Thursday, April 14, 2011

Support For Bryan Stow: Ice Hockey Game - April 17th

OK, April 17th. I've recruited a bunch of co-workers from AMR to play ice hockey with me in a game Vs. the South Bay Area Firefighters Team. This event is intended to raise money for the Bryan Stow Fund. Bryan's story has become national news, and there are so many supporters all pulling for Bryan.

As you will read below, the event starts at 5:30 pm with a silent auction and mixer at Stanley's Sports Bar located in Sharks Ice at San Jose. $1 of every beer purchase will go to the Bryan Stow fund, all proceeds from silent auctions, and raffle will go to the Stow fund. Raffle, and auctions will continue thru the hockey game starting at 7:30pm.

Please join us as we play hockey for Bryan! Admission is free, donations are encouraged. make sure to be there starting at 5:30pm and stay for the hockey action at 7:30pm!!

Sharks Ice at San Jose
1500 South 10th Street - San Jose, CA 95112


The South Bay Area Firefighters Vs. AMR

Follow the link below for more details....

Support For Bryan Stow: Ice Hockey Game - April 17th: "ICE HOCKEY GAME SUNDAY APRIL 17 - 7:30pm Sharks Ice at San Jose 1500 South 10th Street - San Jose, CA 95112 South Bay Area Firefighters ..."

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Bryan Stow Fundraiser


Today has been an incredible experience. While my friend and coworker lies in a hospital bed fighting for his life, his friends, co-workers, peers, and community are fighting for him. I have never been a first hand witness to such love, kindness, giving, and respect as I was today.

I showed up to work today at around 10:30am in uniform to volunteer my day to help in any way I could with the fundraiser. The event was set to kick off at 12:00pm and there was a bit of scrambling to get the final touches in place.  When I checked in, I was tasked with parking control, and was given my day-glow yellow vest and ushered out to an overflow parking lot a few doors down from our operations headquarters. At 11:30 am the parade of cars began to arrive, and by 12:00 it was pretty much full.  I was scheduled to help out with the barbecue at noon so I turned in my vest and headed over to where the food was being made.
Media in full effect
On my way from the parking lot to the food, I passed by hundreds of people walking in to join the fundraiser. Every public service entity in our county and beyond were in attendance today. Fire departments, police, City and County officials, as well as EMS personnel from every ambulance company in the Bay Area, were all represented. CALSTAR air ambulance even landed one of their helicopters across the street from the event. All of the Bay Area media were represented, TV and radio stations, and any other media outlet you can think of.

Inside AMR headquarters, was sea of people all wanting to give in one way or another. Silent auctions were being held for anything from sports memorabilia, to gym memberships...Orange and black bracelets with Bryan's "P" number emblazoned on them were being sold for $5 a piece and tee-shirts for $20. Everything and anything that could help generate funds for Bryan's medical costs was being sold or auctioned today. AMR employees made baked goods and had a bake sale. Pizza My Heart, a Bay Area pizza chain, presented a $20,000 check to The Bryan Stow Fund from the proceeds from their fundraiser held yesterday.
 
Bracelets

At about the time I showed up to my post at the hamburger grill, the grease was flying in the wind, and the hamburgers were being eaten faster than we could fry 'em. I really have never seen as many hot dogs as we cooked today either. Plate after plate of hamburgers, hot dogs, tri-tip, chicken, and sausages were sent to the food line, and came back empty before we had more ready. Just amazing.


My rig


While all of this is going on, I'm looking around at my co-workers. When I say co-workers, I mean everyone I work with...AMR folks, fire, police, nurses... everyone. I see them here on their day off, being mothers and fathers, being friends, being supportive, giving, and caring. It is quite an emotional experience for me. It makes me understand why I love going to work, and why the people in my field are so special. Makes me realize that our society still cares...

Not only can I appreciate the public service folks who showed up, but there were the general public, and the vendors in attendance who volunteered their services for the day. People who have never met Bryan, stepping up to make a donation for a man who has done so much for others. There truly is kindness, and compassion  in the world.


Me on Hamburger and Hot Dog Duty
I knew there would be a big event today, but this exceeded my minds eye by a million miles.  I am proud to announce that the fundraiser today raised more than $140,000 in honor of Bryan Stow.

