Emergency Services

We all know who to call when there is a fire, an explosion, and yes, even sometimes the odd cat in a tree. We call our local fire department, and they respond to rescue us or those in danger at the scene of the crisis, however, who rescues them from the dangers they face with each rescue or fire control they perform? What do we really know about when it comes to the dangers the firefighter’s face each time they respond to a call? Not only are they facing physical dangers that are potentially life threatening, but also they are facing long term threats to their health and the length of their lives. There have been far too many deaths of firefighters that, sadly, could have been avoided if there had been some minor changes made, or other life saving equipment made available. Unfortunately, there are difficulties in obtaining some of the equipment that our firefighters so desperately need. Some of the reasons for this are a lack of money, lack of support, and quite honestly a lack of concern.

The old adage, “out of sight, out of mind” seems to ring true when it comes to the fire departments across the United States. Most political authorities take no notice of the men and women that run the fire departments, unless something happens to bring them into the limelight, or unless they are needed at some point in time during said politician’s tenure. They are the emergency workers that sacrifice silently in the background, to change and save lives everywhere, but they are also perhaps the most forgotten when it comes to financing or support.

Some of the financial cutbacks that occur from time to time in every city or town are more often than not felt in schools and emergency related departments. One has to question the wisdom in these decisions, considering that the schools are our future by teaching our children — ruin them, we ruin our children, hence our future. The fire departments are the ones that save our property and lives — in true politician style; this is biting the hand that feeds you. The financial cutbacks make it difficult for the fire departments to obtain proper equipment for their firefighters’ protection, which risks their lives even more each time they respond to a call. Will it take them returning your 911 call for help, by calling your phone and saying, ” I’m sorry, we are unable to respond to your house fire, due to a shortage in proper fire retardant uniforms, but if you would consider asking your town mayor to grant money to our local fire department, we would be more than happy to respond to your call.” While being completely ridiculous to imagine, it may not be as far from the truth as you would first think.

Why should they be expected to save our property and our lives, and suffer unnecessary risks to themselves? The key word here is “unnecessary”. If we rallied for community support and moved for approaching our local government to demand grants for the fire department, we would then be able to say, we are rescuing our rescuers. These men and women respond to crisis calls daily without a thought of their own safety, and most of them have families that wait nervously for their return. Call your local fire department and see how you can make a difference. There are far too many things to be done by only a few people, so get involved. Get involved in your community, in the care and support of your local fire department. What you put into your community is what you will get back.  Write letters to your local politicians to request more support for the fire departments, and volunteer your help wherever they need it.  Put your heart into the support, and make it public — we need to rescue those that rescue us.

Community Policing

Community policing is a well known term for those who serve in law enforcement. Most community citizens do not even realize the depth of what policing the neighborhood entails. Community policing in simple terms means that when the police are doing their jobs to protect your neighborhood or community they are not just going out without a plan in place. There are strategies and ideals that are followed to make sure uniform procedures are adhered to. When interacting with the community, it is essential to understand that the police force is not alone in what they do. It is imperative that the community is also an integral part of helping to keep crime down. When the members of the community join in the fight by coming forward with information and not holding back when a wrong has been committed, it brings about a joint effort to prevent crimes from happening again. This is the essence of community policing.

Try to understand that the law enforcement is not a separate entity from your community or neighborhood. Most of them live right in the same town you do. The community police agencies are not only there to deal with crime but also to work to better the community itself whether in the city or county you reside in. the general idea that face to face interactions with the police and the community is vital to a successful neighborhood policing effort. This means that more and more agencies are bringing their officers out to serve on bicycles, horses, and on foot. It is hard to meet others when you sit in a car all day. Getting to know the community on a personal level as well as the police officers more intimately can give you a trust that can not be felt if you are afraid or uncertain about what to expect.

On the part of the officer who is expected to be part of the community policing effort, it is essential for them to come into this type of policing with a willingness to serve and a spirit that is open and also not swayed by those he knows. The officer needs to be in a frame of mind to care for what is happening and those it is happening to. When situations arise that the officer may or may not agree with, they need to be able to listen without judgment and be fair to all involved. The officer needs to be sincere about how he treats the community members and not be false in dealing with them. This is the most important part of the neighborhood policing strategy.

