues with this call. More firemen are injured in car accidents than any other job hazard. I take issue with us racing to a fictitious call risking our lives on the aggressive highways of Houston. And why? So that a nurse has one less patient to deal with, or maybe because she is fully incompetent at doing her job of caring for her elderly patients. It wasn't fair to us, the patient, the hospital, or the citizens who may have had a true emergency at that time, who could have received delayed care. Is it too much to ask people to do their jobs well?
If you want to make sure your elderly family is getting the proper care, often it is best if you do it yourself. As a matter of fact, God expects us to. "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." 1 Tim 5:4. If you can't physically or medically do so, then you better make darn sure well the people you are paying to do their job, are fully capable of doing so.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Visitations
For some reason, people in our territory are a lot nicer to us as firefighters than in other parts of the city. People stop by all the time to our station. Parents bring their kids to see the fire truck. I personally love to show kids around, because I remember what it was like as a kid admiring that big shiny red truck. We let them try on our gear and turn on the lights. If they are lucky we will pull a hose off and let them spray some water. I know most other stations love to do the same for children.
New parents often stop by with their new car seats wanting to know how to properly install them before they bring home their new addition. I must be upfront with you all and tell you that we do not receive special training on car seats. We actually receive no training whatsoever. I help out, because having 3 kids, I have become a pro. The best thing to do is to read the instructions.
One night a car literally rolled up on our driveway and two young ladies began banging on our door. It seems that with the recent gas prices, ran out of gas just blocks from their home. What better place to go when you run out of gas at 2 in the morning, than the fire station. I stumbled out of bed and made my way to get the lawn equipment gas can. I gave them enough to get home and then crawled back in bed.
The goodies seem to appear at least monthly, if not more frequently. Cookies, cakes, muffins, sandwhiches/subs, and icecream arrive from people who want to say thank you. The most interesting was an elderly woman who came by and opened her trunk that had 2 cases of Coors Light for the "guys who saved her life." I was in shock and amused. She insisted we take it, so we put it in the car of one of my co-workers. No beer was drank while on duty.
The most moving visit came from a young lady in her 20's. We were winding down after 9 O'clock clean up when someone came knocking. There stood this young woman with puffy eyes and the tears began to flow. She was able to muster the words thank you. She said she recently attempted suicide and our paramedics made sure she lived. She then turned and quickly left. It was moving and so brief. The next morning I got held over for a couple of hours and she returned. She was smiling full of life. She handed us a painting of the poem "The Road Less Traveled." I gave her a hug and she shed some more tears and said she had a new love for life.
Tell the people you love how much you love them every chance you get. Don't underestimate the power of the words Thank You. It has done wonders for our morale and for those who work at our station from out of district. People suffer from burnout and bitterness when they don't know they are appreciated. Kids tell your parents, husbands tell your wives, tell your co-workers, family members, cashiers, clerks, anyone who does a service for you. I think it is also very necessary to count your blessings and be sure to thank God for all he does and not take his blessings for granted. The Bible says to "Give thanks to Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."
New parents often stop by with their new car seats wanting to know how to properly install them before they bring home their new addition. I must be upfront with you all and tell you that we do not receive special training on car seats. We actually receive no training whatsoever. I help out, because having 3 kids, I have become a pro. The best thing to do is to read the instructions.
One night a car literally rolled up on our driveway and two young ladies began banging on our door. It seems that with the recent gas prices, ran out of gas just blocks from their home. What better place to go when you run out of gas at 2 in the morning, than the fire station. I stumbled out of bed and made my way to get the lawn equipment gas can. I gave them enough to get home and then crawled back in bed.
The goodies seem to appear at least monthly, if not more frequently. Cookies, cakes, muffins, sandwhiches/subs, and icecream arrive from people who want to say thank you. The most interesting was an elderly woman who came by and opened her trunk that had 2 cases of Coors Light for the "guys who saved her life." I was in shock and amused. She insisted we take it, so we put it in the car of one of my co-workers. No beer was drank while on duty.
The most moving visit came from a young lady in her 20's. We were winding down after 9 O'clock clean up when someone came knocking. There stood this young woman with puffy eyes and the tears began to flow. She was able to muster the words thank you. She said she recently attempted suicide and our paramedics made sure she lived. She then turned and quickly left. It was moving and so brief. The next morning I got held over for a couple of hours and she returned. She was smiling full of life. She handed us a painting of the poem "The Road Less Traveled." I gave her a hug and she shed some more tears and said she had a new love for life.
Tell the people you love how much you love them every chance you get. Don't underestimate the power of the words Thank You. It has done wonders for our morale and for those who work at our station from out of district. People suffer from burnout and bitterness when they don't know they are appreciated. Kids tell your parents, husbands tell your wives, tell your co-workers, family members, cashiers, clerks, anyone who does a service for you. I think it is also very necessary to count your blessings and be sure to thank God for all he does and not take his blessings for granted. The Bible says to "Give thanks to Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."
Uptown
In Jan. 2008, I transferred to a new station with a new crew in a new neighborhood. I also get to ride on the pumper(fire truck) more often and get around on EMS calls in a squad (Ford Excursion staffed with two paramedics) instead of an ambulance. I am assigned to a/the station in River Oaks which is one of the million dollar home districts in the city. Every day I am amazed at how big, and nice, and extravagant the affluent live. The servants quarters are bigger than my own home. We often ask ourselves what the heck to so many people do to make so much money, as I know I can't even afford the taxes on the homes in this neighborhood. You must also understand that most of our calls are not in our territory, because the wealthy seem to keep up with their Dr.'s appointments and have the best construction and fire prevention systems in their homes. The other thing I have realized is that no matter how much money we as people have, we still have problems. So here are a few of the calls to the rich and famous.
