norton Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Guess this forum includes EMT's. Anyway I was in the first group of EMT's to go through training at Marion General Hospital in 1972. I was a college student, and had worked in the Emergency Room as an orderly for about 2 years when the hospital took over ambulance service for the county. I not only got my training tuition free, I was on the clock during classroom hours. We rolled out January 1, 1972, and I made the first 2nd shift run of the service, as an attendant. I spent the next two years working all three shifts at different times. When I graduated from college I left the hospital behind. It was a great experience, not easy but it helped me get perspective on life in general. The photo is a copy form the local paper. Two young men were boating and got swept over a dam. The one in the photo survived, the other did not. We picked him up about 2 hours later when he was found by the fire dept dive team. That's me in the middle. I know I look like I was about 14 in the picture, but I was 22. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huski92 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I have been a EMT since 95 and a medic for 17 years as a firefighter. Rewarding career with its ups and downs. Thanks for serving. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fyrtwuck Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 When I joined the FD in 1978, I was in the first class that included EMT certification in rookie school. Our training officers told us that the FD would be taking over the city contracted ambulance service and we would likely be assigned to an ambulance. It never happened and we eventually evolved into a paramedic program. I worked for the ambulance service after graduation on my days off and the EMT’s there knew of the city’s plans. They had been given the impression that a magic wand would be waved and they would change uniforms and be then become firefighters with all benefits and pension. They were grossly mislead. My state has requirements that have to be met with physicals and testing before you can added to our pension system. 99% of them would have never made it. Later on, that Ambulance service went under and another one took its place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 Nice! I recall getting into the local paper a few times in the middle of someone else's really bad day. There's a scrapbook somewhere that isn't 3am-worthy. Spent almost ten years on the bandaid box. It kicked off one helluva career, a few college degrees, a couple professional certifications, some proud moments, a few heartbreaks, and friendships with some of the best people I've ever met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 My grandson just got his EMT license and is training to be a Paramedic. He's taking 24 credits, building a house and working shifts at the local FD. Busy guy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 Sounds like a real go-getter, Walt! Gotta love seeing the young'uns with that much fire and drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 6 hours ago, tadbart said: Sounds like a real go-getter, Walt! Gotta love seeing the young'uns with that much fire and drive. Thanks. He's a fine young man. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry_minn Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I started in 85. Did 3x minimum hrs in local ERs. (Fargo, Moorhead area) if you didn’t mind a bit of blood you got to do stuff legal would freak at today. Joined a private service. My first run was CPR, life flight... I was using Ambu bag as family came in. Later the two daughters told me they were both RNs. Appreciated how I maintained rhythm as family said goodbye. (Before copter arrived). I still think I saw her last conscious response. She died. But we did good trying. Call was a drowning. At a water aerobics class. But lady was buck naked. (First clue info wrong). We changed to heart attack, stroke, fainting... soon find out she left class “not feeling well” then came out of locker room naked, fell. I learned if no rush hr traffic I can beat a life flight copter. Easy. (If I don’t have to stop at a ER first) so myself, family travel POV. If local unlikely to handle. (Also local now under protocol MUST go to nearest Hospital. No matter what. If I have leg injury anything short of Hennepin County Medical center, Mayo just means another transfer. $$$$ copters have their place. Delayed extraction. Patients that must be stabilized in ER. (Blood), remote locations... but by time request, weather, decision, launch, arrival at location. If I load, go. I’m 20 minutes from major trauma center. (Driving with traffic) they still need to transfer gear, paperwork...load, then travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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