Am I loud mouth and burned out beyond all recognition? Yes. Do I hate what I do? Yes. Is EMS/emergency services all Ive ever known? Yes. It is days like today that make me put all those feelings on the back burner. Today the FDNY/NYC*EMS community lost a Paramedic while he was vacationing. I did not know this Paramedic well. I have seen him in the hospitals and from what many of my colleagues say, this was one of the most upstanding people anyone has ever met. As much as I despise EMS, still to this day one of the most soul squeezing, gut wrenching, painful feelings I have is when we lose a police officer or a paramedic/EMT. Over the last 12 years you all have become my family.....You ARE my family. I can not begin to imagine the pain this paramedic's family, friends, and close coworkers are going through right now. The only thing I can do is grieve as a fellow first responder and off myself to those members of the EMS community that knew this Paramedic well.
He is no longer with us, but where ever he is, he never has to get pulled off his meal or the toilet. He no longer gets mandated. He no longer wrenches his back. He no longer gets spit on, cursed at, and disrespected by the ungrateful animals we have to run on.
I wish, god I wish, I could take away the pain you guys who knew him are feeling. If anything this tragedy needs to remind us that while we all bicker and have rivalries and have silly drama, we all wear blue(or white or tan or whatever your uniform color is across the nation). It is a time for mourning of a hero. It will be for a few weeks.
Again, I never knew this man. Many of you have said that he always did the right thing. Well now is the time to honor your friend and do the right thing. Stop being lazy at work. Do what this paramedic would do. Honor him by taking on his positive qualities. Do it for him and do it for the brother/sisterhood.
I will stand by in quiet reverence for a fallen brother. I will always be here for all of you no matter how grumpy and angry I get.
Keep fucking that chicken. Out at corporate.
