First off, my sincere condolences to the family, both close and extended, of Bonnie McNeil of Pender county who lost one of their own the other day....

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Pender County ambulance driver dies responding to emergency

By David Reynolds
dave.reynolds@StarNewsOnline.com


Published: Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 8:34 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 8:34 p.m.
Emergency medical workers at the Union Rescue Squad in Willard train often so they’re ready to help others. But Chief J.L. Giddeons said nothing prepared the squad of about 20 for what happened on a call Thursday morning.

As she prepared to drive an ambulance away from the scene of a medical call, Bonnie McNeil, 50, collapsed and died of an unknown medical problem, Giddeons said.

More at http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090514/ARTICLES/905149951/0/NEWS38
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Reading this UNEDUCATEDLY Written article has flat pissed me off... so much so that I wrote the following to the following people.....

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TO: dave.reynolds@StarNewsOnline.com
CC: bob.gruber@starnewsonline.com; robyn.tomlin@starnewsonline.com; steve.moore@starnewsonline.com

Dear Keyboard Key Presser,

Was Mrs. McNeil a Medical Responder, Basic Emergency Medical Technician, Intermediate Emergency Medical Technician, or Paramedic Emergency Medical Technician? Nowhere in your article do you state what her certification level was, only that she

Those of us actually IN the field you wrote about, both volunteer and paid, find the term "Ambulance Driver" both OFFENSIVE and DEROGATORY!!!!!!

I have had THOUSANDS of hours of both initial and continuing education for my state certifications in both the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Serivces, and must have many hours ANNUALLY in order to MAINTAIN my certifications ANNUALLY. Unlike those out there who get "some college" and go on to decent paying jobs, those of us in the public service field must first work hard to get our certs as well as monthly keep up our knowledge.

This is NOT the pre-1970's when all an "Ambulance Driver" did was … Drive the ambulance, and there was no definitive care given in the back of the truck (back then it was usually a converted HEARSE or station wagon). Today, EMT's of all grades provide up to Emergency Room care both on the scene and on the way to the hospital, and do it with a lot less and under more stressfull conditions than they do in the 'clean' environment of the hospital.

I personally have dealt with everything from a pain that someone has had for a week, to gunshots to pumping someones chest like hell because their heart isnt working anymore to things that would make you lose your breakfast. I am EXTREMELY proud of my Certifications and qualifications, and I serve my community as a VOLUNTEER, but that does NOT make me anything NEAR an Ambulance Driver. That term is akin to what ever racist epithett you can think of.

You SIR have a LOT to learn.

Signed,

G.H. Lang
aka
One extremely pissed off NC Basic EMT (that’s Emergency Medical Technician) and Certified Fire Fighter (not a 'water sprayer' by any stretch of the imagination)
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Where in the HELL do folks get off calling us Ambulance Drivers ??????? If you are as offended as I am to this, please copy the email addresses above and send it to them in the order they are, as its to the pencil pusher who wrote it, and then is CC'ed to the administration staff of the paper. Nowhere in the article does it state her certification.

Just another case of the press doing a poor job of reporting .....

Wolfy