Burn out my A##

Alright over at 9-Echo-1 there's a thread about a couple of FDNY EMTs that supposedly refused to help a pregnant mother who later died and her baby died, because they were on a coffee break. First I sure hope that this did not play out the way it sounds and my condolences go out to the family.

Ok so now that I got that out of the way lets address this "burn out" garbage. Apparently we EMTs and Medics get too tired, overworked, underpaid, etc. Well not to sound nasty about it but we all knew that was the scenario before we left EMT class so get over it. All of us chose this job and understood the sacrifices we would have to make. Burn out is an excuse to use when one is feeling overwhelmed. I've found myself feeling tired and all that before but you know what I tell myself, AT LEAST I HAVE A FRIGGEN JOB. I may get sick of the nonsense that goes on but I chose this job and I applied at my current employer because I WANTED TO. So basically its time for all the EMTs and Paramedics to MAN THE HELL UP ALREADY. This job isn't for everyone. You either suck it up and continue doing the job you were trained to do or go find something else to do. Either way quit making the rest of us look bad because you can't handle the stress of the job.

Good grief its like having a bunch of kids. I'm not your momma and no I don't want you to whine to me about how bad it is. Either do something about it or shut the hell up about it. I can't stand whiners, excuse makers, laziness or dumbass. If you're that unhappy then quit and go do something else but stop making excuses for this kind of behavior. The more of us that find this to be unacceptable then the better chance we have at changing the mindset.

1 year later

December 4, 2008 is a day I will never forget. AJ was still in the hospital and we were all hoping and praying that he would recover only to receive that horrible phone call. This morning I got up and thought of AJ. I thought of all the tears and hugs shared last year. I felt so helpless, so numb.

This morning another Raleigh FF was hurt in an off duty accident. I find myself reliving all those terrible emotions that I felt last year.

Stay strong Flip. You have a wife, 2 daughters and a whole family of emergency services personnel thinking of you and praying for you. Fight like you've never fought before. Dig deep and find the strength to return to your family so that they may tell you just how important you are to them.

I don't pray much but here goes:

God please help Flip and his family through this difficult time. Please surround them with your love and grace. Please send him back to his family to fulfill his job as husband and father. He needs you now more than ever.

Everyone please pray hard for Flip and his family. This is such an awful event for any family to experience and I sure hope that this story has a happy ending.