This is an entry for Normal Sinus Rhythm. Go check out this week's entries and leave some comments if you have the time!
I love driving with my lights and siren going. There's nothing quite like the rush I get from seeing the lights bounce back at me, ricocheting off of an infinite number of facades. The sirens scream higher as we drive under a bridge, wailing, urging me forward. Children standing with their parents look at me with smiles plastered on their faces, waving as they jump up and down.
Lights turn green. People move. But I learned early on that this doesn't mean much. Everyone moves except for that one person. Everyone stops at their new red light except for the guy on his cell phone.
People don't hear us. They don't know where we're going. They think that they can make it across before we come through the intersection. It doesn't matter why; our lights and sirens aren't going to save us from the exception to the rule.
Which is why when I heard that a dear, dear friend of mine was in an accident in the ambulance today while going lights and sirens, my heart sank. He, his partner, and his patient are all okay, along with the other car. But all I can think about is how much worse it could have been, how many lives were involved. And so I pray that this is it, and that he never goes through that again.
And I pray that for the rest of my EMS family, even those I don't know exist. Please, be careful. Please, be aware.
Please, be safe.
4 comments:
You to Sam! It's the same all around here, not to mention what happens when you have "blue lights". Everybody here is volunteer, but nobody moves for the blue light gang. I just hope the next time my kid and her future hubby are going to a fire nobody dies because they couldn't get there in time.
Stay safe kiddo!
I was working as an EMT in Israel - they had a situation where they were transporting a patient in the back of the ambulance whie doing CPR. The driver didn't stop before going through the intersection and got hit - the ambulance overturned with everyone inside... and the patient, whose rhythm had been recovered, died.
Stay safe.
That's crazy! I always see the same thing-- everyone pulls over except for that one guy on the cell phone who thinks he can make it. UGH, the worst.
I love the feeling and rush too! However we use them very little. On the interstate I never use them unless people are really holding me up.
Lights and sirens are a fantastic tool--but we still are the operators. Be Safe everyone--the intersection isn't clear until you CLEAR the intersection!
Watch your back, keep your chin up, and come back with more! As Always sam your writing blows me away!
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