An older middle aged woman who happens to live a shopping mall of the home all by her lonsesome. Her brother came by to check up on her and found her some what altered and bruised and cut from head to tow. She had been on a drinking binge and had stumbled across her bedroom knocking over furniture and bruising herself from head to toe.
Another older middle aged woman who lives in a highrise condo/townhome/penthouse on my shift has contacted 911 at least twice. Once she called to report the building on fire. Upon arrival, we found out she just burned a cake. About two weeks later she called again because she "didn't feel right." All of her vitals were normal and she then seemed to feel better and think that maybe she didn't need us. She was looking for attention. Again.
An on air radio personality was found unconscious in the parking garage of her radio station. She sustained some injuries from a fall which was caused by low blood sugar or a cardiac issue. She awoke and was not alert and oriented enough to refuse treatment and transport. So we convinced her to go to the ER. At the ER she became shrewd and began using racial slurs and profanity. She was moved to a private room and shortly afterwards she ran out of the room and pulled out her IV as she was leaving a trail of blood out the front door. The nurses chased her down and took her back to her room. As soon as they left her alone in her room, she bolted again and was successful.
On two occasions I have had the privilege of meeting one of the most demanding rich old ladies in town. She tells us how to do our job, complains about the drive, our care, bosses around her hired help who have been with her for decades. Yells out in pain whenever she is touched. Tells us to shut up when we are talking to each other because she doesn not want to hear our conversations. She was told by the hospital the after the first time we took her to the hospital not to come back. She pushed their patience to the max.
On two other occasions we made calls to a new high rise penthouse in which the owner has had way too much to drink and has fallen on his marble floors and split his wig. He then became beligerent and violent with the first responders. They had to call for a firefighter assist over the radio, which sends more staff, a supervisor, a district chief, and HPD. He calmed down before we got to put the smack down on him. Lucky for him. A couple of days later he was drinking again, and we were called out again, because he fell again and the staples from his original wound broke free.
We were recently called out to one of the bigger homes in the neighborhood for an unconscious 19 year old boy. The house cleaners found him snoring really loudly and could not wake him. When we got there he was on the floor barely breathing and he was blue in the face. I started an IV and we gave him D50 for a low bloor sugar and Narcan for a possible overdose. He had a ton of hard liquor in his room and drug paraphernalia:pipes, bongs, and beer bongs. The home belonged to him and his brother, paid for by his dad and fully staffed with security, house cleaning, the works. Also furnished with several cars including a Bentley for the 19 year old lad.
As you can see people are people. Loneliness, depression, drug addiction, and disease know no color or economic status. It is apparent that money can buy you the nicest things the world has to offer, but it doesn't buy you happiness. It is more evident that we all are in need of love and acceptance. More importantly we see the condition of man who is far from God. The signs and symptoms are obvious and are all the same. It is encouraging to know that a relationship with God cannot be bought and is available to all mankind. Thank you Jesus for the Cross!
An older middle aged woman who happens to live a shopping mall of the home all by her lonsesome. Her brother came by to check up on her and found her some what altered and bruised and cut from head to tow. She had been on a drinking binge and had stumbled across her bedroom knocking over furniture and bruising herself from head to toe.
Another older middle aged woman who lives in a highrise condo/townhome/penthouse on my shift has contacted 911 at least twice. Once she called to report the building on fire. Upon arrival, we found out she just burned a cake. About two weeks later she called again because she "didn't feel right." All of her vitals were normal and she then seemed to feel better and think that maybe she didn't need us. She was looking for attention. Again.
An on air radio personality was found unconscious in the parking garage of her radio station. She sustained some injuries from a fall which was caused by low blood sugar or a cardiac issue. She awoke and was not alert and oriented enough to refuse treatment and transport. So we convinced her to go to the ER. At the ER she became shrewd and began using racial slurs and profanity. She was moved to a private room and shortly afterwards she ran out of the room and pulled out her IV as she was leaving a trail of blood out the front door. The nurses chased her down and took her back to her room. As soon as they left her alone in her room, she bolted again and was successful.
On two occasions I have had the privilege of meeting one of the most demanding rich old ladies in town. She tells us how to do our job, complains about the drive, our care, bosses around her hired help who have been with her for decades. Yells out in pain whenever she is touched. Tells us to shut up when we are talking to each other because she doesn not want to hear our conversations. She was told by the hospital the after the first time we took her to the hospital not to come back. She pushed their patience to the max.
On two other occasions we made calls to a new high rise penthouse in which the owner has had way too much to drink and has fallen on his marble floors and split his wig. He then became beligerent and violent with the first responders. They had to call for a firefighter assist over the radio, which sends more staff, a supervisor, a district chief, and HPD. He calmed down before we got to put the smack down on him. Lucky for him. A couple of days later he was drinking again, and we were called out again, because he fell again and the staples from his original wound broke free.
We were recently called out to one of the bigger homes in the neighborhood for an unconscious 19 year old boy. The house cleaners found him snoring really loudly and could not wake him. When we got there he was on the floor barely breathing and he was blue in the face. I started an IV and we gave him D50 for a low bloor sugar and Narcan for a possible overdose. He had a ton of hard liquor in his room and drug paraphernalia:pipes, bongs, and beer bongs. The home belonged to him and his brother, paid for by his dad and fully staffed with security, house cleaning, the works. Also furnished with several cars including a Bentley for the 19 year old lad.
As you can see people are people. Loneliness, depression, drug addiction, and disease know no color or economic status. It is apparent that money can buy you the nicest things the world has to offer, but it doesn't buy you happiness. It is more evident that we all are in need of love and acceptance. More importantly we see the condition of man who is far from God. The signs and symptoms are obvious and are all the same. It is encouraging to know that a relationship with God cannot be bought and is available to all mankind. Thank you Jesus for the Cross!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
