“I went to nursing school due to my desire to move forward and be more productive with my knowledge and skills. I love being a medic, but I also enjoy both ends of the spectrum. Both positions keep me sharper in regards to the other; they are a good mixture for me.”

John chose a bridge program from paramedic to ADN through a local campus, but for his BSN, John is going to school online. Having weighed all of his options against a grueling schedule, John found the convenience of online education too perfect to pass up.

“Online courses have allowed me to continue my education. With the combination of my busy life and lack of time or ability to attend the brick and mortar (conventional) setting, my education would have been stalled.”

Andy Wiegand is another firefighter-paramedic, 31 years young, and considering nursing school. Andy was my paramedic student protégé nine years ago in a Detroit Trauma Center. I shared my best tips and secrets, and Andy’s older sister Tracy, a RN in the same ER, reinforced the value of education. Andy wants to expand his knowledge base and proficiency, but is also concerned about two things we all ponder at one point or another: more money, and better job security. The median nursing salary last year was $62, 450.

“There are budget cuts happening in the township where I work. They are laying-off nine people. I’m not one of the nine, but if they lay off more, I could be in line to be cut.”

Paul Sorrell, a paramedic for 25 years, is preparing for a medic to RN transition program. Working several years for a private ambulance company in Southfield, Michigan, Paul completed 2.5 years of a traditional nursing program 20 years ago before leaving due to professional conflict.

“The clinical coordinator was a lady who felt that men did not have a place in society as nurses, and I was getting sub-par evaluations on clinical rotations. I would do the exact same stuff as other students, the same way, and get much poorer marks.”

A man in emergency medicine does not translate exclusively to either paramedic or doctor anymore; more men these days are nurses. These changes have encouraged those who have served many years as paramedics, like Paul, to continue to do what they love in a related branch of medicine.

“I want to get into an ER and get back to some real patient care, and Online courses have allowed me to continue my education…with the combination of my busy life and lack of ability/time to attend the brick/mortar setting my education would have been stallethen complete my BE (bachelor’s in education).”

Being an educator has been part of Paul’s life for almost as many years as he has been a medic. As we spoke, Paul was conducting a paramedic refresher course. The dual-licensure of paramedic and RN opens up a world of opportunities for educators with a strong background in emergency medicine.

There is a growing trend for paramedics to expand their knowledge and level of licensure. When I completed that path 15 years ago, paramedics whispered among themselves about going to nursing school. Now more paramedics view nursing as a logical next step.

“We have had two other FF go to nursing school after me; seems as though a trend is emerging. Though the online transition from paramedic to RN can certainly present challenges, the rewards of furthering your education can only benefit you as a professional, and those you care for and serve.”

There is never a convenient time to fit school into one’s schedule. Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring, so working toward a better future, and becoming more marketable while enhancing skills and professionalism now as opposed to later, is imperative.

John’s last words to me prove my point. Ending the interview, John said, “Gotta go: CPR in progress.”

From reading the article, it is alleged that an EMT acted not only illegally, but extremely unprofessionally. Thankfully, the driver of the ambulance involved reported the incident, even before the patient did. So, I think the driver deserves recognition for upholding the high standards that represent public servants.

Reading the comments of the article, you can already see how the actions of a single individual can have such a negative impact on the profession. Already, there are people screaming to change ambulance services for the town. It is depressing to know how hard EMS has fought to gain the respect of the community, and how easy it can be torn down by a single act of one person. One commenter claims it places a “black eye” on the profession as a whole. Regrettably, I could not agree more.

Emergency responders need to consider a few things when going out on call. We are there to help those that rely on us. When our car, truck, engine, ambulance, or even helicopter leaves the station, all eyes are on us. You have to not only conduct yourself in a legal manner, but all of us in public service need to act in a manner that brings pride on our profession.

I certainly hope the patient/victim of this incident can move past this and use it to help promote something positive. I also hope that if this EMT is guilty, he pay for his actions in not only the eyes of the law, but also for the hurt and shame he has brought upon the rest of us.

Read the full report by the paper here.

Written by: HemiMedic

Contributing Author Public Safety Blog

We responded to a local convenience store for a person being disruptive. Upon arrival, law enforcement was there, and advised that we needed to check the patient out. After an exam, the only thing we could conclude was the possibility of some sort of brain injury or even more possibly it was some sort of illicit drug reaction.

