Surely you're seen various evolutions of the British propaganda slogan, "Keep Calm Carry On." I recently found myself using this phrase after receiving disappointing news on a job opportunity. I realized that repeating this when feeling down  seemed to lift my spirits. You see, I realized that no matter what happens in my personal or professional life, nothing is worth getting overly …
Loss
Over the past several months, there has been much ado over the loss of life in emergency services. Tragically, in December, two firefighters in a neighboring district were fatally wounded and two others sustained serious injuries in an ambush (read my original blog post on this topic here). But not every loss is directly associated with …
Moral Obligations
In the news yesterday was a story of a "retirement facility" nurse in Bakersfield, CAÂ who refused to perform CPR on a resident (911 Recording Details Calif. Dispatcher's Struggle). Reading this article, I felt the frustration of a Dispatcher who was doing everything they could to urge someone to provide potentially life-saving care. I sympathize with …
Is your scene safe?
The holidays are supposed to be a time of family, friends, and merriment; unfortunately it’s become a time of sorrow. While we were still getting over the horror committed in a Connecticut school, a nightmare unfolded in my own backyard. For some of our colleagues, this struck much too close to home; the rest of …
Where’s the common sense?
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently singed a bill into law making it a crime for emergency responders to post photos or videos of crash victims on the Internet without the consent of the family. Violators face penalties of up to 18 months incarceration and fines up to $10,000. While I understand the intention of …
Walk a mile
Some of you may know that I have multiple roles at one of the agencies I work with. A few weeks ago, I was shifted into a different capacity in the communications office and WAY out of my comfort zone. For the first time, I was asked to fill in and be the primary Dispatcher on …
Let’s get one thing straight
I'm not one to get defensive about my career choice often, but some recent events have me on my soapbox. A few months ago, a young man, maybe 18 years old, working the register at a local grocery store asked me why I didn't go to college. "You seem too smart to be working on an ambulance." …
Heroes Among Us
Sometimes it takes a horrible tragedy to make you realize just how special your co-workers are. In the past few weeks, our region has been rocked by two senseless tragedies; the first in Webster and the latest today in Perinton. It's incomprehensible to think of what goes through the minds of those committing these atrocities, …
Excuse me, is that MRSA on your neck
So after my last post about expecting the unexpected, I was reminded about leaving personal equipment in my car. My four year old grabbed my stethoscope, which I apparently had flung into the back seat after an exhausting day, and started playing with it. Granted, he was using it properly, which made me both proud and absolutely …
Expect the unexpected
Is it just me, or has the use of personal protective equipment seemed to have gone by the wayside? It seems no matter where I go, I see more and more responders conducting patient care without basic protection, including the use of gloves. Ask yourself this: do you "glove up" only when the patient is grimy, …
Jon David LeRoy 