Sparky

“Hey guys, anything interesting?”

Ambulance 10 has arrived on scene uninvited and unexpected because they have a brand new trainee. Our chest pain patient is hypotensive, tachycardic, diaphoretic, and as pale as my uniform shirt. More help is always welcome.

We toss the trainee and his preceptor into the extrication role, and soon he is learning tricks they don’t teach in school. The stair chair isn’t glamorous, but it’s arguably our second or third most important piece of equipment.

Four of the five of us function as an automatic machine. Oxygen, IV, monitor, aspirin, 12-lead ECG all happen quickly. The trainee looks a bit lost, but he manages to keep up.

We take him with us to the hospital. A10 can catch up later. He’s here to learn, and we’re the ones with the patient right now.

I find myself wondering, was I ever that new? I suppose I must have been. I remember looking up in awe to the paramedics I worked with in my early days, and I suddenly realize that now I am one of them.

Good luck kid, you’ll do fine.