deekal409

I would just like to post a story: A few months ago, my partner and i responded to a MVC on a major highway in our area. When we arrived on scene, we found the 40 something year old male, sitting straight upright in the driver seat, stating that he could not move from his waist down. Pt turned out to have a spinal cord injury with permanent paralysis from the waist down after the accident. It was during the winter and most of the FD was out on the road, since they are part of the road crew as well. It took them almost 30 mins to arrive on scene. We had responded from their main station to the accident that morning. Just another incident to support paid FDs. I was the paramedic on the call and my partner, who has been in FDs and involved with Rescue since before i had even considered becoming involved in EMS were on scene just after PD. I immediately got into the car and started pt treatment. I told him that he was to get the FD and to figure out how the hell to get the pt and myself out of the car safely. Flying the pt was out of the question due to horrible weather conditions that morning. HE was the one that called for rescue and orchestated the extrication of the pt from the car. He did not do any of the actual cutting of the car, but the FD we were working with that mornin was very cooperative and willing to listen to his suggestions. This was the only way things worked well in my opinion. On other occasions, i have been on scene and watched the FD get things tangled up (have only dealt with volys on this one). I love to work with the FDs, but am a firm believer of paid only FDs.

I just want to say, as a female in the field and have been for almost 7 yrs, i believe females have the right to be here just as much as males do. i have no problem with females working on the trucks or working as 2 on a crew. As a female who has worked many times with other females as well as with males, i would rather work with a male on 80% of the time. I think things just work out easier, and many times it helps to put the pt at ease with one of each sex. also, it has been an unfortunate pattern that has arisen that the longer the females work together, the more problems arise....i may be wrong, but after working at several places and seeing the same thing over and over again, it seems to be true!!