EMS Week 2010: All Contest Entries

Minutes before my shift was to start;
the tones went off and a flutter went my heart.

An accident spotted on the highway near;
several people called to ensure the report was clear.

A cold night in winter, but not a chill I felt;
this is what I'm trained for — work the call I'm dealt.

A truck hit a car; the car flew across the road.
When we saw the woman lying there — our first thought was a "code”.

It was the evening rush that had come to a stop;
the blood in car, so much more than a drop.

Across the front seat, I saw her lay —
I knew in an instant, this was no "stay and play”.

Fire fighters, police, medics, and EMTs —
we worked to stabilize her spine and free her knees.

Fluid from an ear, skull soft to the touch . Was that a moan?
One could say "good fortune”; she was all alone.

The stretcher we pulled up to the seat;
we had to move quickly. No time to be neat.

With an EMT on head and one in the rear —
the medic led the call, and was loud and clear.

The O2 for her breath, and a collar on her neck —
Even with her out of the car, it was all hands on deck.

Quickly we moved her a few feet away,
to a nearby ambulance, trying not to delay.

While we waited for wings to land safely on ground,
she was thoroughly assessed — back, front, and around.

She could not speak, nor open eyes to see;
we asked for a sign, but it was not meant to be.

I tried to help; an oral airway I put in —
she needed more than that — she had to fight to win.

When the air crew arrived, eight was a crowd;
I stood near several, who said a prayer aloud.

Within minutes she was in the air,
Flying on wings and in God's care.

Later we learned — there was alcohol and drugs.
She had just left her friend — maybe with hugs.

She stayed alive for maybe a day.
Time for her family to say goodbye in their way.

Each time I drive past, the mark I still see.
The image in mind, forever it will be.

They say there are days and events that stick with you forever; I had one of those events on November 06, 2009...

This day started off like any other. As a paramedic and firefighter a calm day or a chaotic day is the norm. This particular Thursday started of like the calm day we all hope for at the start of the shift. We checked trucks and did yard work like we do every Thursday. I distinctly remember being pricked by a thorn bush at the front of the station while picking up trash. That spot itched all morning and I thought I would try to dig out what go caught in the skin later when I had time, I never did…

We received a dispatch for a multi-victim shooting on the Fort Hood military base only a few miles away. Our department sent two trucks to aid in the shooting. My partner and I followed the other ambulance to Fort Hood. We could barely keep up with them. In my minds eye, I kept thinking one of the soldiers we pick up all the time with PTSD must have lost it and was using an automatic weapon on base. I was already considering that there would be many casualties. I was also scared out of my mind. I only received my Paramedic patch earlier that year and had been cleared to ride solo only a few months before the attack. The most trauma I had dealt with was a lady with bilateral femur fractures in a car accident. I had never dealt with a gun shot wound. I kept thinking what my instructor said while in Paramedic school, traumas' are the easiest cases to handle.

The best you can do for them is to get them someplace quickly, so they can have the surgery they need. You can only give them so much fluid in the field.  We were waved through the front gate past all the people waiting to get on base and all I could think was they have no idea how much their perfect, normal day was about to change. We did not know Fort Hood very well so we jumped behind a fire engine that was racing to the scene. We arrived and the first ambulance with the fire engine were waved right around a building and we lost sight of them. What I saw on our side of the building put me in high gear immediately. I was told later an ambulance was leaving our scene but I never saw it, all I saw were bodies laying on the ground everywhere in a 180 degree arch from left to right and I was the only Paramedic in sight. Each victim had a group surrounding them so it was not hard to pinpoint the victims. There were people sitting up and people in cardiac arrest with bystanders doing CPR.

Even though I was a brand new Medic, I knew I had a mass casualty incident in front of me and all the rules changed. I got out of the ambulance with my bright orange vest ( later I realized my partner and I were a targets with everyone else in fatigues). I was immediately surrounded by all the people who were attending a victim. I heard someone say they had a CPR patient and I had to turn to them and say "We are in a Mass casualty situation, I can't take a CPR". I had another say he had someone that was shot in the head around the other side of the building, etc... I focused on a patient in my direct line of site, This patient looked bad but he was still alive. I was going to push my stretcher to him but I didn't have to, these guys were used to this and they were already bringing him to me.