The patient presentation was:

He was walking and talking at the scene, but was confused. Although the patient could readily say his correct name, address, and d.o.b, he could not tell us the correct year, the city he was currently in, or why he was at the convenience store. His speech was slurred, but he did not show any other signs indicating a possible stroke. He was also somewhat combative, in that he tried numerous times to walk away, and became aggressive when we tried to stop him for further evaluation. The patient’s vitals were normal, given the current circumstances, and the slightly elevated heart rate and blood pressure did not alarm us.

We eventually managed to convince the patient to allow us to transport to the ER, so we placed him on oxygen, started an IV and loaded him up. During transport, the patient had a period of unresponsiveness. The heart monitor was applied showing a sinus rhythm with an occasional pvc. It was only about a 10 minute transport time, so no further treatment was given.

Later at the station

A couple of other Paramedics, EMTs, and me were sitting around station. We had not given a lot of thought about the patient we transported earlier, as it did not seem like anything really out of the ordinary for a Friday evening.

The phone rings, and it is the emergency room. It was the charge nurse giving us an update on the patient we had brought in. Apparently, very soon after we dropped the patient off, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite efforts by the emergency room staff, they could not resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead. The diagnosis was Water Intoxication!

I had a hard time comprehending how someone could have died of this, so I did some reading, and a background check on our patient. From the reports of the family, the patient had recently become obsessed with drinking water as part of a diet plan. They claimed he was drinking several gallons daily, but they had never given much thought about it being dangerous. Now, I may not have been taught what water intoxication is, but with my training and some common sense, I did understand how that much water could be harmful. It dilutes just about every electrolyte in the body. Working especially against sodium levels, it causes hyponatremia. While it certainly can be dangerous, it is rarely fatal. However, in the case of our patient, untreated for weeks, this was a fatal mistake.

Along with learning about water intoxication, I also learned another important thing that night. It does not matter how long we have been doing what we do, or how many runs we see, we have NEVER “seen and done it all”.

Murder, robbery, sexual assault, kidnappings, and the seemingly never-ending flow of illegal drugs into our culture are just a small tip of some of the burdens that we ask our law enforcement to save us from on a daily basis. We ask them to do it for what many consider to be a shameful salary in comparison to the work they do, and all the while, we ask them to do it in the face of constant criticism.

Why do police officers do their jobs?

As many of us sit in the comfort of our home, we have to realize that out on the streets, police officers are there watching over us and making sure we are safe. Knowing what could lie in wait for them, we have to ask ourselves “Why do they do it?” They cannot possibly do it for the pay. Law Enforcement officers in the USA are among some of the lowest paid public servants in the country. In many areas, their income levels remain below the national poverty levels. Surely it is not for recognition. The news reports over the last few years are filled with slanderous allegations of corruption and threats against all of our police officers. It isn’t just for self fulfillment. While the job certainly entitles an officer to be very proud of what they do, it just can’t be the sole reason one would endure the hazardous environment they work in each day.

If you ask most any officer, they will tell you very plainly why they continue to do the job they do. They do it because of a desire they have had since they were young to help society and to help put a stop to the pain, suffering, and grief that engulfs many Americans every day. They do it because there are people in trouble, and they want nothing more than to help relieve them of their problems. Officers will tell you that despite the dangers of their jobs, the low pay rates, and the constant complaints of criminals and criminal proponents of our culture, they still feel as though they have the best jobs in the world. They are proud of the work they do, and proud of having the ability to make a difference in the lives of fellow citizens. They will tell you that the satisfaction of taking another criminal off our streets can be unmatched by anything else, and as long as crime continues to be a problem in our world, they will continue to wake up every morning and anxiously return to work the streets to ensure our safety.

Are law enforcement officers making a difference?

Crime in the USA seems nearly out of control. With the constant barrage of reports from our media, it seems as though our police are fighting a losing battle. But, is it really a losing battle?

Each year, the Federal Bureau of Investigations publishes the reports from a Uniform Crime Reporting Program that was first established in 1929. These publications provide an in-depth look at the effectiveness of how well our society is being policed.

