On the road with EMS

Editorís note: This is part one of a series from our reporterís ride-along with the EMTs.
By Danielle Strenke
The call is an attempted suicide ñ a possible overdose on pills and alcohol. The emergency medical services team starts to survey the scene as the ambulance pulls into the driveway.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Dawn Haslach moves in to assess the condition of the patient. Paramedic John Fox talks with the family members.
Haslach begins taking vital signs and assessing the condition of the patient, while finding out about the events that took place around 10 p.m.
Fox speaks with the patientís children, who are concerned that the patient may have had too much to drink and was behaving irrationally.
First Responders from local fire departments and a Chisago County Sheriffís Deputy also interview family members.
The team from Lakes Region Emergency Medical Services (LREMS) quickly learns that the scene is more of a family dispute than a medical situation.
Haslach spends a lot of time talking with the patient, ensuring that there are no medical concerns and repeatedly asking if transport to a hospital is needed.
As soon as the team concludes that no further medical treatment is needed, Haslach and Fox start to clear the scene.
Still, family members pull Fox aside to tell their version of the situation.
Fox patiently listens to their concerns, but knows there is nothing further for the medical team to do.
At this point, the sheriffís department takes over in conversations with family members, as Fox and Haslach head back to headquarters to await the next call.
It is just part of the normal routine for EMTs and paramedics-despite the hours of waiting for a call, they must be ready for any situation when that call comes in.
For Lakes Region EMS teams, the calls can come in from anywhere in its 450 square-mile coverage area, where the EMS service is available to provide assistance to 40,000 residents, commuters, tourists and others passing through.
When a call comes, EMS teams are at the same time regretful that it means somebody is in trouble and excited that they will be the ones called upon to help.
It is a paradox that all emergency personnel deal with, and especially true for paramedics and EMTs.
Lakes Region EMS teams know that the situation they are responding to will need quick and critical thinking that could save someoneís life.
Fox said life as a paramedic is not usually what you see on televisionís ER, but when there is a life-and-death situation, paramedics and EMTs realize it is the best part of their job.
ìA lot of it is waiting. When a call comes in, you have those people who arenít really sick and end up not needing any medical attention,î Fox said.
ìIt may not seem like a big deal to you, but itís very important to them,î Haslach added. Haslach and Fox work as partners regularly during shifts with Lakes Region.
They said every call is treated as a critical situation, regardless of the seriousness of the injury or illness of the patient. Some people may simply be feeling ill and require medical treatment but not necessarily at a hospital, they said.
Others may not need anything from the LREMS team except the comfort of company from other people.
ìI donít think there is anyone taking advantage of the system though,î Haslach said. There are also those calls that the team knows going in that they may be saving someoneís life during the call.
The tough calls
Lakes Region EMT Doreen Snell said the most difficult calls to respond to are when children are involved.
ìAnytime there are kids involved itís tough,î she said. She still remembers the premature baby she helped deliver that died soon after. ìI can still remember everyone thatís died,î she said. ìYou remember lots of weird things about calls too.î
Snell said itís sometimes hard not to think about her own loved ones when responding to a call. ìThereís transference in some cases if itís similar to people in your own life,î she said.
Haslach and Fox agreed, and said they remember the more unusual calls as well. It isnít difficult for them to recall several fatal car accidents they have responded to in past years.
There are those patients who have mental health concerns as well, they said.
ìIíve met Jesus and the devil,î Fox said. ìI think everyone has,î Snell said.
While some are difficult calls, there are also lighter moments for the EMS teams. ìThere have been those times where someone did something dumb and got hurt,î Haslach said.
ìItís just people doing a lot of stupid things,î paramedic Tina Eells said.
ìThere are some partners I just canít look at them when weíre on the scene because I will start to laugh,î Snell said. Several of those less-serious injuries involved things like fish hooks in fingers and other minor accidents.
EMT continues next week

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