First responders of lemmy, do you ever find yourself hating the people you're saving when you're constantly dealing with easily-avoidable catastrophes?
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P.S. Mentioning COVID-19 is considered cheating in this thread (just kidding, fire away).
Not a first responder per se but work in disaster management and emergency management
Some people are so... entitled. Ive seen people lose everything and talk to me like its a tuesday. And ive seen people lose a Gucci bag and demand that its a life or death situation.
These people, regrettably, deserve to be humbled.
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I work in 911 dispatch
Back when I was still in training I delivered my first baby, was damn glad to still have my trainer hanging out over my shoulder for that.
It was almost a perfectly by the book, no complications delivery
Except that they had their doula on another line giving competing instructions to me.
In general unless there are complications, our instructions are pretty much the classic birth position, woman on her back, knees bent, legs spread
And the doula had her on all fours, which is something we instruct for certain complications
But again, everything they were telling me was that there were no complications.
So eventually I basically had to say something like "our instructions are to have her on her back, I can't make you listen to me, but I have to give these instructions, so I'm going to proceed as if she's on her back"
Phrased maybe a bit more diplomatically
I have no idea what position she was actually in when the baby finally popped out, but he was healthy, so that's all that matters I suppose.
And they made me do a photo op with the parents and baby. I don't like babies. Not much of a fan of having my picture taken either. Not my favorite day at work. I'd rather take a call for a shooting. No one makes you take a picture with a shooting victim.
I thought down on all fours was the more natural and preferred position? Not sure it's practiced, my rug rate children came out with mom on her back.
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Worked Fire and EMS all though college and still do some part time.
The people I will never ever understand are the ones that have multiple cats and do not clean up after them. I'm talking walking into a place and EVERYTHING smells like rotten cat piss.
Now its one thing if you're unable to care for them and I somewhat understand that (give them away to a good home!), but those who are able? Hate. They simply don't care enough about it to take care of their home or their animals and it shows what kind of person they are. I know its a bit off topic, but those are the ones I cant stand. Easily avoidable things are just part of humans being stupid. Only other one that makes me shake my head and feel no empathy for is drunk drivers hurting others.Best friend and I got an internet install at a place like that. First guy had an asthma attack seconds after walking in there.
My bestie walks in, sizes up the install, "Alright. I'll get the ladder and punch this wall from the outside. Hang here and grab the wire when it comes through, BRB." LOL that fucking asshole!
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Actually, instead of 5150-ing people the solution that works in other countries is to provide medical access to drugs. So basically allow someone to live a life with their illness after treatments have failed to cure them: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-now-allows-prescription-heroin-in-severe-opioid-addiction-1.3753312
My nibling got off opioids that way. They treated him with methadone for a couple of years until he completely dropped it.
Here's the kicker; Changed his personality (in a positive way) so much that him and my niece were no longer compatible. Divorced within a couple of months of him getting clean.
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Ngl, this is the first definition of "first responder" that came to my mind as well.
Also a bit drunk for what it's worth.
Well hell, I got a beer buzz on and still understood the assignment. Get on my level!
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There's a patient that we would see a couple of days per month. They'd OD on heroin, we hit them with narcan and an electrolyte IV to hydrate. He'd eat something and leave. We would give him resources to get some help. Each time I'd get more and more angry.
6 months of this and I finally asked why he'd OD almost like clockwork. He said the good stuff sold fast and he'd only get enough for like 2 maybe 3 hits(?highs, fixes?) The guy's life was just waiting on his dealer to get it. He would figure out how to make enough cash to keep his withdrawals at bay while saving up to buy up as much as he could when the good stuff arrived.
The last time I saw him, day shift told me he came in, got hit with narcan twice, this was after EMTs had given him narcan as well. when he was steady enough, he left AMA(against medical advice). He came back 3 hrs later for another OD. Doctor came in and told him he's killing himself. this organ is damaged, this one has this, blah, blah, blah. He responded that he'd be fine if we would stop killing his high. I did the usual and he left sometime the next day.
We haven't seen him in 4 months. I guess he finally got to enjoy his high.
I remember back when reddit was edgier there was an /r/opiates sub where users would share cheery thoughts like, "I'm sure we all have a part of us fantasising about dying when we hit the plunger on the syringe."
It was so bleak that it stuck with me.
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P.S. Mentioning COVID-19 is considered cheating in this thread (just kidding, fire away).
Once went to a home where a very obese patient was laying on the floor with a foot injury, and called because her leg felt numb. I adjusted her to the other side due by moving some pillows, and she felt a painful “pins and needles feeling” for a moment, which then got better. I explained to her and her mother that she had put too much pressure on a nerve and needed to adjust her position regularly.
Two. Hours. Later. Same house called for leg feeling numb. I called for lift assist and took her to the hospital, because if they couldn’t follow directions she needed adult supervision rather than taking one of two county ambulances out of service over and over.
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P.S. Mentioning COVID-19 is considered cheating in this thread (just kidding, fire away).
The amount of people who fake seizures or passing out is staggering.
I've delivered a fair share of sternum rubs, and only one time did they not pop awake immediately, but the city has dispatched an ambulance, fire engine, and a couple police cars to the house.
As a side note: everyone should learn basic rescue techniques like CPR, so people stop throwing water in someone having a medical emergency. They are now having a medical emergency while being soaking wet.
