Thank you for stopping in, my name is Dave and I am now a “retired” Paramedic and a State Licensed Instructor Coordinator... I became one of the thousands of EMT’s and Paramedics that have been injured each year in the Line of Duty.
On a hot May afternoon I was working a 12 hour overtime shift, the unit that I was working, had been running since my partner and I went on duty at 0700. (7:00 a.m.) my partner and I were sitting in a hot parking lot taking (it’s called sitting point) a short break when we were dispatched Emergency to a pedestrian struck.
The sun was blazing and the temperature was already in the mid 90's, I placed our unit in drive, my partner acknowledging the call. Arriving on scene within five minutes of the call, Fire Rescue was already on scene, and was still attempting to assess the patient. My partner and I were advised that the patient had not been struck by a vehicle, instead he was under the influence of "Heroin,” and had instead of being struck he had fallen from his bicycle. I attempted to explain to our patient that we where concerned of possible head, neck and spinal injuries and that I would be holding his neck straight. (Using c-spine manual traction)
As I took hold of the patients head and neck (mid-line cervical traction) the patient suddenly became very combative. The patient grew very violent, and at the same time suicidal as he attempted several times to jump in front of vehicles on a road that was heavily congested along with fast moving traffic.
As we attempted to restrain the patient from sustaining additional injuries and possible death, our patient suddenly turned and attacked me. The patient became so overwhelmingly violent and developed amazing strength from the heroin. Without warning our patient literally picked me up and threw me into the spout of a fire hydrant.
My back struck the nozzle of the hydrant; causing my legs to go suddenly numb, with sudden and severe pain in the thoracic and lumbar areas of my spine, followed by a severe burning sensation in my back running down both my legs. My Partner was also attempting to restrain the patient to no avail. I tried to get up repeatedly but my legs were numb, the pain stabbing and crushing.
I radioed our dispatcher that Police assistance was needed, and that I had been injured. I was able to eventually pull myself up, finally with my partner and the firefighter’s assistance we were able to restrain the patient and place the patient into the back of our unit. The patient had been restrained to a backboard with the use of leather restraints.
My legs were still numb and my legs were becoming heavier and harder to move, when suddenly our patient snapped his leather restraints. The patient once again jumped up from the backboard and once again was fighting my partner and I as well as the Firefighters. The patient attacked me again pushing me with a great deal of force into the main oxygen tank cabinet, my body crumbled to the floor. The back doors were opened at this point by a police officer; the officer, firefighters and my partner finally restrained the patient again.
I was unable to move my legs, the burning sensation and pain in my back was enormous. My partner began to assess and treat me for spinal cord injuries. A second ambulance was called to our scene. I was stabilized by the other crew and transported to the hospital. Shortly after arriving at the emergency room, I was diagnosed with a lumbar spinal cord fracture, in addition to the fracture; I was also diagnosed with several ruptured and bulging discs in the thoracic and lumbar regions of my spinal cord. My career as a Paramedic (“street medic,”) ended that afternoon.
My family has been by my side through each of my eight back surgeries (and counting) As of December 2006, I suffered another of several set backs and have lost feeling and function in both legs. I have continued to work at rebuilding my life ever since the day I was attacked in the line of duty. Despite all of the surgeries and I continue to suffer from bone and muscle pain. I continue to loose function from the nerve damage that was caused by the attack.
The patient who attacked me was charged with “misdemeanor assault,” which defined by Michigan Law defined as punishable by 90 days in jail and a $500.00 fine. The patient that attacked and assaulted me was sentenced to 90 days in jail and a $500.00 fine. In the State of Michigan prior to my attack had no provisions similar to that of a Police Officer or Firefighter which makes a felony if our patent had attacked the Firefighters on scene. The State of Michigan’s Legislature amended the act and was signed by then Governor John Engler that now makes assaulting a Medical First Responder, an Emergency Medical Technician or a Paramedic a Felony.
I completed the State of Michigan’s Paramedic-Instructor Coordinator program, after completion of the program I wrote and passed the State of Michigan’s Paramedic-Instructor Coordinator Licensure Exam. I continue to contribute to EMS in a variety of roles and currently am conducting a three year study regarding “Dangers faced in the Line of Duty.”
Today's Paramedic’s remain silent hero's; facing many of the same dangers encountered by both Police Officers and Firefighters. The number of Paramedic's killed in the line of duty continues to rise dramatically every year. The number of Emergency Medical Technicians, and Paramedics disabled “In the Line of Duty,” continues to increase at an alarming rate. Emergency Medical Service Personnel are likely to suffer from both short term and Permanent disabilities which have been caused by injuries and illnesses that have occurred from such events such as accidents, assaults, exposure from communicable diseases and post traumatic stress syndrome. And the newest cause of disability is the respiratory and cancer causing effects caused from the inhalation of debris on September 11, 2001.
Assaults on Paramedics continue to rise in an alarming rate; Finally States are finally changing laws that define assaults on EMS Personnel Felonies where they used to be treated as misdemeanor. Paramedics are killed in traffic accidents responding to Emergencies. Today's Paramedics face death and injury and disabilities every day, yet their heroic sacrifices and Heroic efforts remain out of the public eye do to the media's erroneous reporting and omitting the acts of bravery of these men and women.
Examples of their heroic deeds range from the EMS response of the crash of Flight 232 in Sioux City, to the acts of EMS bravery in Oklahoma. During the rescue efforts at the Edward Morrow Federal Building and the Medical Response to Columbine High School and treating of the wounded students while under fire. Paramedics continue to serve with unselfishness efforts in aiding the injured even at the risk of placing themselves in harms way.
