This is me not freaking out

Friday was my 1st real day at work. To be honest, it was pretty stressful. Everyone was really nice and welcoming, especially my FTO, but it was like: you can drive to the call, be quizzed on the way, wax the ambulance, tech the call, do skills, patch to the hospital, hand over the patient, write the report, change the oil, make lunch, and everything in between. Trial by fire is good for the soul.
It was all a pretty scary, especially because I don’t know where anything is, and I basically have to follow my crew around like a little puppy. But, it can only get better from here. The first day is over, and that was a big hurdle. And, I got to wear my brand new obsessively pressed uniform, with newbie extra shiny shoes, and all of my shirt “flair:” collar brass, badge, UMBC pin, etc.

Driving for this company is interesting. In each truck we have a road safety system installed. To drive the trucks, for one, you have to scan in your personal key, this lets them know who’s driving. Then, the system monitors how hard you brake, accelerate, turn, if you use your turn signals, when the lights and sirens are on, and various other things.
It’s essentially a warning system, to help you to be a better, safer driver. If you go too fast, there is a tone that counts against you. If you brake too hard at a stop light; a tone, pull out too fast; a tone, turn too hard; a tone, look at the ambulance wrong; a tone. Tones are bad and you can only get one every 8 miles (I got none the whole day). Usually, before a tone sounds, the system “growls” at you to serve as an extra warning that you are about to get a tone. It’s super sensitive, and no one goes without lots of growls.
Boy that is complicated! I like it myself, I don’t mind if ‘big brother’ is watching out for my personal safety, and that of the fine citizens of Manchester. It’s a little frustrating because, for example, you can only go 65 mph in the city trucks. Getting passed while going lights and sirens seems a little silly.

But, I did get to drive which was wicked fun! Running red lights, blowing stop signs; there’s nothing like it.
We only had two calls. The first was for an assault that rivaled any I’d seen in Baltimore city, so that was pretty impressive and surprising. The second call was for a sick person and what was cool about this is what we call “alpha response.” A revolutionary idea, uncommon in the US, which recognizes that not all 911 calls are life and death emergencies. Imagine that! There is no need to go lights and sirens (risking many lives) to a situation that does not require it. I’m really excited that we have such capabilities, similar to that of my favorite EMS system in the world.

Yesterday I studied for my protocol test, finished mowing the lawn, enjoyed our expansive, yet overgrown yard, and met two snakes.
Today I studied a little more (hopefully enough), played video games, visited a friend, and met a cat.

I have updated my blogger profile and added some new and improved pics to my photo site, including ones that illustrate what it means to mow a trail into the lawn. Click here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
yay for ellie surviving her first day of work!

~ mala, who seems to be your only, commenting, reader
Anonymous said…
that snake in the pic looks cool :-)

~mala again
Anonymous said…
Congrats on graduating and getting a job and living the dream!

Also, let's hear it for alpha responses, and priority dispatching in general. (Though you'll have an "uh-oh" moment when you get your first echo response.)

The system that I'm interning in gives response discretion to the engine company responding, so after we get details on lots of BS calls, fire will downgrade the response to no L&S.

You aren't working for a certain very large (national) company that paints it's bambulances red and white, are you?
Anonymous said…
I remember a paramedic I worked with who once got in trouble when he submitted a maintenance request on his rig:

"Front end starts to shimmy over 100."

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