Community members need to try to understand that for a successful effort to be made, they also need to be unbiased about their opinions of the police in general. Even though they may have had certain situations arise in the past that were not exactly positive in their dealings with law enforcement, it does not mean they need to assume or judge the whole agency in the same way. When the police and the community come together in a community policing strategy, it not only serves to better the trust between the two but it gives a peace in knowing that you truly are protected from the bad elements.

Emergency Services

When you decide to become an Emergency Services worker, you have chosen to be a selfless individual in others lives. It makes no difference why you chose this, at some point in your service, there will be some person you will be a forever influence to. I was an Emergency Medical Technician for over four years. In that time, I was truly blessed to find that at the times when it seemed to be the most routine call, the patient affected me in some great way that I never expected them too. In all the training you will go through should you choose to make this great profession a part of your life, you will never truly be prepared for the emotions and memories you will carry with you for your lifetime.

Something seems to click inside when that pager goes off and you are on the way to the call. The training sets in and you mentally prepare yourself for each particular call. You may know what the nature of the call is but, nothing is ever as you think it will be. I remember times when the call was simply a routine call and took no special skills to help the patient. I was also their when a few of those patients took their last breath. Realize that as a worker in the Emergency Services, you may be the last face this person will ever see. This is something you will never forget. I hope that I was at least a comfort to them in their last minutes. If you choose to do this, I hope you can provide that comfort also.

Some of the time, you get to be the first person an infant will see when they come into the world. I remember one such occasion. I was helping to deliver a child. There was not anything special about the call but, even now, I still wonder how the child is doing and what age they are. I try to imagine what things they have experienced in their lives as a result of coming into the world with me being a part of it. These are things that are never taught in any of the classes or training you will undergo. They will try to prepare you for the tasks ahead but until you have been through them, you will never truly know the sadness and joy that others can cause. You have now become part of this person’s life in one way or the other.

Becoming an Emergency Services worker is a commitment that you must make before you take the steps to get your certification. Realize that when you choose this profession whether paid or volunteer, you will be working hours that most people sleep through and you may never be thanked for the work you perform. Also prepare yourself for the times when that special patient will affect you so deeply that you may want to find how the results turned out. Unfortunately, most of the time, when the patient reaches the hospital, it is over and you may never know what happened next. As I said before, selflessness is a necessary trait for any Emergency Service Worker and that the work is thanks enough for what you do.

Role Of Police Officers

Without realizing it, you may have given or are giving your children biases and opinions concerning the men and women on the police force in your town or city. Are you able to look back and know, with a clear conscience, that you have done your utter best to teach them respect and appreciation, or have you colored police officers as annoying individuals to be feared. Most people either do not realize or do not care how they react toward police officers, and most of society as a whole, fails to recognize their importance as individuals as well as being officers.

The teaching begins at an early age with something as simple as pointing out police cars to your child or statements like, “Sit up and be still, there’s a cop behind us! Do you want them to put us in jail?”At this point, your child is beginning to associate fear and dislike with police, even if only on a minimum level, and will grow if fed. It is imperative to teach them to respect police officers, but not to teach your child to be afraid of them. Many towns and cities attempt to allow their officers to interact with every day society under normal circumstances, such as, visiting schools to help educate children about a myriad of different topics.

Many police officers visit the schools to teach the children about stranger safety, car safety, etc. This time allows the children to see them as knowledgeable figures of authority that while deserving our respect, are also human, and very approachable. Children need to know they can go to police officers for help or assistance when they need it, but if we allow the negative influences around them to help shape their opinions of the police, we are only serving to stunt their growth as mature citizens, and this can lead to problems in the future.

Educate your children about the services and duties the police officers are responsible for carrying out. They need to know what to expect and what not to expect. In today’s world, we are being forced to alienate our children from much of societies’ influences, due to the negative qualities and effects they have on people everywhere, some of these negative effects are, in fact carried out by rogue or bad police officers. Although they are few and far between, those few have given most of the good officers a bad name. By teaching your children in the right way concerning expectations from the police and what the children are required to do, by law, you are helping to protect them from people that may want to harm them.