According to the Uniform Crime Report of 2009, the latest publication, our law enforcement officers are not only doing their job well, but they are succeeding in reducing crime at nearly every level. According to this most recent report, violent crimes were reduced by 5.5%. Also in this publication, property crimes were reduced by 4.9% and arson saw a downtrend of over 10%! One disturbing trend seen in recent publications is a significant rise in the number of crimes committed in association with illicit drug abuse and sales. This data implies that while the overall fight against crime has been a substantial success, police are now fighting a losing battle against the sale and use of illegal drugs that overshadow the real effectiveness of our law enforcement. If we as a nation could somehow get a firm control over drug abuse in the USA, the hard work that police have put into their jobs would be brought clearly into light. This would cast undeniable evidence that our police are effective and the training and hard work they have gone through for so many years is paying off.

Recognition for our public servants

Each day, our police officers step onto the street with the threat of violence and assault against them. Aside from this, new threats have been publicized against our law enforcement officers by drug cartels based outside of our own country. There is a very telling tale in these threats. Our law enforcement officials are now seemingly doing their job well enough that the criminals responsible for passing illegal drugs into our country are scared, and they are scared enough that they are forced to threaten violence against our officers, in order to continue their criminal activities.

We as citizens of the USA have a lot to be thankful for. Our law enforcement is among the very best in the world, and despite what it appears on the surface, they are doing their job effectively and with proficiency. It is time we put a halt to narrow-minded thinking that we will never get a grasp on crime. Over the years they have proven that they can do the jobs we ask, and as long as they can receive the support needed from the very citizens they risk their lives for, they will continue the uphill climb in reducing crime and making our country a safer place for us to carry on our daily lives.

Today would be a great day to thank an officer that you know. Just let them know that they are appreciated, and that they still have our support.

If you or someone you know is thinking of entering a career in law enforcement, consider some of the online schools that offer law enforcement degrees. Options are available, and those that have always wanted to step up and help prevent crime, can take advantage of those options.

Holidays in the U.S. will almost always have a historical meaning. However, how we as individuals relate to holidays may sometimes not necessarily be in accordance with the true meaning of the holiday. For many, the idea of Christmas means shopping, giving and receiving gifts, snow, Santa Clause, and seeing the excitement of children’s faces as they open their presents on Christmas morning. The true meaning, the celebration of the birth of Christ, is somehow recognized but not really the forefront of the celebration.

The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is one such holiday. While a good many people do recognize the holiday for what it truly stands for, most Americans do not really stop to put a lot of thought into the holiday as it comes to pass.

Memories of Independence Days past

When I was a child, Independence Day meant going to the local fair and barbecues with the neighbors. That tradition has carried on throughout my life, and each year, it is something to look forward to. The smell of charcoal grills in the neighborhood, hearing kids laugh and play with others, and the Fourth of July celebratory Parade that rolls through town are all a part of the excitement in the area.

As a teen, the Fourth of July meant meeting up with friends or even girlfriends to go to the local fair. There was Lemon Shakeups, hot dogs and sausages, and cotton candy to be had, and all while hanging out and having a great time with peers. Even the sound of the old rickety Ferris wheels still spark some fond memories of first kisses and the thrill of getting stopped at the top.

As we become adults, the Fourth of July still carries many of the same values and traditions. If you are like me, you spend a good part of the year buying fireworks and saving them to put on “the ultimate fireworks show” for the neighbors to see. It also means grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, and eating grandma’s potato salad. A good part of the excitement is just having friends over and sitting out by the campfire until the late hours of the night, reminiscing about days gone by.

All of this is just part of traditional Fourth of July celebrations in my life, but the true meaning of the Fourth of July, though we do honor it, is somehow not what we all gather to celebrate.

The true meaning of Independence Day

Last night, I sat on the bank of a river, fishing and enjoying the company of my parents. We sat and watched small fireworks from the neighborhood, and listening to the stomach rumbling booms of the large displays a couple of miles away. Every now and then, we could even catch a glimpse of some of the large rockets as they appeared above the trees.

As I sat there, I started to envision a few things that I think are important for us all to remember on Independence Day. The small bangs of firecrackers and bottle rockets were becoming sounds of musket fire repeatedly going on in the distance. In my mind, I could see fields of tall grass covered in a haze of smoke. I could see the soldiers marching through the tall grass, and stopping to fire their muskets at figures on the other side of the field. What I was seeing was the history of our countrymen, fighting for Independence. There they were, willing to die, in order to become a sovereign nation that was Independent from Britain. The shots continued to ring out, and with each distant bang, another soldier had fallen.

