If you are the kind of person who thrives when your adrenaline is pumping hard, a career as a paramedic might just be up your alley. Paramedics need to be able to think on their feet and make good decisions in a chaotic, crisis environment. Because of their erratic schedules, paramedics often work when they are over-tired and haven’t had a break for many hours. Exhausting schedules and managing repeated crisis calls place high stress on paramedics. Might some paramedics be tempted to take pill or two from their supply to help take an edge off their stress? Paramedics Are ...
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A 2005 case involving paramedic Michael Carey illustrated what can go wrong when a person who has dedicated their lives to helping others is overcome by the twisted logic of addiction. Arriving on the scene of a horrific car crash, Carey, cash-strapped and high on the anti-anxiety drug Librium, frisked an unconscious woman as she lay bleeding on the ground. He stole $6,100 – money the victim, Cleotilda Maria Arroyo, was saving to buy a home in Mexico. Carey needed the money. He had bills to pay. His addiction to alcohol and drugs had drained his finances to the point ...
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Serving as a First Responder comes with many responsibilities. Ongoing training, grueling shifts, and increasing call volumes are only a part of picture. Per the CDC, the fatality rate for EMS personnel is 2.5 times those of other occupations¹. And according to a 2015 estimate, there are 241,600 full-time EMS workers². With the changing landscape of healthcare and new developing roles of EMS staff, exposure to injuries and illnesses can be expected to increase. Working in the prehospital setting, EMS crews are exposed to inclement weather, volatile scenes, contagious diseases, hostile patients and bystanders, vehicle collisions, and a host of ...
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