Just a Breath Away

When I was younger I joined the Saltlick Volunteer Fire Department feeling it was my duty to be of service to my community. Because I worked off shifts, many times I was available while other members were at work. I enjoyed the work, mainly because they had an ambulance service and I could extend my medical training out into the community, not just at the hospital. Because the ambulance company serviced a widespread area, the ambulance crew always consisted of three people.. The distance from any hospital made it necessary to run with the driver and two EMTs. If CPR was needed, one attendant couldn’t do compressions for the thirty minute minimum necessary to reach a hospital. The ambulance service was volunteers and we often had only EMT’s, running BLS. Paramedics were a luxury. The good thing was that the fire department understood the need for trained emergency care technicians and paid to have instructors come to the fire hall for any of the members who wanted to take the course. That decision was a smart move. When I was on a fire call, I felt more secure knowing that if an emergency should arise, one of my fellow firemen would be able to give me initial emergency care until more advanced personnel was available. It gave me comfort to know that educated fellow firemen were available. The ambulance calls were as varied as the population of the community, with all ages, illnesses, heart and breathing problems, auto and farm accidents that required immediate intervention, care, and transportation.

What brought this idea to my mind was the snack that I ate before bedtime. One of my favorite snacks is a cheese and onion sandwich with Pepperoncini peppers on the side. If I can trap a bit of roast beef between the layers of cheese, onions, and slices of bread, it is so much the better. Invariably when the desire for this snack hit me and I succumbed to the temptation, there would be a nighttime ambulance call. Even after I brushed my teeth before bedtime, my breath reeked of onions. I was always embarrassed by the thoughts of having to work closely with a patient and breathing those fumes in their face. When a call would come in the middle of the night, there would be barely time to get dressed and drive to the fire hall. There no time to brush my teeth again.

Tonight, I’m glad I no longer belong to an ambulance crew. Why, because onion breath presides?