I continued to play out this movie in my mind. Eventually, as the larger fireworks started to erupt, the musket fire turned into machine gun fire. It became more rapid and a bit louder. I pictured our soldiers struggling to make their way through the jungles of Vietnam. Though they were not necessarily in a battle for the freedom of Americans, they were still fighting for freedom. They were there to fight for the freedom of a suppressed country. Of people that wanted nothing more than what we Americans fought for so many years ago.

I could see mortars and grenades going off and soldiers dying in the field. When the bottle rockets took off, I could envision planes making their way to drop bombs down on unsuspecting enemy. My heart sort of stopped for a second when I thought back of the time I visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. I remembered the thousands of names on the wall, and was thinking of what they had gone through, in the name of Independence. It saddened me as I started to realize just how much of the meaning of Independence Day had been lost on me over the years. I spent so much time celebrating and had failed to remember that a large part of this holiday is filled with so much sadness.

The large fireworks were in full swing now. Though they may have been a couple of miles away, it did not prevent the reverberation from rumbling so loud we could feel the earth shake with each explosion. My mind began to play out what our soldiers might be going through today. I could see large bombs exploding off in the distance. Enemy mines and car bombs going off, killing entirely too many innocent people. Our soldiers are fighting an enemy that will kill at any cost, even if it means murdering their own countrymen, women, and children in the process.

I could see the large plumes of smoke from huge bombs on the desert horizon. I could see our soldiers desperately trying to identify the enemy that has chosen to disguise themselves as ordinary and innocent townsfolk. I was imagining what our soldiers must be going through, suffering the elements in a country they are not accustomed to. The agony caused by sand fleas and insects that relentlessly continue to bite. The overwhelming heat and the dryness of the sand filling their lungs are almost unbearable.

I could see ships on the ocean, firing rockets at targets they could not even see. I could also see children with smiles on their faces, and they were happy to see our soldiers. Citizens of the country are holding out a dim hope that the Americans could somehow restore their lives to something even close to livable conditions in a war torn country. This war was playing out in a way that seemed there was no way to win, but our soldiers do not give up. Our soldiers continue to fight for the very same reasons that our soldiers have been fighting for centuries. They are fighting for freedom, not for us, but for a country that has never seen the real face of freedom. They are fighting for the rights and liberties of a people that still do not fully understand the reward that could be waiting for them in the end. They are fighting this fight so that others in the world can experience the freedom given to us Americans so many years ago.

Honor our soldiers

As I am writing this article and most likely as you are reading this, one of our soldiers is in the battle field. He is scared, tired and wanting nothing more than to do this job and go back home to his own family. He is ready to put his life on the line in the name of freedom and leaving that family he hopes to return to.

Independence Day is not something that should be celebrated only once a year. The struggles, pain, death, and sacrifice that so many of our soldiers have given in the name of freedom deserve more than just remembrance once a year. We, that have never risked our lives for freedom, can at least offer our respect and honor for those that have. Remember the fireworks every year, and remember that soldiers all throughout history have lived those explosions. Remember that with each explosion, one of our soldiers was killed, injured, or even just scared, in the name of freedom.

The role of a Paramedic in today’s EMS structure is at the top of the employment ladder. In the past, this has been because the Paramedic has extensive training in advanced procedures that other levels of EMS workers simply did not have available. Now, much of that has changed. EMTs at virtually every level have education and skills available to perform those advanced procedures, tightening the scope of practice between those levels.

Closing the gap between Paramedics and long term health care

Where does this leave Paramedics? The Paramedic to RN Bridge online is helping to close the gap between Paramedics and long term health care. As basic EMT levels receive the training that was once only available to a Paramedic, it allows Paramedics to look further into health care. Making this option available to Paramedics not only helps solve staff shortages in long term care, but it also enters in a new king of nursing professional: One that has the experience in handling emergency situations in virtually every type of setting.

The online Paramedic to RN Bridge program made available by The College Network and Excelsior College offers Paramedics the chance to enter a nursing industry that, before now, was just simply not available. A Paramedic can now finally use the knowledge and skills they have learned throughout their career and training towards an accredited nursing program, thus shortening the RN program so that a Paramedic can become an RN in as little as 1 year.

What does this do for EMS and health care?

The Paramedic to RN Bridge seems to be giving health care another inlet in finding qualified professionals. It opens doors in long term care to professionals that were never before available. Previously, the idea of an EMT or Paramedic transitioning into nursing meant they had to basically start from scratch in terms of education. The Paramedic to RN Bridge finally recognizes the training and hard work that Paramedics have put into their career, and rewards them with an education and a whole new career.