All of this for one man...A huge response to say how much we all care about Bryan Stow, and his recovery. I am posting a link below that gives information on ways you can donate to Bryan Stow, and his family to help ease the costs of his medical expenses. Please click this link and make a donation however small, buy a bracelet, show your support.....



This link also has the composite sketches of the people who attacked Bryan. The reward for their capture is over $100,000. Let's hope law enforcement captures them soon.


Saturday, April 2, 2011

Bryan Stow. Friend, and fellow paramedic. PLEASE READ


On March 31st 2011, my friend and co-worker Bryan Stow was brutally attacked and beaten after attending the San Francisco Giants game in LA vs. the Dodgers.  As a result of this unprovoked attack, Bryan is in the intensive care unit of an LA area hospital fighting for his life.

Bryan is the father of 2, a great friend, incredible person and a man who dedicated his life to saving others as a paramedic. Bryan also worked to train other paramedics for field duty.

In EMS, we are all family. Bryan, is partly responsible for the privilege I have of being a paramedic.  I have worked with Bryan on several occasions, but it was one night with him as my Field Training Officer at the end of my paramedic training cycle that I remember best. At the end of that night, Bryan said to me...and I quote: 

"I give you the Stow blessing to go forth". I will never forget those words in his voice.

Bryan Stow

Right now, I would like all of my friends and people who may read this to send Bryan your prayers, well wishes, good thoughts, and Stow blessings for a smooth recovery. Please make a donation to Bryan and his family in this very difficult time at the links posted below. 


Donate directly to Bryan's Fundraising Account:
Commonwealth Credit Union
www.CUSWIRL.com  Act #118881
 
 
Or via your PayPal account.  Go to www.PayPal.com
Send funds to: StowDonations@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

"Taco trucks", and Leftovers


Where did this come from...how long has it been there= EMS Biohazard.

On any given day or night on an ambulance there's always that moment when you tell your partner that you're hungry. Unless you bring your lunch/snacks to work with you (which I am notoriously bad about), you and your partner are about to embark on a decision that could make or break your day.

There is rarely a slow day on the ambulance and we can be anywhere in the County at any given moment. Most of us on the ambulance know our Santa Clara County food geography pretty well, so if you are ever looking for a place to eat, ask a paramedic or EMT.

Indeed, there are many choices out there but when you're in a hurry and it seems the pager is going off every 5 seconds your choice could be impulsive, and unhealthy...and it usually is. 

I took this picture of a muffin in a box at one of our local hospitals the other day. There are a few school's of thought on that muffin....
  1. I'm STARVED because I've been running calls for the last 6 hours, and the muffin looks like it's in pretty good shape. Bon appetite.
  2. Where did the muffin come from, and how long has it been there.
  3. Sure, it was nice of the hospital staff to leave this here for us, but the bottom line is simple. Unless you saw the hospital staff member bring the muffins, it's biohazard.

The reasoning is simple. We in EMS work in shifts, and that muffin may have been played with, experimented on, dropped on the floor (there is no 5 second rule in the hospital) while there for the last 24 hours ...or more. In fact, it may still be sitting at the hospital right now.  Then again, it all depends where on the hungry scale you really are. The scale is measured on a 1-10. 1 being a little hungry and 10 being "Donner Party hungry".

Besides left overs, there are other emergency food sources while on the road. Consider this; you've been running calls for several hours, you're "Donner Party hungry", and you've just dropped off your 7th patient at the hospital when you see it...."It" being that glorious gleaming gem formerly known as "the roach coach".


A glorious gleaming gem.

Nowadays, it's just not politically correct to use the term "roach coach" out loud. It's like calling the garbage man..."the garbage man", somehow that's offensive so we say "waste technician", or "sanitary engineer"...what ever.
Now, we call the "roach coach" the "catering truck", or "Taco truck"...
These big shiny beacons are usually sitting on hospital grounds wafting their fried fumes towards the ambulance bay day or night. They can also be found on any given street corner throughout the county selling killer tacos, burritos, and other great Mexican food.
I don't by any means recommend eating "taco truck" food on any sort of regular basis, but in a pinch when you're big hungry and you've got cash, they've got some greasy goodness for you.

My biggest issue on the road, is that I'm a "burritoholic". Yup, admittedly. I love burritos...chicken ones, with beans, cheese, salsa, (or orange sauce) and avocado. They are my kryptonite. In Santa Clara County, there are SO MANY options if you want a burrito. They're everywhere, easily accessible, and oh so good.

