Well, I'm now officially an EMT-B in my jurisdiction. I've been a NREMT-B (Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician - Basic) for about 2.5 years now but, I have to be approved by my jurisdiction in order to do my thing here.

It involved going to 24 hours of classes and then taking a 100 question test. No sweat, really except for the scheduling, getting the right signatures, driving to an office 72 miles away because they "lost" my paperwork, and on and on.

School has made it difficult for me to continue to stand duty on Tuesday nights so, I'm trying out Friday nights. My rationale is that I'm more likely to get more calls and being at the firehouse will keep me from going out and wasting my money on loose women and expensive beer. Actually, being broke keeps me from doing that but you get the idea.

So last night was my first night as an EMT-B at the station and my first Friday night. It was rainy and cold but too warm for ice. That didn't stop some people from banging their cars together, let me tell you! We have a length of a major interstate highway in our first due that is always full of traffic, especially so at rush hour. I was surprised that we didn't get any calls for there. The accident was from the next area over from us. Dispatch called for a total of 3 BLS units to respond. This was sounding to me like a lot of people that weren't severely hurt. No rescue squad called for so, no car cutting. JS was driving, MR was riding officer and little old me in the back.

I was riding 3rd on our Ambulance. I'm going to have to do that for 10 rides and learn how to use the radios, etc., before I can be designated as an EMS Officer and ride in the front seat. Now that I'm an EMT in our jurisdiction, I can start working on that.

We arrive on scene as the 2nd ambulance. A firefighter begins to give us the lowdown on the patient we're to transport: Standing with a c-collar, complaining of back pains, doesn't speak english, yada yada, when a bystander hands a 2 year old boy to the driver, JS. She comes around to the back of the ambulance. I put away the backboard and go for the child seat. Just then Dad shows up. He's got a 4X4 stuck to the side of his head where it's bleeding and he's gripping his upper right chest. He's also calm, talking and oriented. Me, I'm starting to get confused. Ok, now we have different patients. I see the one with the C-collar holding his back and talking to a police officer. Just then the 3rd BLS unit arrives and I focus on the patients I have on hand.

The 2 year old, we'll call him Jr., Is doing fine. He's quiet, alert and keeps looking at Dad. Dad, speaks English, has pain in his chest but it's not migrating and his breath is fine. Airbags deployed and he was wearing his seatbelt. He tells me it hurts to take a deep breath but the line of his pain follows the line of the shoulder harness of the driver's position.

"Were you driving, sir?"

"Yes"

Dad: SO2 is 98%, P 80, strong and steady, Skin dry and warm, alert and oriented X3. We get them into the ambo and start rolling. MR starts assessing Jr: No guardin (that's where a child tries to protect an area that hurts them). He was in his car seat at the time of the accident, Dad tells us. I grab a small stuffed raccoon from the store of critters we keep in the ambulance. Jr locks onto this and Dad is almost delighted. He's talking to Jr. and showing obvious affection and concern.

Both patients transfer well to the hospital. No major worries. The whole way to the hospital, they guy's alternating between talking to his son and calling people on his cellphone. His voice was soft and measured. Very calm but still concerned. We transferred him and his son to the ED pretty quickly and when we came out, the ambulance transporting his wife had arrived. The cool thing was the ambulance was met by a HUGE gaggle of family. She was walking and got out of the ambulance herself. The family quietly gathered around and helped her out. They enveloped her and brought her into the ER. The EMT's just followed with their clipboard. Oh boy!

Ok. More later. Had another patient that night but I haven't had time to write. I'd rather publish often. Keep the comments coming! I'm so delighted that I'm being read!

--maddog