The Paramedic to RN Bridge offers benefits in every aspect of providing health care to Americans. Patients benefit because of a decreased nurse to patient ratio, nurses benefit because some of their huge job load can be reduced by having more nurses in the industry, Paramedics are no longer at the end of their role in medicine and can find new careers, and basic EMTs see their scope expanding into areas never before available.

Are you a Paramedic that is now ready to move on to a new career in nursing? Contact the College Network today!

Later that evening while sitting with my 5 year old niece, who I adore, she asked me what my website was about, and so I told her I write stories about heroes. Her little face lit up as she replied, “You mean like superman?” I laughed a bit, shook my head and replied, no honey, I write stories about, real heroes, not make believe ones. She looked puzzled, so I tried to explain.

I started by asking her if she knew what a hero was. Tilting her head while grinning up at me as if I was an idiot, she responded by telling me “Heroes are people like Spiderman that are real strong and can fly. They save people and dogs.” Her answer was about what I expected, and, while it did make me chuckle, it also made me wonder about a few things, so I decided to pursue the subject a bit further. “Not those kinds of heroes, I said, but real heroes – people who do good things like saving people’s lives. Don’t you think those are heroes too?” “Stop being a silly Uncle Jamey”, she giggled, “Those are just regular people doing great things, not real heroes like Spiderman! “This is what pushed me to wonder about a few things I had believed in, but never really given a lot of thought to.

Would I Have Done What The Man At The River Did?

Are heroes born or are they created? Is it something that is just inherently inside a person, or is it possible that someone who has no intentions of ever doing something heroic could simply just end up in a situation that turns them into a hero? I started to think back to the river incident, and asked myself- “Would I have jumped into the raging flood water to save that woman?”

I know with certainty that I have saved the lives of many people throughout my years as a Paramedic, and I recall many a time when a victim would have surely died had I not been there to provide treatment. Looking back though, it occurred to me that I’d never been involved in a situation that involved heroism. I was only doing what I was trained to do, and it was my job to do it.

One of the most important things Public Safety responders are taught is to always watch out for the safety of yourself and your crew first, and then take care of those you are trying to rescue. We are taught to never put the life of our patients or others before our own. What this means is that we are to always make sure the scene is safe, and if not, our first goal is to make the scene safe.

Police officers are trained to secure and neutralize unsafe situations in the safest manner possible and to always weigh the consequences of a situation by the benefits. In other words, an officer is taught to use every safety precaution available and to use forethought before making a move.

Firemen, being trained along the same lines, always use safety precautions before entering burning buildings. Fire retardant clothing, breathing apparatus, tools, and knowledge are only a part of what they have to arm themselves with. When they go into a burning building, they know that they, and their crew, have taken every available measure to ensure their own safety first.

Every branch of Public Safety is trained to put safety first. It’s what ensures that they are able to do their job and live to be able to do it again the next time as well.

So What Makes Someone Become A Hero?

After talking to my niece, I had to ask myself a question. What if a trained rescue diver had witnessed the woman’s car going into the river? What would he have done, and would the outcome be the same or different? Would the rescue diver have taken the time for precautionary measures they are trained to take before diving into the flooded river? I believe he/she would have. Here’s what I think may have happened in that case:

The diver sees the accident. They pull over to help, but not before contacting local 911 or dispatch. Next, they would have put on any safety equipment they happened to have with them, perhaps even grabbing ropes and life preservers. Before entering the river they would use precious moments to think through the situation, tie themselves off to a tree, and take every other possible safety precaution in order to help ensure their own survival first. It’s just what they are trained to do, and it is what everyone else in Public Safety is trained to do as well.

So, does it make a difference in whether or not a person should be considered a hero if they utilize their training to ensure their own safety before they rescue someone? What if both results were the same? The untrained man simply jumped into the water without thought for his own safety, yet was still able to save the woman, while the trained professional would have taken the time to set up safety procedures before doing the same. Does that mean they are both heroes, even though the trained person used a few “cheats”? Does that make him less of a hero?

Now let’s think back again. Would the trained diver have gone in to rescue the woman if he had no training to do so? If not, then I think it may define what a hero really is. Could it be that a hero is someone who risks their own life in order to save another’s? Someone who acts on sheer instinct and goes in regardless of the outcome to their own wellbeing?

