Waiting
While we wait, how about some background...
Tonight is my first overnight shift at the fire station. I have everything I need to entertain myself (well, most everything). I suppose I should clarify that and limit everything to worldly things such as TV, high speed internet, books, magazines, telephone.
What I really need (or want) is a good fire or EMS call. This always pisses my wife off when I say things like that. For me to have "fun" with a fire truck or an ambulance, someone undoubtedly has to have a really shitty day. That is the sad truth about my new job. Keeping me and my fellow firefighters busy means ruining someone else's day. A lot of being a firefighter or a paramedic involves waiting, at least out here in the middle of nowhere. I am sure there are departments out there where you can't get any sleep ever... I don't know that I would like that (at least not in the long term, but for a short stint it would be way fun.)
So anyway, back to my first evening at the fire station. It kinda feels like moving in to a new apartment. I will be living here for two (sometimes three) days a week, so I wanted to make myself comfortable. Set up the computer, install some hooks for my clothes, fan out some nice nerdy Firehouse or Fire Chief magazines, you know, move in. The sleeping quarters are brand new, so they kinda have this awful carpet glue smell about them. That has been teasing a slowly developing headache I have been working on all day.
Our department is unique in a sense. There is only one paid person on at night. That means I have the whole creepy and dark fire station to myself. In my younger days that could have meant a hell of a party. The station has great acoustics and all the light show equipment is very impressive. This is a new thing for our department, well sorta. There used to be an overnight person all the time, but budget cuts eliminated that long ago; we are now in a huge growth spurt so things are going the other direction now. In the event of a fire call, I hop up, get the engine started and become part of the engine crew along with volunteers. In the even of an EMS call, I either respond in an ALS quick response vehicle or hop on the ambulance with volunteers.
We run about 500 EMS calls and 100 fire calls (some of those overlap) a year with ALS coverage 24 hours a day. Even though I have not yet finished school, I am considered ALS because I run as an EMT-I-85. When I am finished I will be a paramedic. I have been a volunteer on the department for two years and was hired full time last year. Technically, I have been around a bit, but officially I am still a probie, thus I stay over night a lot and do a lot of sweeping, mopping, and washing.
I think that's enough rambling. Howdy to all my pals out there. Wish you were here to enjoy the light show. The music sucks, just some whiny dispatcher rambling on about drunk and disorderly people. Maybe one of them will need an ambulance ride...
Tonight is my first overnight shift at the fire station. I have everything I need to entertain myself (well, most everything). I suppose I should clarify that and limit everything to worldly things such as TV, high speed internet, books, magazines, telephone.
What I really need (or want) is a good fire or EMS call. This always pisses my wife off when I say things like that. For me to have "fun" with a fire truck or an ambulance, someone undoubtedly has to have a really shitty day. That is the sad truth about my new job. Keeping me and my fellow firefighters busy means ruining someone else's day. A lot of being a firefighter or a paramedic involves waiting, at least out here in the middle of nowhere. I am sure there are departments out there where you can't get any sleep ever... I don't know that I would like that (at least not in the long term, but for a short stint it would be way fun.)
So anyway, back to my first evening at the fire station. It kinda feels like moving in to a new apartment. I will be living here for two (sometimes three) days a week, so I wanted to make myself comfortable. Set up the computer, install some hooks for my clothes, fan out some nice nerdy Firehouse or Fire Chief magazines, you know, move in. The sleeping quarters are brand new, so they kinda have this awful carpet glue smell about them. That has been teasing a slowly developing headache I have been working on all day.
Our department is unique in a sense. There is only one paid person on at night. That means I have the whole creepy and dark fire station to myself. In my younger days that could have meant a hell of a party. The station has great acoustics and all the light show equipment is very impressive. This is a new thing for our department, well sorta. There used to be an overnight person all the time, but budget cuts eliminated that long ago; we are now in a huge growth spurt so things are going the other direction now. In the event of a fire call, I hop up, get the engine started and become part of the engine crew along with volunteers. In the even of an EMS call, I either respond in an ALS quick response vehicle or hop on the ambulance with volunteers.
We run about 500 EMS calls and 100 fire calls (some of those overlap) a year with ALS coverage 24 hours a day. Even though I have not yet finished school, I am considered ALS because I run as an EMT-I-85. When I am finished I will be a paramedic. I have been a volunteer on the department for two years and was hired full time last year. Technically, I have been around a bit, but officially I am still a probie, thus I stay over night a lot and do a lot of sweeping, mopping, and washing.
I think that's enough rambling. Howdy to all my pals out there. Wish you were here to enjoy the light show. The music sucks, just some whiny dispatcher rambling on about drunk and disorderly people. Maybe one of them will need an ambulance ride...
posted by Slack at 6:01 PM
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