While getting my nails done a few weeks ago my manicurist had CNN on the television, Donald Rumsfeld was talking about the United States response to one of the many violent events occurring in the world today. It struck me how eloquent this man was under pressure. I wondered how could this translate into my... Continue Reading →
Last week I had the awesome experience of attending the 5th Annual EMS Day on the Hill sponsored by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians in Washington D.C. EMS Day on the Hill is an opportunity to educate our representatives at the federal level of government about EMS and the challenges we face on... Continue Reading →
The true terror began when I saw the room. A friend sent me a photo of the room I was to be speaking in at my first national EMS conference just a few days before the event. As soon as I saw it the pit of mindless fear opened in my belly. Until that point,... Continue Reading →
Initially, I thought I arrived here by “accident.” I can be a bit rambunctious and not everyone can appreciate that, so I ran into a little trouble at work and avoiding a long story that will bore you, I found myself looking for a new gig. A few weeks later, I went on an interview... Continue Reading →
I was recently reading a piece by a gentleman named Olivier Blanchard called Brand Management: The Asshole Effect. I was so excited while reading it because in a parallel life to my EMS career, I worked at a popular coffee emporium. I was expected to and enjoyed providing awesome customer service (it's possible that my... Continue Reading →
It's funny how days have themes. Usually, a series of awful things happen to us during the day and they just seem to consistently work against us. On blessed occasion it's a stunning, temperate day with perfect clouds and not a care in the world. It seems like you could drive forever and nothing could... Continue Reading →
You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat the disenfranchised. My grandmother used to start collecting socks, hats, and gloves in October and would store them until Christmas. During the week before Christmas she would cook a huge feast with all the traditional dishes and make individual meals for the homeless... Continue Reading →
I recently attended the EMS World Expo in Las Vegas and heard many ideas on how to improve EMS as a whole from responder to system. Surprisingly, one of the more controversial suggestions was higher education for EMS providers affiliated with current training. One side argues that providers will be no more than mere technicians... Continue Reading →
There is a great hypocrisy in the world of Emergency Services. Our job is to help people in any circumstance, at any time, at any place usually where unimaginable scenarios present themselves. These are the worst days of peoples' lives, but they shouldn't affect responders...at least that is the popular conception within our circles. This... Continue Reading →
A few nights ago I was relaxing and reflecting on how I got to this point in my life and reminiscing about the people and circumstances that helped mold me into the person I am today. One person in particular came to mind, although we haven’t spoken in many years. I wondered what happened to... Continue Reading →
The EMS Siren 