Alas, I try to eat healthy out there most of the time.

The best way to get some food on the road if you don't bring it with you, is to hit a grocery store (time permitting) or a Subway. Healthy food is always lurking out there, you just have to be only a little hungry, and have a few minutes to spare.

If you're in EMS or not, here's to eating better at work. Challenge yourself to to get a healthy lunch at work and home, you'll feel better in all aspects of your life. And remember, if you're looking for a good place to eat, ask a paramedic or an EMT....  




Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Places we go

In our job, paramedics and EMT's enter places most wouldn't dream of. Strange houses are the most common, and to me the most uncertain. You never know whats going to be on the other side of the door. It could be granny who fell and blew out a hip...or it could be a hoarders house with junk packed to the ceiling where there's only small pathways to get from room to room.  Don't even get me started on smells....that's a story for different day. The other side of the door could also contain someone who wants to hurt you and your team.

We go in to these houses in the middle of the afternoon, or the middle of the night. We enter mansions, or run down shacks...it doesn't matter. I've been in to homeless camps under freeway overpasses, in the bushes, down by the creek, you name it. The list goes on and on...

Yesterday, I got a call to a place many Bay Area residents drive by, but never get to see from the inside. Moffet Field (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moffett_Federal_Airfield) is a landmark known by all who live here. The base is now run by NASA Ames, and when you show up at the gates with lights and sirens on, you are escorted by NASA police to where your call is.  Makes you feel pretty important.

Moffets huge airship hangars can be seen for miles. I took this picture of Hangar 1 from the window of my rig, it is one of the largest hangars in the world. It was used to house rigid airships in the early 20th century. When you get this close to Hangar1 you can't help but be impressed by the sheer size.

The call it turned out, was at a motorcycle police training course on the base. Law enforcement agencies from around the bay area use a lot there to train motorcycle police via obstacle courses set up in cones. Our patient fell off his cycle at low speed and broke his arm. He was obviously in a lot of pain, so I got an IV started and my partner made him feel more comfortable with pain medication.

Our patient was a very good sport, and we were able to joke around with him a bit, and all of his co-workers were giving him a hard time as well. This kind of banter between public service entities is quite common, and when we have to transport "one of our own" we make sure they feel at ease as best we can. It was my turn to drive and my seasoned medic partners turn in the back.

As I attempted to leave the base grounds I made a wrong turn, and ended up having to drive over a bumpy non-paved area to get back to the road where the exit gate was located.

The conversation in the ambulance goes like this...

My partner: "Why are we 4 wheeling the ambulance?"

Me: "I missed the turn to the gate..."

Police Officer with broken arm: "You MISSED the turn?!" (joking)

Me: "Yep, I guess that makes TWO of us.."

My partner and the Officer: "Ohhhh!!" (in stereo)

I love my job....

Out my windows

This last week at work, the weather has been pretty bad. Cold, rainy and windy. It seems like when the weather gets bad, we're always out on the roads and freeways in the rain strapping the unfortunate to  backboards after the inevitable fender bender or spin out.

Time to slow down and pay attention when you're driving in the rain. Maybe let the text message slide 'til you get home.



Monday, March 21, 2011

Getting up and running.

Alright, I'm starting a blog to follow my regular dealings in para medicine. I have worked on a 911 ambulance in Santa Clara County California  for almost 6 1/2 years...5 years as an EMT and a shade over a year as a paramedic. I've had quite a few requests from friends who have been following my pictures, and comments to start a blog to chronicle these things in more depth, so here you go.

What I will be writing about and showing here will be the quirky, interesting, non-interesting, fun, laughable, stories and pictures I encounter on the streets on Santa Clara County. What I won't be sharing here are the ghastly and private things I also encounter as a paramedic on a regular basis. So, if you're looking for that, this isn't the place.

This is meant to be fun, that's the bottom line.

Santa Clara County is a great place to work as a paramedic. We are always busy, with call volumes reaching 300+ per day regularly.  We have an incredible, highly trained work force of EMT's and paramedics here that I'm proud to call my co-workers. Santa Clara County is as culturally diverse an area as anyone could imagine, and that's also one of the reasons why I like working here.

I hope you enjoy the things I share here, please pass along to anyone interested.....