Check in with your local police department and find out what they offer toward helping educate your children about them as being productive community helpers. You could possibly arrange a tour around the police department, to show your child the jobs that are carried out on a day to day basis. Although you may want to show them the county jail, I wouldn’t advise it for younger children.  Remember, the idea is to educate them, not terrify them.

Many police departments are willing to work with the community to educate the citizens, both young and old, about the important role they play in society. Understanding their job a little better may just be the way to corral community support for your local police officers. Once again, it all begins with you and how you relate to the police officers around you. By being a law abiding citizen, you are not only teaching your child how to behave as responsible adults when they are older, but also you are showing them by example, how to treat people around them, regardless of whether or not they wear a badge. The police officers in any town or city need our support, and teaching your child at a young age to realize this, is one way of promising a better future for them as well as yourself.

Local Law Enforcement

You may not think so but, the way you ask towards your local law enforcement is making a lasting impression on the views and opinions of the younger generation. The local agencies are made up of men and women who live right where you live. How can you even consider negative feelings about your neighbors who are only there to serve you? What does this teach the younger ones about respecting authority and how to respect your neighbors? Maybe more than ever, we need to reevaluate just what it is we are teaching the children about the roll of law enforcement. It seems that if something is not done soon, it might mean the children of today could be the criminals of tomorrow. None of us want that to happen.

If you have a child who is at a very young age, now is the time to make a good impression. Take your child to see the police station in your town. Let them meet those people who make up this special agency. Never give you child any reason to be afraid of these people just because they are in a uniform. Make sure they also understand that if they do the wrong thing, these people are there to make it right. If you child is at the age where they attend school. They will be able to interact with law enforcement with some of the programs they offer. Law enforcement may visit your child’s school to teach the children about how to be safe when walking home, how to deal with strangers, and many other useful things. If we do not teach our children about the positive ways law enforcement helps, they will never feel comfortable enough asking for help when they need it. This is most important.

Make sure your youngster knows what the law enforcement can help them with. Try to help them to understand what can happen in certain situations. Try to explain to your child that the individuals in law enforcement are no different than you or I; they are just here to help us. Knowing that they are not superheroes may take some of the expectations of perfection off these individuals and provide them a more realistic view. They will have a less frightening experience. Teach them that television shows are not true when it comes to the real thing. They need to understand that bad things happen and when they do, there are no second chances. Show them that law enforcement is the first step to providing a safe place so those bad things do not occur.

You local law enforcement can give you a list of programs they offer for children and ways to educate them better on this subject. Older children may need a trip to the jail in your town to get a first hand look at what really happens there and not the television version. You do not want them to be afraid of the law but you also want them to understand that there are consequences tot heir actions. For those who have no children or who just want more information about law enforcement agencies and the people who serve, contact your local agency. You may also take a look on the internet or in your local library for more information.

Search and rescue

Although it sounds like a simple title, these titles are perhaps among the most difficult to maintain. Search and rescue workers are what they sound like. When a disaster occurs, these people are called in for either their help or their expertise, dependant on the level of their skills and knowledge.  There are basically three categories that cover most of the field, those three categories being the beginner (novice), support personnel, and field personnel. Keep in mind the fact that all states are different, and the local requirements will vary with each state. Beginning with the novice, or the beginner search and rescue emergency worker, the general qualifications of these search and rescue emergency worker do not normally include specific duties mandated to solely them. They are mainly placed where they will perform the best. These search and rescue emergency worker are required to be in excellent health both mentally and physically to suit the task at hand, and they must be knowledgeable of at least the basic search and rescue skills necessary to perform the required task.

