Wednesday, April 26, 2006

"Insert title of first post here"

Putting off my schoolwork... as usual... at 4AM ... as usual... I stumbled across an amazing blog about a hobby of mine: EMS. For reference that blog titled 'DTs EMT' can be found at http://mysite.verizon.net/vze25hnc. From there I linked to 'Flatline NYC' at flatlinenyc.com. Half way through reading a post about an 300lb. combative autistic asthmatic, I revelated: I could write something like this. Better yet, I wanted to, and more to the point: here it is.

I am an Emergency Medical Technician, aka an EMT. The lay public calls us ambulance drivers, medics, EMS, heroes, assholes, and on occasion, firemen. I like plain-old "EMT" -- the name is shrouded in layers of professionalism and ideas of experience and sagacity, it doesn't make any claims to things we're not, and doesn't leave us sounding like livery cabbies. The job is hard. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. My fire and PD brethren will have you believe that their profession is more difficult. They would be correct. In general, EMS is the only of the BIG 3 emergency services where you don't line up to risk your life, but it's also the only one where injury, misery, grief and death is the most routine... a part of the job description.

Luckily for me, this is only a part-time gig. I dwell most days as a lowly college student. Engineering school is a reliable existence, albeit the UWS of the borough of Manhattan bleeds just enough caffeine to keep me on my toes. But its when I don my uniform for the University ambulance that I start to really come alive.

I don't remember why I decided to sit the training to become an EMT. Maybe it was the promise of truly, genuinely saving someone's life on every second Tuesday. Or maybe I like flashing lights and sirens. As a kid, I remember calling 911 for my sick grandfather and having the Paramedics arriving seconds later, perform their witchcraft, and save the day. OK, that last statement isn't true, but it would fit the profile wouldn't it? Truth is, I've been doing this for a long time ("how long?" you ask, but if I told you, You'd have to call 911) and love it. Oftentimes we get toned out for silly, inconsequential things: Sprained ankles, cut fingers, and I've waded through more foul, drunken vomit that you could ever imagine (Collegiate EMS remember). But there are more than enough legit calls as well.

And that brings me to the grand bullet of the presentation. I have stories to tell, and ideas to express (which I suppose is the point of all blogs -- cut me some slack, this is my first one ever). I've run EMS in urban and suburban (my home away from home(school) is a little town in Upstate NY) settings. I've been the probie, the chief, and the administrator. I've been in thick as much as thin, sun as much as snow, and day as much as night, and grown right along with the green, green grass. So I write -- not for you, but for me. I'll try to make it interesting, but no guarantees. I like adrenaline, but I like whimsical humor just as much. Anyhow, we'll see how it goes. This is my first post and it's Tuesday. I leave you now, there are people to see.

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