I've mentioned this story about Pittsburgh EMS to a few people, none of whom had heard anything about it, so I'm glad I saw it linked online today. I was beginning to think I'd just made it up. When M2 and I were discussing it, we agreed that besides the obvious OMG of calling EMS more than once, more than twice, more than five times, and not getting an ambulance at one's door, and besides the WTF of "don't they have big snowstorms in Pittsburgh all the time? it's not DC," the biggest disconnect about all this for us, as people who've worked in hospitals and known EMTs, is that it's totally foreign to our experience.
Those guys, and by "guys" I mean the women too, are macho as hell, and they live to rescue people. "No fuckin' blizzard is gonna keep me from getting to my call." They'd wade through chest-high snow, make a sled outta the gurney, and drag the guy back to the truck. And not, y'know, totally out of concern for the patient. As a point of pride, as well. "It's what we *do*."
Well, except in PA, apparently.
xoxo
1 comment:
I assume that what Pittsburgh EMTs do is sit in the truck and eat donuts. I saw an interview with the incensed boss of the programme, and he was quoted as saying the rule in this case is supposed to be "get out of the damn truck." Somehow I think the expletive was originally stronger.
As with so many other things, one can only hope that fate evens the score on these clowns.
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