Is it possible to create a hero by giving them the training, tools, and knowledge needed to perform a rescue and still insure their own safety? Or, is a real hero one who would run into a burning building with the odds of returning stacked highly against them. Is the real hero one who would have performed the rescue with or without training? If so, that means that a real hero is one who would risk their own life to save another without regard to their own safety.

September 11, 2001

Heroes arose and tragically, many heroes surrendered their lives on that tragic September morning. Office workers, cooks, and passers-by went into the chaos and smoke alongside the brave police and firefighters that day, as they risked their lives, and in many cases gave their lives in order to save others. Trained rescuer workers by the score marched into the buildings to try to save the lives of those still inside – despite knowing that the buildings could very likely collapse. Many of those rescuers gave their lives that day doing the job they were trained to do.

What Defines A Hero?

After giving that question a great deal of thought, I think a hero is best defined as a person that, in a time of crisis, has an overwhelming urge to save the life of another. Whether trained or not, a true hero will see a situation and every ounce of their being tells them to go and help. Perhaps training can offer tools to be a hero more safely, but I do not think it takes away from the basic instinct a hero has to save the life of another.

In the World Trade Center tragedy, we saw trained rescuers put themselves into a situation where the odds of surviving were enormously stacked against them. I believe these people would have done the same, with or without any professional training. Although their training gave them the ability to save even more lives that day, it was not that training that made them run into a situation of almost certain death. It was something deep within themselves that they would not have been able to resist. It was the hero inside them that walked them up to those buildings, and despite any fears they had, it pushed them further and forced them to give whatever it took to save the life of another.

Heroism is something inside a person that takes over in a time of crisis. In an emergency situation, it dampens fear’s ability to deter them and it pushes them to give anything and everything to see another survive.

My niece was right in her answer. Heroes are regular people that do great things.

It’s not too late to have the dream of being a Private Investigator

Getting training as a P.I. is not out of reach for anyone with the ambition to do it. There are Private Investigator certification courses available online, and through reputable colleges. Students in these courses can take their classes through a distance education setting, and obtain their certification without having to attend a college campus that can take precious time out of a busy adult’s life.

Online Private Investigator training can be completed in under a year. Students will simply use a visual interface provided by the school to send and receive materials. There are no set course times that students must be present for, which allow the student to log in at any time of the day or night. Real instructors interact with the student via email and chat options, and students can interact with fellow students to form study groups or to help each other with questions and answers.

Be your own boss

Private Investigators have many options available. They can set up private businesses, or even take on employment with others. Police agencies, attorneys, insurance claims companies, and task forces all often utilize the professionalism that Private Investigators have to offer. In any case, a trained Private Investigator has options, and those options allow the P.I. to decide their own future.

Check out what is available in online Private Investigator training. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to get the training you need and live the life you wanted since childhood. Click here to see which schools offer the Private investigator Certification online.

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Let’s take a look back in history

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled about 11 million U.S. gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. In 2007, a study by NOAA determined that as much as 26 thousand gallons still remains on the shores, and is only degrading at a slow 4% each year.

Also, in a similar report by NOAA almost 11 years after the spill, this excerpt stands out to me.

“Buried or subsurface oil is of greater concern than surface oil. Subsurface oil can remain dormant for many years before being dispersed and is more liquid, still toxic, and may become biologically available. A disturbance event such as burrowing animals or a severe storm reworks the beach and can reintroduce unweathered oil into the water.”

In this report from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council severe problems still remain. Although many wildlife inhabitants have returned, many are still slow to come back to pre-spill numbers and few faced near extinction numbers. Also, local communities that relied on fishing as an industry have had to seek other means. Many of the hatcheries in the area have never reopened or have never seen supplies return from their pre-spill status. Think about it. It has been more than 20 years since this spill occurred and the effects are still very real. If we see this same trend in our Gulf of Mexico, it would mean that a 10 year old child of the area today could still be dealing with these problems well into their 30’s.

BP’s responsibility and costs

British Petroleum (BP), the owner and responsible party to the oil rig that caused this spill, has issued statements time and time again of how they will “make it right” in the Gulf of Mexico. They have even pledged 20 billion dollars towards a fund to assist in the cleanup and recovery efforts for the residents, businesses, and environment. But, even if that money remains available, is it enough?

