Celebrating 10 Years in EMS

Posted by Patrick Lickiss on Aug 10, 2011 in General | 2 comments

Ten years ago this month, a 20 year old college student (and recently certified EMT), looking for a med-school resume builder, was hired by a large, private ambulance company to work in their Sacramento Valley operation.  Other than knowing that EMS was probably a good stepping stone to “something bigger”, I had very little idea what I was getting myself into.

I started out working a night weekend shift on the BLS unit dedicated to transporting psychiatric patients from the Emergency Department to in-patient facilities.  Having basically no previous experience with mental illness I was quickly plunged into a world I knew nothing about.  To say that I learned how to approach people with more tact is an understatement.

As time wore on, I moved up to Placer County in the Sierra Nevada foothills and finally settled into Yolo County.  This is where I spent the remainder of my time working as an EMT while attending paramedic school.  Yolo County was an amazing place to work and, on reflection, was the antithesis of Alameda County, where I currently work.  Yolo is largely rural with vast expanses of farm and ranch land.  There were three paid fire departments, all BLS, with the remainder of the county covered by volunteer departments.  To say that I have a great deal of respect for volunteer agencies is only part of the story.  These guys (and gals!) were amazing.  Always ready to help, always doing everything they could to improve scene times and patient care.  The dedication of those men and women always struck me.  And they weren’t doing it for a paycheck.  They did the job because their family, friends, neighbors and coworkers needed a helping hand.

After completing paramedic school, I realized that while Yolo County offered a lot, it didn’t offer the call volume a new paramedic craved.  For that, I would have to move back to the Bay Area and into Alameda County.  This was a culture shock, to say the least.  In all, I’ve been here about six and a half years.  The type of medicine practiced here gives me hope for EMS.  The first page of the protocol manual explicitly states that the protocols are guidelines and “not a substitute for sound clinical judgment”.  That said, the protocols are evidence-based and paramedics are encourage to act like medical professionals.  Research projects are on going and the system is one of the most progressive in the state.  I can say without a doubt that I love my job.

Somewhere along the way, working as an EMT and paramedic stopped being a “great resume builder” and a “stepping stone” and started becoming a passion.  Ultimately the people are what inspired me to stay.  The EMS professionals I have worked with are an amazing group.  Incredibly dedicated and inspiring.  Though we’ve lost some of you (Mike and Sanjay) our lives are better for the time we’ve had.

Writing this blog has reinvigorated my passion for EMS.  Realizing that there are so many amazing practitioners around the county and the world has been an inspiring experience.  Thank you all for encouraging me and giving your advice along the way.  EMS has changed by leaps and bounds in the ten years that I’ve been here.  I can’t wait to see where we wind up in the next ten.

Image via Flickr