The New Year

It is only 7 days into the New Year and it's been a wild ride! We've had about 30 inches of snow in December and another 4-6 inches in the last seven days. It is currently -19 F out. That's right, -19F! It is supposed to get to -10 F today as a high, and -30 F as a low tonight before everything warms up to 30 or so by Saturday. And I've forgotten my gloves at home. Great. We have changed the way we do things a little at work. For the FD, we split the city up and cover all medical / service calls with our two rescue trucks. Less to freeze up. We don't make a habit of washing the trucks at night in case we go somewhere, we probably wouldn't be able to get out of the cab. Full turnouts are pretty much standard on all calls too, they do an alright job of keeping the cold out.



On the EMS side of things, we've been trying to spend as little time as possible outside. Whenever we bring a pt out of the hospital, they get a blanket from the warmer around their face and neck prior to going outside. We expeditiously pick people up who are on the ground and get them into the ambulance as soon as possible. The heat is on full blast and hot packs are ready to be applied to the armpits and groin. We get them a blanket from the warmer upon entering the ER. E-brakes are applied whenever the rig is parked to increase idle RPM, so the heater will keep up.



I have noticed some very interesting driving lately, as citizens attempt to use a second travel lane that has four ft of snow on it. They seem to remember where the lines are then, but forget where they are in parking lots, which take a lot of maneuvering to get pass though. People won't pull over for you, no matter how loud the siren is, and I actually saw someone steer the vehicle with a knee, cover their ear with one hand and keep the cell phone up to their ear with the other hand! Amazing!



I've had a couple of really smooth running calls too. One that I though was pretty smooth ended up with a complaint about me. It is cold, snowing, and our pt is sitting on the sidewalk with a possible fractured ankle. We cleared his C Spine, checked CMS and he denied LOC. We lifted him up, got him on the cot, and loaded him in the rig. His extremities where cold, so IV placement was attempted twice before a suitable vein was found. Morphine and Pheneghan on board and off to the ER. I guess he didn't like being lifted so quickly, and his friend with "loads of EMS experience" but no "certifications" didn't agree with it. Or that we waited on scene to establish a line and administer meds prior to leaving. Just says thanks and move on! Or don't say anything at all.



In comparrison, we had a call at night where we had to bring the pt down a flight of steps in a stair chair, and out to the cot, then bring the cot to the rig and load him in. I can already tell that guy is going to complain because he was out in the cold too long, but we did it by the books. I guess you can't make everyone happy.



I've been thinking about where we, as emergency services, are heading this year. What changes will we see? New equipment? It is exciting to think of all the new toys we will be getting. It is also sad to think this year will be just like last year. There will be trauma, there will be death, there will be codes and fires. Maybe the time is now to think back and remember how you handled some of the calls in 2009. Figure out what went right, and what went wrong. Then share that info with your co-workers and friends. Find that one area you might be weak in, then work on it in your downtime. Read a book. Spend some online time to research it. It is just like how people vow to get back in shape after the new year. Just not as physical, or tiring, or stressful. Me? I'm opening the books on pharmacology this year. And I am hitting the gym too!