In this independent report by the Getner Consulting Group, it outlines losses that could be expected in ONLY the sport fishing and charter fishing industries. In this report, it states that it is possible to see losses of revenue for these businesses in excess of 14 billion dollars. That’s just for sport fishing!! If this report should show true, then nearly all of the money pledged by BP would go towards only this industry! This does not even begin to cover the loss of wages from the more than a quarter of a million jobs lost.

In the case of the Exxon Valdeez, it was ordered originally that Exxon should pay $287 million in actual damages and $5 billion in punitive damages. However, after several appeals, the costs incurred to Exxon were reduced significantly. Does this also mean that we may be facing a time when BP appeals their claims and ends up not even having to pay what it has already stated it was responsible for? In the case of Exxon, the final litigation came down to whether or not the Exxon spill was of accidental cause or caused by malice.

Other costs will be incurred by the disaster. Among some of them will be cleanup costs, payment for lawsuits, costs associated with wildlife conservation and preservation, and not to mention any costs created by human health issues during cleanup and future illnesses. Can BP actually fulfill its responsibility?

What about the outcome of family and tradition. The fishing industry is an industry of heritage. Fishing and even tourism business is largely passed from generation to generation. Due to this oil spill, many family owned and operated businesses will be closing their doors for good. How will that affect the future of their children? Can a cost really be placed on tradition and heritage? It’s doubtful, but it should still be considered as the when realizing the overall consequence of what has happened.

Is British Petroleum even capable of covering the costs?

Despite what it says right now, I think that valid questions should be raised in regards to BP’s ability to cover all of the costs associated with this spill. In fact, I think it could be reasonable to assume that it cannot even come close to covering them. BP has been a profitable company, without question. However, when looking at the short and long term costs, one has to assume that there is not a company on this planet that can truly afford to make those restitutions.

Trying to predict the outcome

One thing we can be certain of is that despite what anyone claims, the Gulf of Mexico will NEVER recover fully from this disaster. The loss of even one species of life due to this disaster could leave devastating effects. Already, we see closures in business, and struggles among residents along the affected coastal areas. Many complain that they have not received any aid or even very little.

Let’s inject this very realistic scenario, and even submit that BP may make every possible effort to “make things right”, as they have claimed. What if the costs just simply become too much for one company to handle? What if BP should fall to bankruptcy? Seeing their stock prices already reach lows of nearly 50% makes bankruptcy not out of the question. I saw a report a few days ago that suggested that nearly 6% of the world has some ties to BP stock. That number is simply astonishing. Who picks up the slack in payments and costs if this should happen?

Even if BP should continue to stay in operation and remain able to keep up in the cleanup and recovery effort, we have a lot of dismay to look forward to. If the Exxon Valdez disaster is any example, even the next generation of adults will still be working to clean this up. This also means that nearly all of the current BP execs would be either retired or facing retirement.

Also, we know that in the case of Exxon, later court appeals significantly reduced the liability of Exxon. Surely we cannot sit here and expect that BP will not also be filing some of those same appeals. In fact, if one watches the responses and actions of BP presently, it almost seems as though they are already leaving themselves set up for those appeals. The recent Senate hearings asked many questions of BP CEO Tony Hayward. Among those questions were some that attempted to get Mr. Hayward to accept responsibility of BP for the full extent of the disaster. His answers left even more questions. In most cases, he deferred his answer pending an investigation done by BP! This leaves a person to speculate that BP is already trying to limit their legal liability. Is this perhaps for future litigation?

My predictions of the Gulf Oil Disaster and its impact on the future

This disaster will continue to affect the daily lives of U.S. residents for years, and the residents of the gulf coastal areas can expect to see these effects last possibly 20 to 30 more years. I will speculate that if BP even survives, they will almost certainly not be able to cover its responsibility, and in the future, they will even spend a great deal of money trying to escape much or a majority of their liability. I would also predict that the government of the U.S. will end up bearing the majority of the costs, which will undoubtedly be pushed right back to the citizens of the entire country. This will no doubt cause a great deal of debate in our country over taxes that would have to be imposed to help recoup the costs, and costs of any new laws that will undoubtedly become real as a result of this disaster.