As we were putting him in the ambulance they brought me another gravely injured soldier and we placed that soldier on my bench seat. While all this was going on I turned to someone and told him to bring my some walking wounded. Before it was all said I had three gunshot victims in the ambulance. I wanted to haul butt to the ER but someone started shouting on the radio that the shooter was still active. People started diving for cover around the ambulance, some trying to get in the ambulance ( I don't think my ambulance would have stopped too many bullets). I turned to yell at my partner to get us out of there and realized he was still in the back. So now do I send my partner out and risk him getting shot or do we wait it out...I knew we couldn't wait...These guys needed surgery now!...I asked my partner if he could fit through the small window between the box and the cab and he looked at me like I was crazy. He realized though that we needed to go, so he left the box and took off toward the hospital. He jumped curbs and did what he had t,o but he got us out of there. I concentrated on my patients and realized that two out of the three were pretty bad off. I was pretty certain one was not going to make it.

We arrived at Darnall Army Hospital pretty quickly, I did not have time for a report and wondered what they were going to think with us just driving up with three patients. I didn't have to worry. A huge crowd of people met us at the ER doors and took the patients from the ambulance. They had trained for this and were very ready for anything I had to bring to them. I lost sight of my cot while giving verbal report to anyone who would listen.

My partner and I went in to find our cot...I had never, in my short career seen so many people in the ER..We finally realized we would not be able to find our cot so we went and grabbed as many backboards as we could carry. We were going back to get as many people as we could, even if we had to put them on the floor. We went out the ER entrance and it seemed the crowd had triple while we were looking for our cot. I spotted our ambulance and realized there was a group of people putting a patient in our ambulance. They said the ER was saturated and they needed this patient sent to Scott and White ER some 30 miles away. This patient was placed on the floor and we raced to Scott and White with him. We had every attention of returning and helping some more but this was our last patient from the scene.

Our cot was located the next day and we ended up loosing a oxygen bottle that we never got back. We found out one of the other services that had dispatched an ambulance had their ambulance taken while they were getting a patient, we were pretty sure that if we had not come out of the ER at the moment we did, our ambulance would have been taken without us. The soldiers on scene and at the ER were prepared to do anything to save their friends and comrades. You don't see that very often anywhere in the outside world except with Firefighters and Law Enforcement. I have a lot of respect for them, especially all the Combat Medics that were on scene doing what they have been trained to do. What they did probably saved more lives that what we did in our ambulances. I will never forget my experience that day. Months later I still have the scar from the thorn that was stuck in my skin, every time I see that scar I think of that day. I sure I will have many more interesting stories to tell over the years but none will ever compare to that first big one...

I was there when you crashed your car; scared, hurt and bleeding you were brave as we bent the metal freeing you. You had no control over the person crossing your lane, your seatbelt and airbags spared you many horrific injuries, but nothing could take away the pain and trauma you endured. We talked while the team worked quickly, somewhere amongst the medical history, complaints and vital signs, we shared a piece of irreplaceable time. Several years later, you told me that the thing you remembered most about the wreck was the conversation we shared. No better complement could ever be given.

I was there as you experienced your stroke, your eyes speaking the words your body failed to form. I held your hand and explained the events that would be taking place. The conversation we shared was just the beginning of your journey, and I was thrilled that you came back to see me and were able to have the verbal conversation when you recovered. Your words were music to my ears.

I was there when your heart attack took away your breath, lowered your vitals and nearly took your life. As we worked feverishly to stabilize you, your worries were for your wife; having the two of you come by the station when you were well was quite a treat. She shared how she believed the time we shared taking care of her was the reason you survived, knowing she was cared for.

I was there as you took your first breath, a pitiful little squeak at the time; 12 weeks early is a feat in itself and your circumstances were grim. Your early birth changed many people for the good, and as you have grown over the last decade, you continue to bring hope to those you meet.

Lifetimes of years, multitudes of wrecks, endless streams of tears…through all of these you shared yourselves. One by one I met you, most times after hearing the screech of the tones, the wails of the sirens and the information given by dispatch. Day after day, year after year you shaped me as a provider. I have attended many hours of education over the years, but no one has taught me the things you have. I have practiced my skills, read the texts, attended the lectures, looked at the videos and yet to this day, you are my greatest teacher. How blessed I am to be able to meet you, how grateful I am that I have been given a set of skills that helped you, how thankful I am to have been able to serve you. I am honored and privileged to belong to a family of professionals known as EMS, and how when you called…I was there.