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Author Archives: mack505
Sounds
All is peaceful. The only sound is the whir of the Coke machine. A window pane rattles as the wind buffets one of the six garage doors. Suddenly, a klaxon blares out. There is a loud CLANG-CLANG-CLANG as the alarm sounds. All across town, men are awakened to the insistent BEEP BEEP of pagers. All […]
Lynnfield Muster 2009
Beth and I attended the Lynnfield parade and muster with Forestry 2 yesterday. We met a fellow FF and his two kids for the parade. No more comment necessary, but enjoy the video.
3 A.M.
0300 hours exactly. The call is for a possible allergic reaction. The firemen are already rolling their eyes as we arrive. I’m greeted by a woman with a history of diabetic neuropathy, with attendant foot pain. She tells me she had a cortisone shot in her knee at 1000 the previous day, and she’s afraid […]
Captain Mike
Twice the patient had called EMS, both times with a very serious complaint. When we arrived, both times, we found the patient had been drinking and wanted to go to the hospital for detox. He admitted in private that his more serious complaint was fabricated in an attempt to get a faster response. I would […]
I really love my job. . .
. . .too much. Psych patients always think I’m laughing at them. I try not to grin too much, but it’s just easier than being annoyed.
We’re All on the Same Team, Right?
Steve* and I were out of our district, covering another city. I’d known Steve since he was a wheelchair van driver and I was a new EMT. Now here we were, with over $100,00 worth of equipment, the last line of defense for thousands of people. We had just been discussing the absurdity of that […]
Can’t Make this (Stuff) Up
“You can’t make this sh*t up.” A fire instructor whom I admire once told me that. As I look back over my career in both EMS and the fire service, I see how right he was. Friends laugh at my stories, and my wife says I should write them down. Like many people in EMS, […]
Tired.
Simple thought: Tired. Lots of fun on the rails this weekend. Hobo rocks.
Long day at work
Blasting through the nightTunnel vision in right seatWhen will morning come?