Although I will never again work in an Ambulance, I still work to help my brothers and sisters of Emergency Medical Services. It's hard and sad to see the highly trained Professionals still referred to by news media organizations as "Ambulance Drivers," this referral is truly the greatest form of disrespect to the EMS Hero's. Paramedics face the same dangers as Police Officers and Firefighters. At the WTC on September 11, 2001, the number of EMS personnel killed has reached 42 deaths and still climbing. In addition on September 11, 2001, 116 Basic EMT’s and Paramedics were injured many of the injuries created permanent disabilities.
Hello and Thank you for stopping in, my name is Dave I am now a “retired” Paramedic and Paramedic Instructor Coordinator caused after I was attacked and assaulted by a patient who over dosed on heroin. Prior to the injuries I received, I worked as a Paramedic both on the street and at a Trauma Center for over 26 years.
After high school, I attended a large University earning a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, with the sole purpose of becoming a Police Officer. I was employed by the County Sheriffs Department, and after eight months with the Department, I decided to attend Grand Valley University Emergency Medical Services (EMS) the program was eventually dropped by Grand Valley and inherited by Davenport University for the purpose of becoming a “Paramedic.”
Over the next two years I worked at the Sheriffs Department and attended classes at Davenport University’s Center for the Study of Emergency Medical Services. I took and completed the first two terms of study of the E.M.T. Basic program; I subsequently took the State of Michigan’s Written and Practical exams and became a State Certified Basic E.M.T. After achieving the basic certification I was transferred to the Counties Emergency Unit Division. (Local EMS click here) As I continued to work with the Sheriffs Department, I continued my education at Davenport.
I completed my training at Davenport, and reaching certification as an E.M.T. Specialist, I took the State of Michigan’s written and practical E.M.T. Specialist certification exam and was licensed as a State certified Emergency Medical Technician Specialist. After completion of the Specialist level, I entered Davenport Paramedic Program along with the EMS Management bachelor’s program. I earned the bachelors degree in EMS Management as well as completing the Paramedic program and becoming a State certified Paramedic
As I had completed the requirements and certification, I continued to work with the Sheriffs Department Emergency-Unit Division, however Emergency Medical Services was quickly becoming more and more important to me, ever since childhood all I ever wanted to do was to be a Police officer. My Grandfather had been in Law enforcement and a Sheriff in Northern Michigan; my Grandfather was and remains both my hero and my inspiration.
AS I continued working for the Sheriff’s Department as a fully licensed and credited Paramedic, I became more conflicted and eventually decided to leave the Sheriff’s Department and seek work only as a Paramedic.
By this time I met and fell in love with the most special woman anyone could ever hope to meet, we were married and we have raised five wonderful children. I had been also been working part time for Bud’s Ambulance Service, (a private company (Local EMS click here) as a Paramedic and Operations Manager while still working at the Sheriff’s Department. I eventually resigned from both the Sheriff Department and Buds and hired at Mercy Ambulance Service (A Nationally known Company.)
(Local EMS click here) While at Mercy I was also working part-time for Rockford Ambulance Service. (Local EMS click here) in addition too working part-time for Rockford, I worked as a Paramedic in our local Emergency Room/Trauma Center.
Like so many fellow EMS Personnel, I have seen so many awful tragedies in my community that words could never truly describe. Medical and Trauma tragedies occur in every area of a community. Medical Emergencies and Traumatic Injuries affect individuals of all races, and age groups. Medical Emergencies and Traumatic Injuries occur in high income, middle income and low income neighborhoods.
Since I became a Paramedic, I have had the privilege of helping to bring a new life into the world in the back of an ambulance far from a hospital. I have also seen the horror of a car wrapped around a tree on a prom night, amongst the twisted metal, empty beer cans scattered about, and treated the scarred and dying teenager that would never again see the beginning of a new day.
I have seen the sorrow and terror in the face of a veteran who has served his country and now is a lost face on a street corner, hungry and poorly clothed, their life turned to the addiction of drugs and alcohol. Who has become a forgotten member of society, and now lays sick from the outside environment in which he lives. He is the target of laughter, insults and assaults by the very public in which he served to protect.
Over the many years in Emergency Medical Services the call I have responded to have also included a little boy who has fallen and caused a laceration; to a secretary who developed chest pain and suffered from an acute myocardial infarction. (heart attack) Other Medical Emergencies include diabetic emergencies, allergic reactions and seizure disorders are just a few to name..
Over the many years Trauma calls ranged from the senseless intrusion of a bullet that has torn into the flesh of a young teenager, over a pair of tennis shoes, to a police officer who has taken an oath to serve the public; then has been shot down viciously in the pursuit of a wanted felon. Trauma is not limited to gunshot wounds; it has a wide dimension of mechanisms from a vehicular accident to falls in a home or business. The fragileness of the human body has never ceased to amaze me. EMS (Emergency Medical Services) is not limited to trauma. Illnesses such as heart conditions, diabetic emergencies, allergic reactions and seizure disorders are just a few to name.
As a Paramedic, I was trained, in the skills of treating both the sick and injured. My office consisted of a specially designed and built Ambulance that are outfitted with emergency warning devices that is equipped with thousands of dollars of sophisticated medical equipment and medications.
These high tech unit’s serve as mobile intensive care units and are used to treat and transport the sick and injured to local hospitals and trauma centers. Every E.M.T., (Emergency Medical Technicians) faces a fight against the clock, a clock known in EMS as the “Golden Hour.”
Emergency Medical Services is still a young profession that is still shaking off the dust off from the old days when ambulances where known as “meat wagons and band aid wagons." Today Paramedics are still referred to as "ambulance drivers.”
Emergency Medical Services went through a transformation in the late seventies and early eighties where training and the type of equipment utilized has changed dramatically. Thereby producing a new EMS System with the most highly trained professional’s serving the public today.
