RMetro Squad 853 formerly CCEMS Squad2

The transition has taken place and today starts day three of the learning curve. The first day was a bit of a mess and there was a lot of confusion but by Sunday morning the communication between our new central alarm dispatching us on emergency runs and the Rural Metro communications in Indianapolis began to smooth out. We had a great shift on Sunday and it was much more relaxing and stress free than Saturday. 

We are no longer doing 24 hour shifts and now work a split 12 which I honestly like much better. I get home at the same time my wife does and I am looking forward to more family time with her and my little girl. I actually had fun on my shift on Sunday.

There are some wrinkles to be ironed out of course and I think the change will be a positive one. There are some good people from Rural Metro helping us out and they have been enjoyable to work with. There are some exciting things coming in the next few months.

Now for those former CCEMS employees that just bitch about everything, take a chill and give Metro a chance. Be professional and give 110%. If not for Rural Metro, do it for the community you serve.

So Phil and I are returning from headquarters early in the morning. We had just finished getting supplies and were on our way back to quarters when we noticed a large black plume of smoke rising into the morning sky. I looked at Phil and asked him if that looked like a fire and he agreed. He called into our Central Alarm and asked them if they had any reports of a fire in the area. They advised they had not. We told them about the smoke in the distance and they should notify fire about smoke in the area. We could not quite determine where this was coming from.

We got off the highway and started heading towards the smoke as they knocked out fire and alerted them about the smoke in the area. We finally found it and radioed in the address for the residence. We (Squad2 Phil and myself) were first on scene. Shortly a few bystanders started coming out of god only knows where. It is around 0730 now. I go to the residence and knock on the door and teeny boppers answer. I ask for parents and none are home. I tell them to vacate the house. Now luckily the house itself was not burning. The garage was and it was a large garage. The flames were just poking through the roof and the surrounding trees are now burning. The garage is in fairly close proximity to the house so there may be a good chance the house may become involved also. I made sure the kids got out and they contacted their parent.

At this time Monroe Township Fire arrived on scene. Phil and I began to pull hose and help them get everything set. Sellersburg fire now on scene and everyone is happily manning hoses and squirting that wet stuff on that hot red stuff.

The departments did an awesome job as always and had the fire under control in a short time and out within an hour. Phil and I left the scene and returned to our quarters at the fire dept. just in time to do our shift turnover with Rob and George. This was the second real fun run of the shift. The first being the MVC where we flew our patient out. We started our shift with a big strip mall fire and ended it with this fire. Good Times!

Matt

I have not posted lately as I have been busy with many projects. I am still waiting to take my next attempt at the Paramedic Exam. Anyway, on Friday 10-14 Phil and I on squad2 had a pretty fun shift. We were not terribly busy but the runs we did have were fun ones. 

Our biggest excitement came in the evening when Squad2 and our fire dept. Monroe Township Fire were knocked out on an MVC a few miles up the road from us. It was a head on collision at a high rate of speed. A driver was speeding down the road when he crossed the center line and pretty much hit an oncoming car head on. They attempted to swerve out of his way and luckily were able to angle there car just enough to avoid a full frontal impact which honestly, probably saved there lives. That car was spun around a few times and tossed off the road. 

The car that hot them also spun a few times and rolled once partially ejecting the driver. He was semi conscious when we arrived and was supine on the roadway. Major bleeding from the scalp. I concentrated my efforts on him since he was critical and since I had fire assisting me, Phil went to check the two occupants of the other car (BELOW).

Amazingly, both these occupants walked out without a scratch on them. God was surely watching out for them on this day.

My patient was fully packaged and immobilized. I had called for a bird early on and they are now landing in the LZ fire set up. Medic1 and I, in the back of squad2, established an IV and obtained vitals and all other pertinent information for the flight crew as a member from squad1, they were second unit on scene to assist, drove us to the LZ. 

I love flying and my goal is to become a flight medic. I had flash backs from the Navy and Desert Storm as I approached and stood under those rotating blades...Oh yeah. Anyway, I helped the flight crew load the patient and watched them fly off to the U.

I hope he makes it, he had a pretty good head injury and was in and out of consciousness. Below is the care he was driving.

More adventures forthcoming in next post.