The general qualifications for the next category of personnel, the support-qualified workers, are similar to the search and rescue emergency worker, as well as some additional qualifications that also vary from state to state. Again, the support-qualified personnel are required to be in excellent condition concerning mental and physical health suitable to complete the job. Their knowledge for the job must include an understanding of the skills that are equivalent to the field search and rescue personnel, but do not have to have the experience nor the physical abilities of field-qualified personnel.  First aid knowledge, covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, protection from the elements, controlling bleeding in all instances both severe and mild, how to handle immobilizing bones, and most importantly, how to protect themselves from blood borne pathogens. Perhaps the most difficult phase of this category is the knowledge of operating a helicopter. These second level emergency workers are expected to understand and know proper operating procedures for a helicopter. This is accomplished by completing a basic course that has been given approval by the emergency management division. If it becomes absolute that the operation of a helicopter is necessary, the support worker must be able to demonstrate his or her knowledge and ability to handle a helicopter, as well as complete both the intermediate and advanced courses (also approved by the emergency management division) before being allowed to complete the duty.

The final category, field search and rescue emergency workers, is a position that necessitates top mental and physical performance by the worker, due to the conditions that they may be under at times. Some of these conditions may require survival techniques, which are required, and knowledge of outdoor living at its most difficult. The first aid section covers the same requirements as the second category, those being: knowledge of protecting oneself and others from being contaminated by blood borne pathogens, the ability to control bleeding either minimal or severe, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, protecting yourself from any elements, and handling broken bones. Along with outdoor living, this category requires a definite knowledge of wilderness living, involving map reading, compass usage, and additional methods of navigating as needed. This category also requires the knowledge of operating a helicopter as well as the proper completion of the basic course followed by successful completion of the intermediate and advanced courses if the duty calls for helicopter operation. The emergency management division must approve of the helicopter courses completed for satisfactory fulfillment of the requirements.  Search and rescue techniques are mandatory for this category, along with the ability to handle a crime scene by recognizing it as such, and carrying on as necessary to complete the investigation or containment of the site until additional experts arrive.

As stated before, these are merely general requirements at most, and should not be followed as rules. Each state differs according to their governing laws and needs. Research into your states requirements concerning these jobs and the different categories will give you a clearer understanding of all that is necessary to become a search and rescue emergency worker.

Police Harassment

Almost daily, we open our newspapers or turn on our television sets, only to hear or read of some new travesty dealing with police officers and a victim that is either dead or in hospital as a result of an ‘alleged’ crime. How long will we as law abiding citizens allow this to continue? How can we turn our faces away and ignore an ever growing problem across America today. I am referring to those instances like one in 1998, October 18th, an African-American man passed away just over five days after having been beaten, brutally, by St. Paul’s police officers that had stopped him for a traffic violation. Perhaps the most shocking piece of information about this incident is the fact that Mr. Graham’s hands had been handcuffed behind his back during the beating, and the officers involved claimed he had been attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle.

A large majority of the complaints are based on racism, and ethnicity, however, there are in fact incidents that involve Caucasian people as well. In Minneapolis, a white woman was shot to death by police officers that had broken open her locked door in her apartment. After not only breaking open the entry door, but also forcefully entering her personal bedroom, the officers shot her to death. This woman suffered from mental illness, and her crime as stated by the responding officers — she had her radio playing too loudly. There are far too many stories like these. People, later proven innocent, that suffered drastically at the hands of the very ones that swore to uphold the law and to “Protect and Serve” the community and the people in that community. A young boy, 23 years old, happened to be visiting a friend in Minneapolis in 1994. Police arrived and shot the young man from a distance of approximately 25 feet. This young man died at a hospital, a little over an hour later.  According to the officers on the scene, he allegedly had a knife in each of his hands — this was vehemently disputed by several witnesses.

Where does the law that governs society and the law that governs law enforcement officials, end? Are they not one and the same? How can we allow those that claim to be guardians of the law, to twist and tarnish the laws they do not believe apply to them? Granted there are going to be difficult situations and circumstances, but reacting by beating people or killing they should still be punishable by law, even if you are a police officer. We might not like what we read, but how much longer can we show a blind eye, or turn a deaf ear to the tears and crying of innocent souls everywhere.  Society as a whole, must band together to see that justice is served for those that are unable to speak for themselves, or are simply ignored. Many have suffered at the hands of an over-zealous police officer, whether it was physical or verbal, none of it is correct. If we continue to allow this behavior and not see that it is punished, we are in a sense, condoning it.

