You become a small town EMT so you can help people.

They don't tell you that a bit of you dies each time there is a bad one. Eventually you don't have any left.


It's a bitch.

Sorry bout that.
Saw a 19 year old who blew a country stop sign Sunday out by us. He was on his dirt bike. Wasn't pretty. The bad ones leave a mark on you.

You're a good man Jim, I'm sure you have some left.

Don't tell me that. I'm currently attending EMT basic school. I enjoy what I do now but the Brandon crew is making it not worth doing anymore.

Tremendous respect for an EMT, they do help many People, not all can be saved.

Yep 10 years at that and first responder. The good outweighs it for the most part but the “bad ones” are tough. About the only folks you can talk to about it and will understand are your fellow responders/EMT’s.

In my experience, the EMTs are more attentive, take better care, and care more in general than do the docs and nurses that you are passed on to.

Jim, thank you for what you have done, the toll of what you have seen and been involved in is tough. Sometimes it's better to let others take the reins

Had a work day at the range the other day.

Two LEO's there. Were getting to that point too Jim. Just had a domestic case, not the first time apparently to that domicile. Dude ran the gal over with his truck. One of the LEOs said he was worried about the gal dying while he was assisting her and she kept saying "He didn't mean it, don't take him to jail" Said his Give a Fugg was just about empty.

Have heard other stories from folks like you. Was bad enough for me the one time coming home when I happened upon and accident our trauma team was just starting to work on. About 3 miles from the project, but they were the closest , fastest response option. I had to cut the driver out of the barb wire fence along side the road, and donate a blanket for him. One young gal was shook up pretty bad, but mostly unharmed. The other gal in the car didn't make it, I watched the life go as our trauma team lead was doing CPR on her. Drinking and partying at the beach down the way was involved. A couple of more of them and I can see how you get to that point.

Hang in there bro.

People like you are mighty important in a rural community, Jim

The rural EMT is a tough gig.

You know most everyone that you show up to help.

Jim,

God Bless you and your fellow EMTs/ Paramedics...I know where you are coming from... after the military I spent my time doing that gig also.

I ended up being the first person on scene several times while in the service, three IIRC had deaths in the accidents, and most of the ones I came across had people injured pretty bad... intoxicated drivers going at high speed on curvy roads... this is in Puget Sound area, as I was stationed at Madigan AMC on Ft Lewis.

The first one I was at, the EMTs were fresh out of school and on the job less than a week. They couldn't handle the patient with multiple injuries and had a mental breakdown. State trooper was there, and observing my facial response, asked me if I knew what to do. I told him yeah, but I was military and we weren't allowed to work on civilians off the base. Trooper told me Washington had a Good Samaritan law, and if I could save the guys life, because he was going fast, then to do it. I did.. he pulled the EMTs out of there and assisted me. We saved him and another ambulance showed up and took him to the University of Washington Hospital.

I'm in the minority, because I have that ability to turn into someone that is mechanical like a robot and have no emotions. But after its all over, I empathisize with the ones that had a hard time. I do understand greatly.

you and only know if it is time to hang it up for good or just take a break. Remember, first rule is scene safe, and you take care of you the EMT first.
Otherwise you can't help others. Only Jesus could walk on water. No one knows whats best for you, except you and its not an easy decision.

but no one would ever think negatively of you, if you walked away. As someone whose been there, I'd support your decision either way. There is no shame in any decision. God Bless you for what you've done for your neighborhood, and may God Guide you in the decisions you make, if that time has arrived.

you've got my greatest respect brother.

Peace...
john chr/ seafire

If you were not there to help, people's chances of living to tell the tale would be a lot less. You can improve the odds, but you can't always beat them. On balance, the world is much better off for your efforts.

My dad was neither an EMT nor a religious man. One day, about 70 years ago, he came upon an accident where the car was engulfed in flames. He dragged the driver out of the car. The coins in the driver's pocket had all melted. But the rosary in that same pocket had not.

You do what you can and let God take care of the rest.

Heaven holds a special place for your kind Jim, been on a ambulance ride more often than I would have liked and it has been EMT's that saved my bacon. May God bless you all for the good you do.

I know exactly what you mean, Jim.
There were situations that I dealt with going back 40 years that still sometimes disturb my sleep.

Stay strong JC, your community is fortunate to have your kind serving.........no doubt they realize this and are grateful......

Prayers for first responders.

