Originally Posted by
emsgoof
Over 10 years of firefighting / EMS. I can always look at the patient in my ambulance, or person who we're cutting out of a car, or the homeowner who's house just burned down, and say "Damn, glad that's not me". But, I'm switching careers. Over 10 years of busting my butt (physically, emotionally, financially - talk about low pay!) and what do I get? "Sorry you got hurt, don't let the door hit you on the way out". That was from my "dream job" in firefighting. It wasn't a great job- low pay, no raises, long hours, nights away from my own bed, occasionally wondering if I'd gotten off the fire engine one too many times... but I enjoyed it.
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First off, I want to thank you for the time you did spend in EMS/Firefighting. I have neither the courage nor the stomach for that work.
I can, in small part, relate. There was I time when I flew an air ambulance. (For those who don't know what that is like, I often sat for hours on an empty ramp, in the middle of the night, while the nurses tried to stabilize a dieing patient enough to make a transport.) Terminally ill patients, burn victims, transplant patients (ironically, the ones I liked the most since they were getting a second chance). I hauled motorcyclists who had just lost a leg. I too am a motorcyclist, and I felt for them, but that is the risk we take riding. I just couldn't take the kids. I got so I didn't want to know names, age, or even sex of the patients: treat 'em like cargo.
Going to the regionals cut my pay by much more than half. And I don't much care for the times when i get extended after a stand up. But listening to pax complain "you were late and I missed my connection" is nothing compared to having the nurse say, "take your time. he isn't going to make it."
Do the work you love. Remember the quote from
Field of Dreams, "Man, I did love this game. I'd have played for food money." Sure, fight to make working conditions better, but enjoy it. And if you don't enjoy it, please don't p@ss in my corn flakes