During the 1970s, the TV show “Emergency!” introduced viewers to emergency medical services (EMS) provided by paramedics John Gage and Roy De Soto who staffed the Los Angeles County Fire Department ambulance. As communities across the nation adopted the assistance, local twins, Gladys Bliss and Grace Thoren, decided it was time for the Durand community’s Fire Protection District No. 1 to have an ambulance and donated one. A few of the volunteer firefighters each spent more than 100 hours at a hospital in Rockford being trained as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). As residents got used to having an ambulance available, calls increased. Voters approved a tax hike to contract a professional crew to be at the local fire station 24/7.
First responders pursue a demanding career. Physically, it requires carrying patients of all sizes while working indoors and outdoors in varying weather such as rain, snow or heat. While working long shifts, they must remain calm and professional plus be emotionally supportive to patients who may be vomiting, scared or drunk. The workers risk exposure to contagious diseases and viruses. Like other aspects of the medical field, there is a need for more EMTs and paramedics to replace those retiring or leaving. The pay, which averages $30,000 to $40,000 annually, convinces some there are better ways to earn a living.
We never know when we might experience a serious, unexpected and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. Last Halloween morning, Ken and I attended the funeral of my 100-year-old aunt, Viola Tschabold, at McCorkle’s. Following the service and burial in Durand Township Cemetery, we were sitting at a lunch table in Cimino’s visiting with some of my cousins and enjoying the Italian food. My last bite of pizza caught in my esophagus and I started coughing. I couldn’t get it loose. A nurse in the crowd came over to assist. I fainted and was laid on the floor. Someone called 911. An ambulance staffed by two EMT’s arrived to take me to the hospital in Monroe, Wisconsin, where I was kept overnight.
Have you ever needed an ambulance?