There are many organizations throughout the United States that are operating for the sole purpose of making right the wrongs that have been done to so many people. One organization in particular is UCAPB (United Communities Against Police Brutality). This website is mainly for the Minnesota area; however they do provide links for those that wish to find the nearest group that offers support for those that have wrongly suffered at the hands of the police. If you or someone you know has suffered a legitimate mishandling, the web site for reporting such instances is policewatch.us. This site assigns an agent to your case for review concerning the specifics of the situation. Demand justice, demand your rights!

Emergency Medical Services

Emergency medical services give care to those who they are transporting to the hospital. The care given is for many different kinds of injury and illness or any time a person believes they need emergency care. These emergency services are better known to the public as ambulance squads, rescue squads, ambulance services, etc. the point of the emergency medical services no matter what form they come to you in is the care of the problem quickly or to transport you to the next stop to get the care you need. This may be a hospital, emergency room, or other places where a doctor can be found. Depending on the type of unit your area uses, they may also help to search and rescue patients from vehicles, water emergencies, and extrication dangers.

Emergency services first started with the Bible in the New Testament accounts of the Good Samaritan. Next, the Middle Ages brought to us the story of the Knights of Saint John which seemed to be the starting point for the ambulance squad. In 1487, Spanish Queen Isabella heralded the first ambulance for emergencies pertaining to the troops. Because of the care they received and the way it was given, more countries started taking an interest. By the late 1700’s to the late 1800’s changes started happening to the primitive ambulance service. Dominique Larrey came up with a horse drawn wagon for taking the wounded farther distances so they could get proper medical care faster and not be left on the battlefield to die. Napoleon’s Army utilized these wagon ambulances in 1793.

As the need for this ambulance changed, so did the ambulance requirements to meet with any situation or environment. Later on, more advanced styles of the ambulance were starting to show up around the world. London utilized a cholera ambulance in 1832 setting a standard for the time the patient arrived for medical care and the ability to reach patients who were farther away. In 1865, the very first ambulance service was created to bring the patient to the hospital. Cincinnati General in Cincinnati Ohio was the first to pioneer this type of ambulance service. Following shortly after was the Bellevue hospital in New York. This ambulance service saw the need to add other items to their ambulance including morphine, brandy, splints, and a stomach pump. As you can see, this was the start of the emergency services we offer today but with a multitude of many more items for life saving and medical treatment.

As time progressed, so did the advancements in the ambulance. With the invention of motor vehicles, the need for a horse drawn vehicle became obsolete. The ambulance services really became prevalent during the wars that followed and provided the soldiers with the fastest care that have ever come to a wartime battlefield. In today’s time, ambulances and emergency services have come to a whole new level of care being able to provide complete life support to any patient and providing a quality of care that was not even dreamed of in the past. Emergency Services have evolved into not only an ambulance service today but will also offer other modes of transportation including helicopters. Thank goodness for the dreams that led to the many inventions we have today. imagine where we would all be if we could no longer have the security of picking up the phone and knowing the emergency services will arrive to care for us within a matter of minutes.

Emergency Medical Technician

Most people had big dreams when they were young. Can you remember back to when you were just a child, or perhaps your own children have done or said the same thing, “I want to be a fire man or a police man when I grow up.” An EMT is not far from that very aspiration. The desire to save someone’s life is something, I believe, to be a normal part of growing up, but sometimes along the journey of growing up we lose sight of those childhood dreams and passions, and sadly they are left behind with our many dreams that most people labeled as useless or impossible. Look inside yourself, find that dream and dust it off.  Bring it back into the open and think about how you can achieve it. Saving someone’s life can be as simple as a phone call or a hello at the right time, or it can be as complex as physically saving their life by administering intravenous fluids or inserting an airway device for someone unable to breathe on their own. These skills are ones you will learn when you begin the EMT courses to receive certification as an emergency medical technician.

