Zulu 954 - Mar '09 Blog
A quiet few days
After the last few months rush the last few weeks have by comparrison been quiet, partially enforced by car problems and partly due to a downturn in 999 calls in the area. Its quite bizarre but this happens every so often when one part of the patch goes quiet whilst others become overwhelmingly busy.
A few mishaps with the car have enforced periods of inactivity; firstly running up the hard shoulder of the motorway to a car accident a blow out, put that right only for the fuel pump to give up the ghost the next evening resulting in 4-days off the road.
Mind you, standing on the side of a busy motorway awaiting the AA re-enforces just what a dangerous place the hard shoulder is. HGVs rushing by at 60 - 70mph less than 2 feet away is not a pleasant experience and confirms all the advice; abandon the vehicle, get up the bank and wait for help.
A new Blog in town
They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; Zulu 954 is pleased to share that Dr David Gaunt from BASICS London has started his own blog available online. If you enjoy reading this blog you may care to read his as well. Here's his latest entry just to entice you . . .
I went to a job today that was a bit different. Different because it was daylight and not down a narrow country road (and it wasn't raining, but that's for another post.) I was very close to my own hospital, and possibly could have walked there faster. I went to assist a man who had driven his car into a bathroom and kitchen showroom. He was unharmed, but the damage to the car and to the shopfront meant that he was well and truly trapped. It took the fire crew about 25 minutes to make the area safe and to remove the roof, so that we could slide him out of the car on a spinal board, just for precaution.
As it was daylight, and on a main thoroughfare, there were an awful lot of bystanders. I'm not used to working for an audience, and it can be quite offputting, looking up and seeing fifty or so people watching your every move. What really surprised me today was the number of people with their mobile 'phones, photographing and videoing the 'action'. This gets me mad! I understand why people slow down to look at accidents. There is something compelling about the misfortunes of others, and we all have a degree of voyerism in us. But, photography and video? No!! I recall one instance when I was being photographed at an accident, and the chap opened the door of the ambulance and started taking photographs of the patient. This is going too far.
What also struck me today, as it does every day, is the teamwork, the slick working together of the ambulance crews, the firemen and police officers, to ensure the safe extrication of the patient. That's one of the reasons I do this; to be a part of this team.