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Safety inside and outside....

So, after about a week of starting to post pretty regular it appears no one is reading my blogs at all.  I really don't know if it's the topic of my blogs or just no one has found it.  I did last week go and submit the link to many search engines in an effort to try and get the word out there about the blog.  I don't know how long I will continue to type if no one is reading it.  As of today I still had only 36 views.  That is crazy considering the amount of worth while reading here.  I see several other blogs with nothing but re-posts and links from other locations, and even news and they gain the traffic.  I guess I feel a little let down right now.

I was trying to come up with something for another blog, and I came up with safety...   The current area I work and live in has a unique situation, exactly how I won't elaborate but let's just say some of the agencies are not affiliated with each other providing the typical services they would in a normal area.  Also a few of the agencies don't exactly get along or go by the safest of standards.  I used to read the EMS magazines every month focusing on the articles, and I also tried to flip through the fire related magazines.  I also visit a few websites like Fire Fighter and EMS Close Calls.  These websites follow reports for accidents, major injuries and anything significant to the safety of personnel.   I am constantly reminded each time I visit of why that safety should always be a number 1 priority for responding agencies.  A dispatcher might not ask for the typical ambulance or fire call about someone being at the scene which has caused the issue or might cause problems to responding agencies.  I too am guilty of not always asking.

I have read so many times about fire vehicles, ambulances and squad cars involved in accidents with civilians.  I always hate to hear about such accidents.  It makes it look bad on all agencies because someone didn't pay attention.  Whether it be the fault of the driver of the emergeny vehicle or personal vehicle.  Another thing that is always troubling is hearing that an intoxicated emergency vehicle driver is involved in an incident.  I don't think any agency should have any issues enacting and enforcing a policy against responding to an incident if you have been drinking.  No one wants a drunk EMT or Fire fighter paid or volunteer trying to assist them.  When you drink you weaken your judgement and perception.  You could cause your agency more harm being their intoxicated then staying at home and not responding. 

 I don't remember while working EMS ever being sent into a situation where I was fearing danger.  Although I have looked back and thought, WOW.  I can remember one such call, for a stabbing.  We responded and staged back from the scene while officer's cleared the location.  We were advised to roll into the scene and proceeded into the residence.  We found a subject short of breath with a couple stab wounds in the side of his chest.  We placed him on some high flow oxygen, and called for a helicopter.  We got the backboard and got him moved over, and into the ambulance and drove to a nearby clearing to wait on the chopper.  I can remember it seeming like the helicopter would never arrive.  Well, the people in the house at the residence had said that a Mexican had drove up and stabbed him out by the road and then drove off.  After the helicopter transported the patient while discussing things with the officers, they advised us the situation didn't add up.  There was no blood outside anywhere.  There was blood inside on the carpet.  The officers went back to the residence and proceeded their investigation, at which time they found the weapon, in the kitchen sink.  A steak knife.  It appears the group was having a little get together and enjoying their party.  The stabbing victim who was feeling pretty good with his alcohol had started running his mouth about another guy at the house, and the guy's wife became upset about it and felt she had to defend her husband, so she went and stabbed the victim.  She was later arrested and charged.  If I remember right she ended up serving very little jail time, not sure why exactly though.  I did later meet the guy whom we had transported.  He made it with no major problems. 

Another call I remember, I don't know exactly the time of year, but it was a chilly morning, one of those frosty mornings in say February/March, where the temps are cool enough you wouldn't want to be without a coat.  We are requested out in the county by a deputy for unknown situation, and then told to expedite.  We arrive on scene of a house, which looks to be something you might see after a tornado.  The windows in the house are busted out, the TV is thrown outside from inside, there is food all over the floor as well as other items.  There is a male laying on the floor bruised and barely breathing, in only his underwear.  The officers are not sure what happened, they just got a call about a possible damage to property then as they checked the residence they saw the male laying in the floor.  We requested a helicopter.  This guy was hypothermic (Cold) and had a low blood pressure.  As we started interventions his heart rate started to fade, we were able to get him back and the helicopter crew transported him, but he crashed in flight.  Later on we find out that a young male had beat up on him, I don't remember the reasoning.

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