Sorry – EMS is on vacation...

I was on duty last night from 1800 to 0000. Of course, all of the activity happened after midnight, and there was a pattern...

On one call, which came in as a 20 y/o unconcious at a bar, control calls our chief and tells us that rescue won’t be getting out as they have no medical personnel. Rescue needs at least an EMT-Basic to roll, and they couldn’t get even one to show up for a medical call.

Then it was our turn. Control hits our tones asking for a medic to help out another Corps (“mutual aid”) that is on the scene with a severe difficulty-breathing patient and would like one of our medics to meet them enroute to the hospital. The agency that was asking for mutual aid from us is an ALS agency, as is at least one between them and us. In the end that patient traveled 20 minutes with BLS only coverage, as there were no medics around.

Our board where people sign up for shifts is getting REALLY empty. I am on for at least one shift, and many times two, for six nights a week through most of August. When the students get back it will be hard to find even one shift, but for now, I could basically provide BLS coverage 24 hours a day if I wanted.

In short, this is a bad time of the year around here if you are looking for emergency medical coverage.