Takes a special kind of person to do what you do , my youngest son is a RN and a dam good one. He’s told us many a stories of dumb and or unappreciative patients. Your making a difference, keep up the good work sir..

Hang on. Not many are willing to do it. We help our local fire and ems as much as we can, its sad to hear some of the stories. I worked on the road for 40 years and saw just a taste of what you guys do regularly.

Bless you for your service to the rest of us. I can see how the day to day would grind you down.

My daughter was an ER nurse for 8yrs. She landed there fresh out of university & getting her degree.

Early on, she had to zip an infant into a body bag that was killed by it's father and face going to court to testify. Events like that change people.

Seek some sort of help. Do not internalize it in silence and let it eat you up.

Daughter got her EMT cert and is volunteering.
Thankfully no bad calls yet. Don’t know if she’s ready for what she may be exposed too though. Very few men at the squad Shes at, mostly college girls like her.

Jim, everything has a cycle.

You'll know when to move on. BTDT.

There is bad everywhere...

There is good everywhere...

Your willingness to step in the arena with every call... speaks volumes about your character.

I am 100% certain... your commitment to YOUR PEOPLE... saves many Lives/Souls.

---------------------------

There have been many ambulances and undertakers in my world... I try to thank each one... Can't always, but I try.

Same as I thank you for Serving...

Goodwill/Service and Honor...

Not much else really matters...

Your community is better off for what you do Jim.

Unsung heroes.

Especially rural counties.

County i live in has no paid fire services.
Somewhat limited ambulance services.

Luckily several years back air care became available.

They can scoop up a person and have them @ university in JXN in time to make a difference.

But it’s the first responders that truely make a difference.

I have been in EMS almost 20 years and completely understand. It seems like people are getting crazier than ever before and most could care less about anyone but themselves.

Used to ice fish a certain spot regularly that a couple of firemen/first responders worked as well. Had a shanty set up there, we hung out more than a little waiting on flags to pop. Sometimes they’d talk shop and I’d just kind of shut up and listen. Pass a bottle. Horrors….

Feel for ya.

My dad said that he would call it a day when he started having nightmares, 13 years later he walked, his was a little 4 year old boy that ran out in front of a chevy 3/4 ton pickup driven by my bud Dave who's dad was also a volunteer Fireman.

What a fugging mess that was, I've never seen so many grown men crying at once.


Just remember, for each one you save a little piece of them stays with you.

Good luck.

Thanks for your service to humanity!

Prayers lifted for you and your family and your EMS family. Spent 15 years as a rural EMT. Absolutely, one of the best things I have done in life. And at times, some of the worst experiences in my life. Do what you gotta do to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Then take care of your family. The EMS work will always be there.

Again, prayers lifted...

Our nephew was a firefighter and one rainy night he went on a call for a bad accident. It was one of his friends. Bad night. Yeah, it's hard on the people that have to pick up the pieces. God Bless.

Not everyone is able to do that job for a lifetime. I want to thank you for helping others - the world as a whole is a better place for it.

Thanks for what you do. Not many have the desire ot aptitude.

Many thanks to you and all EMT/Emergency workers Jim.

Try to focus on the good if you can, over the years many will be saved by yourself and others.

Damn Jim, you have been shouldering some heavy burdens of late.

I'm very sure there are many who are individually very grateful for your service.
If you are in a bad spot reach out to the help that is available..
I'm a volunteer FF and EMR. Sometimes you got to step back, take a deep breath, and talk with someone.
God bless.

Damn Jim, I hope it was nobody I know up there.

Even in this size MT town I've gone to a LOT of funerals.Too many of them kids.

+1. Also, look at the bright side--you're not a big city EMT.

Jimbo;

Your character shows, in that, you care enough do do it !

Much kudos to you.

I have the greatest respect for the EMT’s and others in the responders roles and also the everyday person who is thrust into the first help role simply by being available and they try as they can.

I think important is to know Jim so many times you are there for the one in need but you are there as well for those who are not. Sometimes the almighty takes them, his call, the stricken are in his hands. Just as important is your role in helping the ones left behind find comfort knowing all that could have been done, was done and their loved one was not alone.
Takes big shoulders, a bigger person, I look up to you.

Osky

You are absolutely correct!
How ya doing?

Emergency docs are supposed to save your life in critical situations, not pamper and chat about the weather.

Yes sir!

