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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. 

 

 

 

 

Charles Mill Damn.jpg

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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. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

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.

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  • 8 months later...
  • 1 year later...

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.

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