10 years after the well is finally capped, we may start to see the beginnings of return to our fishing and tourism industries in the gulf. Cleanup efforts along the coast will still undoubtedly be underway and even more expensive efforts will be going to clean the sea floor. We will also be just getting a glimpse of the huge impact on the ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. We will probably still be spending large amounts of money to attempt to save many species from extinction or endangerment. We will also only begin to understand how this spill has affected the land, air, and sea environment as a whole. By now, the U.S. has will also have imposed taxes on oil companies themselves for drilling in U.S. waters, as a result of this spill.

In 20 years after the oil well is capped, our children of today will be realizing the devastation that has been left for them. Though much of the work towards recovery and cleanup will most certainly be done, we will no doubt be leaving some of this for our children to attend. There will still be existence of loose oil buried in the sands of some coastlines and sea beds. They will not have the luxury of seeing some of the marine life in the area that exists today. They will still be spending a great deal of money to continue our current efforts in recovery. They almost certainly will be using this spill as a pretext for future legislations and their children (our grandchildren) will be reading of this disaster in text books.

25 years after the oil well is capped cleanup and recovery efforts will be mostly complete. However, American citizens will be realizing that the taxes that were imposed 20 years earlier will continue to be paid. Yes, our children could likely be paying for the costs of this disaster for the rest of their lives. Perhaps in this time line, our dependency on oil related energies will be much lower. However, any that do still exist will still be paying higher taxes as part of the restitution of a spill 25 years earlier.

In closing

Obviously, I think that we will be paying for this disaster for a great many years to come. I also think that BP itself will, in the grand spectrum of things, payback very little. I think that because of our country’s lack of aggressively seeking out alternative resources to oil, our children will be left with a great burden, and the Gulf disaster will most likely only play a small role in that burden. I believe that at this date, we have no concept of the realities and role that this disaster will leave for us. Even the extinction of a microbe can hold dire consequences for us. If there is a life that relies on it, a chained disturbance is caused by its disappearance. All we can do right now is speculate as to the tragedy that is before us in the Gulf of Mexico. Only time will tell.

To summarize, a husband, who is also an emergency medic, noticed his wife displaying stroke like symptoms. Since his wife is a cancer patient, the medic knew the potential seriousness of her symptoms. Deciding that he could be at the hospital 20 minutes before an ambulance could have them there; he loaded the wife into the car and took her in. He used his flashers, but did not heed normal traffic regulations. According to the officer in question, the man ran a couple of stop lights, and nearly caused the officer to crash. Upon arrival at the ER, the husband carried the wife into the ER, and did not stop when the officer requested. In fact, claims the officer tried to physically stop the man, yet the man shrugged him off and went in anyway. So, now several felony charges have been filed by the officer against the husband.

To Call or Not to Call an Ambulance?

I think that it is safe to say that all of us in EMS have asked ourselves, or talked among our crew mates, did that person really need an ambulance and couldn’t they have gotten there quicker on their own?

I myself have been guilty of these same questions. One example is a call I received right across the street from the hospital. It was for a boy who had cut his arm pretty severely. When we arrived, the wife, who was a nurse, had the bleeding contained, and the boy was somewhat calm. We loaded him up and took him for the 30 second ride across the street. Basically, he needed absolutely zero care from us, and all we did was provide the ride. Afterward, my crew and I talked among each other and wondered why. We all know an ambulance is not a cheap ride, and to inflict those cost, take a truck out of service, and waste the time of waiting while the boy could have been receiving care, is something we all debated.

The story in the CNN article raises the question again for me. At which point should it be most wise for a family member to simply take the patient in themselves?

We all know that a family member will almost always perceive an emergency as more severe than a trained professional that has probably seen the injury or illness a hundred times. Should those “panicked” family members be behind the wheel of a car? Should they face criminal charges if they do?

According to the CNN story, the husband was an “emergency medic”. Does that mean he is trained to drive differently in an emergency? Is it ok that he does not yield to traffic laws? How can we expect a panicked family member to remain calm enough and to not disobey those laws?

I wonder what I would do in the same situation. As I sit here now, I feel as though I would keep a level head. However, I also know that if I come to an intersection and it looks clear, I would probably proceed. What happens if I make a mistake during my moment of panic and hurt someone else? Should I be charged criminally?

Should we require that all emergencies be transported by ambulance? Think of the costs that would incur, and how many more ambulances would be needed across the country.
I guess there probably is no clear answer. In my opinion, the safest thing would be for everyone to call an ambulance during a medical emergency. However, does the end justify the means?