Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bob McCartney on August 23, 2010 at 12:09pm

kelli- your not a "dork",you are just not right in the head, like the rest of us volunteers.the paid guys aint right either but aleast they get paid for being alittle touched. people in the non fire/ems world don't understand what we do or why we do it. it's tuff when you try to explain to people about our passion. hang in there it'll get better and until it does you will always have the crew at your station and everybody here to talk with or vent to.

Permalink Reply by Steve Pechie on August 23, 2010 at 12:26pm

Hoo yes I do. I don't bring it up, but people have noticed me at the firehouse or out on calls. People in my church have asked me, "Are you a little crazy doing that?" Then they never ask again, which I guess is fine. My family does the same thing, which is funny 'cause I have an uncle who rode for 34 years. It's a little disconcerting that people think that it's so oddball for you to protect your community (especially for free) that thay just don't ask. Now at my other life (Kelli, I'm a nurse too) some of my coworkers ask why we do things the way we do on the rescue/ambulance, but that's it. Thankfully my wife "gets it" and doesn't treat me like "a leper" *LOL* - but then again she rides with me so she's "a dork" too *LOL* ...

Permalink Reply by Kelli L. Waugh on August 23, 2010 at 1:00pm

LOL...My husband Does NOT get it...Just last night when the pager went off I hear,,,"Ugh and I just got comfortable" i have learned to just get quiet and go when the tone plays...by the time I get back all is well anyway :)

Permalink Reply by Kelli L. Waugh on August 23, 2010 at 1:02pm

LOL! All is ok...just needed a little reassurance ;)

Permalink Reply by M.J. 6821 on August 26, 2010 at 10:29pm

I dont think any of us volunteers are quite right in the head but that being said, both my son and my dog know when the pager goes off Im going to be leaving. My 2yr old says bye dad and my dog gets out of the doorway.
We were going to go out to eat one night and just as we were getting ready to order the pager goes off for a bad accident and I take off. When I got back my wife told me that the waitress stood there with a confused look on her face for a few minutes. And then asked if that happens a lot, my wife just laughed and said yeah it does. And when I was telling my wife about the accident (she is also an EMT on our rescue squad) and eating my food the waitress goes how can you eat after being at an accident like I was some kind of sicko. And I really didnt know how to reply other then to say I have been doing it for a long time and it takes a lot to shock me that and my adrenaline is still pumping.

Permalink Reply by Kelli L. Waugh on August 28, 2010 at 8:02am

:) We all should compile a book. Just of peoples responses! Thanks for the support.

Permalink Reply by M.J. 6821 on August 28, 2010 at 8:53am

LOL, reminds me of my wedding day too, one of my groomsmen and myself both work in Emergency services and the night before my wife to be told us under no circumstances are we to wear our pagers during the ceremony. Ok not a problem since we both have radios we wore them instead. My mother in law gave me "the look" as we were getting ready to go to the front of the church. There were a few Chiefs there and every once in a while one would go out and try to see if they could reach me on the radio during the ceremony to get me in trouble. Of course I didnt answer Im dumb but im not stupid.

Permalink Reply by Kelli L. Waugh on August 29, 2010 at 8:01am

LOL....Very bad indeed, but Even more Funny!

Permalink Reply by Chris Weber on October 3, 2010 at 9:24pm

I get that all the time.My wife gets it too.We both run with the same dept.She's an EMT and does the "normal "med calls and I'm an assistant chief but don't do the hands on patient care.When our daughter is home we take turns running calls unless we get a fire, bad wreck,etc....then we'll have my mom or dad watch her.The bottom line is we must have a screw loose somewhere to do this stuff in the first place.I like talking to other firefighters and just hanging out an swapping some stories.If that makes me a dork,so be it.

Permalink Reply by Bill Anderson on October 9, 2010 at 2:30am

I get a lot of the "I couldn't do that, you must see a lot of bad stuff."

Yep, that's why I do it, because everyone else doesn't want to. Someone has to protect the flock.

Permalink Reply by Patience Ryan on November 1, 2010 at 5:42am

One of the guy's I went through EMT school with has this quote on his facebook page: "Police, Firefighters and EMS are the most collectively dysfunctional group of people in existence and only we understand each other!"

To some degree unfortunately or fortunately it's really true. I don't know that I'd call us dysfunctional per se but we're certainly unique.
I find there are particular people I can talk to about EMS stuff, and some I can't. I've been blessed with friends (outside of my FD) that are nurses, EMTs, or other medical professionals, so at least I don't 'gross them out' too much with stuff. Family, that's another story altogether. Some of them don't think i can move my grandmother in and out of her wheelchair (she's maybe 100lbs) on my own.

I'm weird, but I'm ok with that. As long as I know there are others out there like me somewhere :)

Permalink Reply by John L. VanAuken on November 27, 2010 at 12:21pm

I get the same thing, from some and a thank you from others. I am a paid 24/7 on call and when the padger tones I run, night or day. I get Q's all the time how I do it, and some tellen me that they wouldent leave work or family time to go. I just shrug it off and go, I told a boss that said, I couldent go one day that lives in our Dist. I said to him what if it where your home? In the middle of the night and your family home. He thought about it then when second padge toned he let me go. So dont think that your a dork, think of your self as doing the job you love and forget the rest.

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