Ouch on the arm and in the wallet

I've decided I'm going to get a tattoo.  It's going to end up setting me back at least 350 bones...couple of drills and a regular paycheck should pay for it.

For those who haven't seen it on twitter or facebook, here's a picture of it.  A LOT of shading

Ahhhh...the town of Tweetville.

Medic 13 with @ckemtp and Happy Medic (in their snazzy uniforms with new patch and EMS 2.0 badges) are called to a MVA in front of @shell1972's house. Upon arrival, Engine 9 with @FireCritic in command gives report of a very disheveled teenage driver with a vuvuzela impaled in his right shoulder after tangling with a SUV at about 45 miles an hour.

Our heroes package up the young driver and take him to St. MotherSuperior WOI.


While there, the young man's parents find out that Dr. Flamingbagodogpoop is the on call in the ER and raise quite a stink about it.  They sign their kid out AMA and send him to another hospital.


On the other side of Tweetville, the hospital at Ft. Hooah is bragging about the new equipment they have received to treat Soldiers and their familes.  Their lead doctor is shining up the eagles on his coat to brag.


Now, on the other side of the globe, somewhere near Asscrackistan...


Outside the tent that holds the Emergency Room EMT section of the 108th Combat Support Hospital, in it's own separate tent, the 999th Ground Ambulance Company has one of their rigs sent out.  Sitting in the "Johnny Gage" seat is a dapper looking Staff Sergeant and his humble young partner arrive and do a quick triage of their 3 casualties.  #1 has an open head injury with gray matter showing.  #2 has a case of explosive anal seepage.  #3 has an injured left shoulder from the steering wheel of their Hummer. While the patients are being sorted, the active duty medic and the Staff Sergeant have a discussion like this.

AD medic:  "Unga bunga, him go first (the diahreah)"
SSG: "No, I want the head injury in first (he's expectant)"
AD medic: "Unga stupid Reservist! You no do this all time!"
SSG: "As a matter of fact, I do!"
AD medic: "Unga bunga me active, me rule, we do this way"
SSG: "Let's play Rock, Paper, RANK, Og. I do this in the REAL world. Head boo boo go first, then butt pirate, then bad shoulder"
AD medic: "Hooah, Sergeant"

They all get loaded up in the ambo and taken to the CSH, with the humble young partner driving ("We want to get there, Hippie").  

Now, is Joe going to care that he was packaged, given a pain relief, and transported to a hospital by a Reservist, that didn't have all the newest toys?  Is Joe going to care that the EMT nurse that saw him is a PHRN in the real world?  Is Joe going to care that  the OR doc and the OR techs work at the very same St. MotherSuperior?


All Joe is going to care about is getting fixed and back in the fight with his buddies...

...or sent home.

Responding to the Mayday...

"We have a blogger down."  How much have we heard this over the last week? Unfortunately, we're all feeling the same pain.

UKMedic999 has taken his blog down.  His reasons are more than understandable.  Hell, I'd do the exact same thing if I were in his boots--FAMILY comes first.

I have never read Mark's blog as often as I should, the few times I did were to challenge myself with the EKG strips that were posted and hopefully come up with the correct answer. Although I failed more often than not, I learned and will continue to learn.

I don't have a badge to put a black band over for the main reason I'm in EMS, so I'll don a black brassard on the sleeve of my uniform for this unfortunate time in the EMS world's blogosphere.

I can't echo the many, many replies that have all virtually said the same thing; we are sorry to see you go, and we will more than welcome you with open arms when you make the decision to return to blogging.

See you on twitter, friend.

Not my normal derailed train of tought

 Most of the day today I thought a bit about my little girl.  What I wanted to see her become one day and what I didn't want to happen.  Of course, the usual horror stories come up (like 3 weeks after prom or homecoming, or the first time behind the wheel...in an MVA...in my truck).

Of course, I've got a little time until that happens, my little @avatarpenguin is only a baker's dozen in time wandering this earth. Although, there are a few things that would be NICE if happened, but I seriously doubt them happening.  Things like:

• discussing command tactics with @ChiefReason
• pointing out to @UKMedic999 how she sees ST elevation in a 12-lead on AVF but not lead II
• debating the best interior tactics with @FireCritic and @FireDaily on Firefighter Netcast
• discussing Rural and "Big City" EMS with @Ckemtp
• sharing a seat at the table with @theHappyMedic and @MsParamedic

I want both my little ones to aim high in life.  Although if one wants to follow (and surpass) dad, who am I to stop them.  I just might have the next MsP reading anime and munching on doritos while yelling at her brother.

JRTC at Ft. Polk SUCKS BALLS

My first Blog Carnival

First Due Blog Carnival sponsored by Fire Critic

My previous blog post, was submitted and is included in the First Due Blog Carnival put on by @FireCritic on his site at Fire Critic.com be sure to check not only mine, but other posts as well.

I am a Firefighter because...

...of a couple of reasons, actually.

First off, I spent many an afternoon driving "Coffee Table 51" while watching reruns of Emergency! (Emergency! One in syndication) as a boy. That started things off for me.

The other reason was an uncle of mine that spent alot of his time visiting Peoria's different firehouses. My dad and I never knew if he was going to be at 12's, 5's, Central, 10's, 8's, or even way up at 13's (at the time...now there's 16, 19, and 20). 12's was the easiest for me to get to.

That kept me going until 2002, when I was voted on to my department--and made engineer within 30 seconds of pack training (something about that mask flying toward a captain's head as soon as I took that very first breath--on air).

There you go. The "in a nutshell" reasons I'm a firefighter...why I'm in EMS will come later.