It’s really tough ! I quit because I couldn’t get the love ones from my mind. The people who died didn’t really get to me but my heart and mind broke for the ones left behind. I quit right about 30 years ago and I can still see the people and I still feel a tightness in my chest when I think of them.

Jim,
Thanks for your service. Before I was done I attended a training where they said everyone has a bucket and all that schitt from first responder jobs goes in the bucket. Everybody’s bucket is a different size and sooner or later the schitt in that bucket starts splashing over and getting on you. When it starts getting on you and affecting you and your family it is time for some help. Why most first responder suicides are at the end of a career and not the beginning. Not implying you are there, just that it is real, manifests itself in many ways and is no joke. Unfortunately I have seen it. Stay safe and stay healthy, a bunch of grinning kids who need you.

John

I did a month of CERT training with some EMTs.

They are a tough lot.

We had a hamburger buffet to celebrate our little ‘graduation’ hundreds of nasty stable flies were landing on and crawling through the tins of chopped lettuce and tomatoes.
And them dudes didn’t seem to mind

They were’t in the onions, flies don’t like onions.

One dude was talking and being all animated with has half-eaten burger had a fly on his burger. it was hanging like it was ridin the bull at Gilley’s.

My son certified as an EMT as a firefighter.
That young man has seen some bad stuff.
My two younger brothers were carrer Sheriff's Deputies and Highway Patrol.
Countless gut wrenching tragedies.

bless you Jim.

Try talking to someone via your dept. Years of that building up is not good for you or your family.

Dealing with dead children is the toughest

We seem to have a lot of members here that are or were EMTs. God bless you all.



If it's effecting your job performance or your personal life, it might be time to walk away. But of course, the post trauma stress part may dog you.......or pop up unannounced later, when you no longer have the agency resources to help you deal with it. My little PTSD issue reared its head years after the fact (yes, ribka, dead children involved). By accident, I found that writing the memory down in detail (which was painful) and then sharing it with my wife made it go away. And there's something about having that memory enshrined in stored text that I think makes me feel more human. Might not work for everyone, but something to keep in mind.

Thank you Sir James, and all the others.

I'd say although quantitatively being an emt in a city is worse. Serving a small community where you know or know of most everyone you help would/could be tougher.

I was a Paramedic for 14 years. I'm trying to forget those calls, the 8 year old boy walking across the road to catch the school bus, a pickup ran the school bus warnings and hit the kid at 40 mph. Dead 7 different ways. And his mom watched it happen, she is on her knees in the road, hugging her boy and crying.

The stress builds up.

Did the full and part time EMS thing for many years. Have been in the fire service for 26 years. I know EXACTLY what you are talking about!! These were the days before provider welfare was a big deal so it was simply clean up the truck and be ready for the next one. For me I knew it was time to take a break from the EMS side once I STOPPED reacting to the bad ones. Had seen enough and became hardened to it to the point I had a "oh well, bad sheit happens" attitude and seeing real bad sheit had no effect on me and realized it was probabably time to take a break. Good luck to you and remember there is no shame in using any resources that may be available to you to help with this.

I will also add that at least around here things have gotten better. Not too long ago I located a deceased victim while performing a primary search on an overnight residential structure fire. Seems the fire was barely out and I was being pulled aside to speak to a mental health provider from the county who had been sent to the scene. I was not particularly distressed in this case so our conversation was short but I was given a packet of resouces to follow up with if I needed. We as fire officers as well as EMS and PD have the ability to request a response of a provider to conduct a group session after any traumatic incident and individual providers have resources available 24/7 for free of charge mental health care.

Hard to keep the emotional checkbook balanced, with big withdrawals and small deposits.

Focus on those deposits. Find the good whenever and wherever you can.

Keep your head up big Jim, not alot of people out that could do what you do.

My wife was in a bad wreck in highschool. Her father was first on the scene. Happens in a small rural communities. In my wreck 2 years ago, everyone knew who it was when they pulled into my field. Some guys didn't handle it very well.

Hang tough , Big Jim! I was involved as an EMT, SAR team,Dive team, ski patrol, rural for many years. It does wear on you. My first call as a newbie EMT was a buddy of mine , .357 magnum to the head, in front of his wife and young boy! He still had a pulse when we got there,as we were at a snowmobile trailhead for a tentative search. Not everyone can do what you do , but God put adversity in your path for a reason!