One of my friends is an EMT. I was there with her when she passed her EMT test and have always thought that being an EMT was interesting. I decided that it would be interesting to interview her on some of her experiences. Upon the conversation, she said that it is not all sunshine and rainbows. She receives a lot of calls in which individuals are in desperate need of attention. I was interested in how she remained so calm during each of the calls. She explained that you may be scared a little at first, but you always remember that the people who called you need you. That the adrenaline going through your system helps you to stay focused.
I was interested to see what one of her craziest calls where so I asked if she could pick out one that was memorable. She explained that there was one incident in which they received a call. The caller explained that there was an adult man that was unresponsive. They packed up all of their adult supplies in the ambulance and responded to the call. Upon arrival, they discovered that it was a baby who was seizing. At this time they realized that they needed to switch out the supplies readily available in the EMT truck. During this time, my roommate evaluated the child and discovered that they were aspirating on himself. The baby was unconscious and turning blue. At this time she suctioned out the baby’s mouth and continued to check his lungs until he was no longer choking. On the ambulance ride home the mother was sitting in the front. As my roommate asked the mother a few questions the mother offered to show her the footage she had taken at the time the child had seized. My roommate was surprised that rather than calling 911, she recorded her child.
She also received a few more calls involving children that stuck with her. I was surprised to learn that there were so many calls involving children that were injured. This includes a pregnant woman that was an addict that had called in pain. As they worked with her, she tried to force herself to throw up. Upon taking her vitals, they discovered that her vitals were good and she did not need the painkillers as she was not in any real pain. Another call was sent by a father. His son had called him to tell him that his mother had beaten him up on his birthday. At this time, they responded and took the child to the hospital, where the father would meet them.
Upon hearing these stories I feel as though I have learned so much more about being an EMT. They are forced to remain calm during all of these times. I have learned to appreciate her more than I had before. These stories sound as though they came out of a show, but each day there are individuals who are in need in existential situations. My roommate helps these individuals continue their lives.
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