Five years ago, like most Americans, I watched with mixed emotions as terrorist attacks were carried out against America.  Like most Americans, the emotions I felt that day went from confusion, to sorrow, to anger. 

Five years ago, unlike most Americans, I did not watch the drama of that day play out on television.  Five years ago, I was still a paramedic.  Even though I was in IT, I still worked for the same company I was employed as a paramedic; I was still a certified paramedic.  I was asked by the Director of Operations to report to a local municipal airport to coordinate a staging area which was to be used to get survivors from the World Trade Center attack to hospitals far from 'Ground Zero'.

I was responsible for coordinating about 100 people from numerous EMS agencies, fire departments and police departments. During the day, news would trickle in to the command center.  We were unable to watch any live coverage since the airport did not have cable, and the only TV on site had poor reception from its rabbit ear antennae.  All we could do is wait.  Wait for the survivors we all hoped would soon be brought to us.  Wait for the survivors that never came.

Even though the airport was in the middle of New Jersey, we could see the smoke that billowed out of lower Manhattan.  I remember looking at the smoke often and wondering if my family and friends who worked in or near the World Trade Center were safe.

In the days that followed the attacks, I was part of the rescue operation at 'Ground Zero'. Like most Americans, I will never forget where I was when I heard of the attacks.  I will never forget the images of the towers collapsing.  I will never forget, seeing first hand, the devastation at 'Ground Zero'.

Five years later, I still feel the same emotions whenever I think of the events of that day.

The EMS stories have been a bit scarce recently.  This is mostly because I have been to busy, or lazy, to blog about them.  If you have read any of my tales, you know that most revolve around demonstrating the stupidity of the human race.  This story always reminds me that maybe there is hope for us a race.  Today also happens to be the 15th anniversary of this call.  Let’s file this one under ‘feel-good’

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I've been pretty busy recently, and have not had a chance to make my weekly EMS Stuff posts.  I decided that this week I will mix things up a bit.  Most of my stories so far have been about the patients I have cared for.  This week, I turn the tabes and tell one of my favorite storied from my side of the fence.

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A lot of people, mostly men, tend to ignore certain kinds of pain.  Chest pain, for instance.  I have treated many people, mostly men, who have had chest pain for several hours, even several days. Whether it is out of denial, or fear, they can't seem to accept the fact that something may be wrong with them.  Very rarely does this happen with a woman.  I guess they aren't as stubborn as the y-chromosome carrying members of the human race.  This is the story of one woman who didn't quite fit the mold.

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OK, so I'm a day late.  This story is one that I still find hysterical, regardless of how many time I tell it.

For those who don't know, the Jersey Shore is teeming with people from Northern New Jersey and New York during the summer.  The term we use is Benny. Some think of it as a derogatory term, others as a term of endearment.  I used it to identify.  No worse than saying, the kid with red hair.

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I have decided that Tuesday will be the day where I add to my 'EMS Stuff' series.  For no other reason than this is the third entry, and the other 2 have bee on a Tuesday as well.

I have said for years that I think the most dangerous drivers on the road are teen-age girls.  This opinion is based, not on any kind of scientific study, but merely my observations and experiences.  This story is one that helps solidify that opinion.

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Here is another entry in my 'EMS Stuff' series.This story doesn't have to do with a call I was on, but with a 'patient' that visited a doctor friend of mine.

I know this may surprise some, but there are some unscrupulous or , sometimes, desperate, people who claim to have an injury in an attempt to get prescription pain medication.  In some cases it could be because of an addiction (the desperate), in others, so the claimant could sell the pills on the street (the unscrupulous).  In either case, the tragic flaw of these individuals is the fact that they think others are as ignorant as they,  themseleves, are.  This is the story of one such person.  Let's call him 'Bob'. 

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