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Paramedic Stories, Part XXXIII: Priorities...(By Kendall Victor Smith) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Rated "PG" by the Author.
A dedicated paramedic writes about the annoying situations he has dealt with during his paramedic career and why it angers him so much when people abuse the system.
You have got to understand something here, folks...whenever I get a call, I expect it to be for someone who is in dire straits..i.e., a person who is having a heart attack, stroke, or difficult breathing, or a person who is critically injured or acutely ill for whatever reason it may be.
More often than not, however, we get calls for kids who have nothing more than your run-of-the-mill conjunctivitis, colds, or ear infections, or from a person who has something as rediculous as a hangnail or something incredibly trivial; or we get calls for people who are bored and want to stir up some excitement, so they call for an ambulance, just so they can get the attention from their family or friends.
I find that to be incredibly annoying because when we could be dealing with a person who is TRULY in need, we are dealing with clowns who have no business calling for the paramedics in the first place, and sometimes we have arrived at the real victim's residence too late, and by the time we get there, the person is already checking out, and it is too late to save his ass.
People oftentimes take advantage of us paramedics because even though we ARE on 24-hour notice, we still get these clowns who abuse the system, and there are too many precious minutes wasted and too much gas spent on what I like to refer to as "joy runs" (which are NOT very joyful). These are the calls for people who have trivial matters, or for people who are bored, lonely, or aren't using good judgement, and by the time we get back to the station, we are all angry and snapping at one another. I have come down hard on my guys and gals for taking these "annoyance calls", and I tell them "Don't bother because it just isn't worth it", which it isn't.
We need our time and energy for far more serious cases such as a teenaged girl who is gasping for air, a little boy who is seizing uncontrollably, or a guy who is infarcting (myocardial infarction, i.e., a heart attack). We are liable to get sued or reprimanded severely by our supers because of these prank or annoyance calls, and sometimes we have lost a person even before the ambulance gets there. We then wonder why the families or friends of the victim have their shorts in a knot because "we didn't get there in time" because WE were dealing with a "joy run". It's no wonder so many paramedics nowadays are so stressed. Now, paramedicdom IS stressful enough, as you are dealing with the aging, sick, or injured populace on a daily basis, 365 days out of the year, 24 hours straight; but then we deal with those insensitive clowns who take advantage of us, and it really annoys the hell out of not only myself, but my co-workers!
Excellent write Karen, as I have been both a Paramedic and a 911 emergency operator I know of what you speak so very well....the stories I could tell you....
9-1-1 is for emergencies only. To call for a non emergency is putting someone who really needs the services of a paramedic/EMT in jeopardy...possibly someone you love.
A potentially life saving message in this excellent write--thank you!
...Well, Karen, I just about burned my britches off posting a good old rant about this worthy topic... then my server went down (which it seems to A LOT!) so that might have been a blessing in disguise... and just a shame the same cannot be said of those who cause the sort of mayhem you talk about here. Most of us can never be grateful enough for the loving service that these good emergency service men and women do us all... but seems like there are some also who perhaps need to have an attitude of gratitude beaten into them! Noooo, I'm not violent, honest!! Call an ambulance, someone! :)) Great write, Karen. TY Kate xx
A powerful and much needed message, Karen - and I'm sure every paramedic on duty would appreciate this. It also amazes me that many folks still do not pull to the side of the road to let ambulances and fire trucks get to where they need to be.
A well written explanation of why Paramedics have so much stress.
They really do such a wonderful job being heroes many times, and never really getting the appreciation they deserve. Glad you are giving them their due credit Karen! I have been in their care many
times and know for a fact they are hardly noticed for all they do!
It is always the hospitals and doctors/nurses that get most of the praise.
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Suspenseful and close to home, Rain of Deception 2 will leave you in Tears. Much like Part 1, this will shocking sequel will keep you on the edge of your fingertips.
You have got to understand something here, folks...whenever I get a call, I expect it to be for someone who is in dire straits..i.e., a person who is having a heart attack, stroke, or difficult breathing, or a person who is critically injured or acutely ill for whatever reason it may be.
