zebby
VIP Member
Ok, I've sat and run this mornings video through my brain all day and here's my perspective from a 3rd generation 'ambulance driver' family.
We've currently got 2 'ambulance drivers' in our family. They've got lots of bits of paper, earned over several years, at a much higher level than you've got Vav. But I digress. Paper certificates aren't essential when you've got, what's the expression, a fat bank balance. Our AD's (I'll shorten it for the purposes of this post, we also know them as PARAMEDICS) work 12 hour shifts. Standard. You know, like 'Black Friday' flogathon sessions, where some people 'sell' the latest chemical or electrical device to their 'fans'. Only this isn't just for high days and holidays, it's permanent, on rotation, on shift (these are working terms Vav, you might like to look them up when you get a minute from being sew sew busy). Unlike people who work in normal jobs, they don't tend to finish dead on time (probably the wrong word to use in this context) but they finish when they hand over their patient to the next layer of NHS staff, or to the mortuary, cos sometimes the outcome isn't as positive as it could be.
Our 'AD's' enter peoples homes, work places, night clubs, stabbing scenes etc, never knowing who or what will meet them on the other side of the door. And they are often first on scene at RTA's (often caused by people not paying attention on the road, so watch out next time you're driving, keep your attention on your shiny car and irreplaceable kids, cos it just takes one second with your attention lapsing and the nasty men might be out again to scrape you off the road). They see things that we non-AD's can only begin to imagine - heartbreaking incidents where babies have stopped breathing, older people who have had a fall, and due to being such an overstretched service, may have been laying where they fell for several hours. And let's not forget the mental health calls they attend, the suicide attempts that sadly end in the worst possible way. They make tea, they hold hands with the dying and bereaved, they attend with police protection, the scenarios are endless.
They don't just drive an ambulance. How exciting would that be, if that's all they had to do. Driving round the streets in a pimped up Morrisons shopping delivery truck playing nee-nah music. Annoyingly, they have to do some work outside of the driving like a fool with the blues and twos on.
When they attend the scene - whether it's an RTA or a child, in a lovely home, with an understandably concerned parent (married, single, 'it's complicated' they don't tend to judge what your love life is like), they have to assess the situation, whilst making the best judgement call for the patient. If the patient is non-verbal, it helps to gather a bit of information about how communication can work best for the patient. If their sibling, her boyfriend, or anyone else is in the house, it helps for them to talk to them too, as mum is sometimes stressed and losing it with worry. They might need to check if something trivial like a new household cleaning product has been used, not so they can go and tell their little wifey's sat at home, but to establish if that may be a cause for the rash. They are also unlikely to 'know who you are and are not a fan' as your 'fans' might suggest. It don't work like that honeybun! They're just trying to get through a 12 hour shift, that came around far too quickly from the last 12 hour shift, wondering whether they'll get home to see the kids before they go to bed, and whether they'll sleep as their minds will still be racing from calls that far outweigh a rash on a non-verbal child. They won't leave you, or ask you to meet a new crew around the corner, if M needed to be blue lighted in, he would have been. They would have sat outside the overstretched A&E if they were unable to hand him over, they would have missed their much needed break, a chance to recharge for just a few minutes before hitting the road again.
I know you, Iggy, Nana, Bogie, ShiteLass and many others will read this, and it might just make you/them stop and think before you put that complaint in about the 'men' - but I'll leave you with one last thing to contemplate before you continue this charade.
Body worn.
Look it up. Interesting little system. Records the callout from their point of view, to protect you AND THEM.
I'm so proud of our young PARAMEDIC family members. They are true heroes doing a job most of us wouldn't even begin to contemplate. What have you done today Vav, to make yourself proud?
We've currently got 2 'ambulance drivers' in our family. They've got lots of bits of paper, earned over several years, at a much higher level than you've got Vav. But I digress. Paper certificates aren't essential when you've got, what's the expression, a fat bank balance. Our AD's (I'll shorten it for the purposes of this post, we also know them as PARAMEDICS) work 12 hour shifts. Standard. You know, like 'Black Friday' flogathon sessions, where some people 'sell' the latest chemical or electrical device to their 'fans'. Only this isn't just for high days and holidays, it's permanent, on rotation, on shift (these are working terms Vav, you might like to look them up when you get a minute from being sew sew busy). Unlike people who work in normal jobs, they don't tend to finish dead on time (probably the wrong word to use in this context) but they finish when they hand over their patient to the next layer of NHS staff, or to the mortuary, cos sometimes the outcome isn't as positive as it could be.
Our 'AD's' enter peoples homes, work places, night clubs, stabbing scenes etc, never knowing who or what will meet them on the other side of the door. And they are often first on scene at RTA's (often caused by people not paying attention on the road, so watch out next time you're driving, keep your attention on your shiny car and irreplaceable kids, cos it just takes one second with your attention lapsing and the nasty men might be out again to scrape you off the road). They see things that we non-AD's can only begin to imagine - heartbreaking incidents where babies have stopped breathing, older people who have had a fall, and due to being such an overstretched service, may have been laying where they fell for several hours. And let's not forget the mental health calls they attend, the suicide attempts that sadly end in the worst possible way. They make tea, they hold hands with the dying and bereaved, they attend with police protection, the scenarios are endless.
They don't just drive an ambulance. How exciting would that be, if that's all they had to do. Driving round the streets in a pimped up Morrisons shopping delivery truck playing nee-nah music. Annoyingly, they have to do some work outside of the driving like a fool with the blues and twos on.
When they attend the scene - whether it's an RTA or a child, in a lovely home, with an understandably concerned parent (married, single, 'it's complicated' they don't tend to judge what your love life is like), they have to assess the situation, whilst making the best judgement call for the patient. If the patient is non-verbal, it helps to gather a bit of information about how communication can work best for the patient. If their sibling, her boyfriend, or anyone else is in the house, it helps for them to talk to them too, as mum is sometimes stressed and losing it with worry. They might need to check if something trivial like a new household cleaning product has been used, not so they can go and tell their little wifey's sat at home, but to establish if that may be a cause for the rash. They are also unlikely to 'know who you are and are not a fan' as your 'fans' might suggest. It don't work like that honeybun! They're just trying to get through a 12 hour shift, that came around far too quickly from the last 12 hour shift, wondering whether they'll get home to see the kids before they go to bed, and whether they'll sleep as their minds will still be racing from calls that far outweigh a rash on a non-verbal child. They won't leave you, or ask you to meet a new crew around the corner, if M needed to be blue lighted in, he would have been. They would have sat outside the overstretched A&E if they were unable to hand him over, they would have missed their much needed break, a chance to recharge for just a few minutes before hitting the road again.
I know you, Iggy, Nana, Bogie, ShiteLass and many others will read this, and it might just make you/them stop and think before you put that complaint in about the 'men' - but I'll leave you with one last thing to contemplate before you continue this charade.
Body worn.
Look it up. Interesting little system. Records the callout from their point of view, to protect you AND THEM.
I'm so proud of our young PARAMEDIC family members. They are true heroes doing a job most of us wouldn't even begin to contemplate. What have you done today Vav, to make yourself proud?