If you are planning on becoming a police officer, or a fire fighter, you will be required to obtain certification of the beginner or novice level of EMT training. This level includes knowledge of basic first aid skills, as well as simple assessment of a victim and the proper course of action to take for them. This level of EMT is most often referred to as the first responder EMT due to the fact that those that most usually receive certification at this level are either police officers or fire fighters, and they are more often than not the first to respond to a scene.

The first official level for EMT certification is EMT-1 or EMT-Basic. The skills acquired at this level are those of the first responders’ level, as well as additional skills for treating broken bones, emergency baby delivery, how to handle blood borne pathogens, etc. By successfully completing this course, you will receive your certification and be registered with the NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians) those that choose to continue their education in EMT, will move on to the next level. The next level, EMT-2 & 3 or EMT-Intermediate, requires more classroom hours in addition to those fulfilled in the basic level. The skills are increased in their detail as well as intensity. The applicant, after having successfully completed the course, will receive certification as an EMT-Intermediate, and will be registered with the NREMT as well. To begin this level, you must be registered with the NREMT already as an EMT-basic. Along with the skills increasing, so do the responsibilities, and you are taught an entirely different way of responding to crisis’ you encounter. By continuing to the next level, you will increase your opportunity of finding a better paying job, due to the experience you will get as well as the knowledge and skills you will learn.

The final level, EMT-4 or EMT-Paramedic, is the highest level you can achieve as an emergency medical technician. Achieving this level requires approximately 2,000 classroom hours, 100 + hours served in an emergency room at a hospital, as well as registration with the NREMT.  Those that make it to this level, most usually continue on as physicians assistant, or even higher. Successfully completing this level heightens your chances of finding better job opportunities, and puts you more directly in contact with crisis situations and people needing your help. Saving lives may not be your ultimate goal when you begin the EMT courses, but eventually you may just end up saving someone’s life, and simply because you made the choice to educate yourself, they will have a second chance at life.  Join the people that are EMTs, enjoy your life — save someone else’s.

Choosing Emergency Services Professions

Does your life give you the pleasure you thought it would? Have you reached the level of satisfaction you had hoped to? If you find the answers to these questions somewhat not what you thought, you might consider a career in the Emergency Services profession. Believe that you are not the only person in the world who has had the same answers when looking into their lives and where they are in that life. Each of us is looking for something to make us feel vibrant, useful, and needed. Emergency Medical Services can give you such things but only with dedication and hard work. This profession can change your life as it has so many other men and women over the years. With a little training and a large amount of heart for the job, you can become one of the many levels of EMT or Emergency Medical Technician. There is a person out there who may need your help some day.

Once you choose to become a part of that special service of EMT, there are a few things you need to know. The Service is split into different levels of certification. The first one and the one most common is the regular EMT. You can choose to become state certified or nationally certified. One is just about the same as the other except with a little bit more study, you can be recognized by the National Registry of EMT’s and be able to work in more than one state. Not all states are compatible with your certification so you will need to check about requirements. If you are not planning on working anywhere but at home in your own state, a state EMT certification is the only thing necessary. The next level of EMT is known as the EMT-D. This certification grants you all that the EMT certification does but with one exception: it allows you to use a defibrillator on an unconscious cardiac arrest patient. These two levels are usually reserved for the fire service or for a simple rescue squad.

The next level of EMT is known as the intermediate level. This is the level where medication is introduced on a small scale and some procedures that were not allowed are. The amount of training and class hours will go up but this is necessary to prepare you for the stress and tension you are about to undergo. The final level of training in the EMT Services happens to be the Paramedic level. This brings with it a multitude of responsibilities including an extensive list of drugs you are now able to administer with doctors approval. The procedures you can now perform are no longer those that are simple in nature but have increased to a level that can only be described as “life saving emergency care”. This may mean opening an airway by inserting an inhibition tube or by giving an IV to a dehydrated patient. These two levels of EMT are found mostly in the ambulance services and hospital emergency rooms.

This profession is one of the best but you need to also consider that not everyone can handle it. There will be times when the blood or injuries may be too much for you to handle. Think on this before you take the time and effort to get your certification. If you choose to continue and are one of the special heroes that make a great EMT, GO FOR IT!