What's the worst that has happened?

[Feba]

Re: What's the worst that has happened?

And who said we didn't? we all got counselling for a month after that from the brigade,

Don't take this as an insult, but that seems odd. I mean, doctors deal with dying patients with horrible conditions all the time, and most don't seem too affected by it. I wonder if that has more to do with medical school teaching a 'professional detachment', or if it's just because they deal with death all the more often; or maybe because doctors are more likely to view death more as a certainty than a tragedy.

[Jarre]

Re: What's the worst that has happened?

When you spend hours talking to someone while cutting them out trying to make them feel as comfortable as you can and watching them slowly fade in front of you is difficult. You always ask yourself afterwards, did we do enough? Did we get their sooner, why didn;t that work, why wern't we told this and that, why was the equipment not adequate etc etc.

I don't know how doctors do it, but I doubt they are totally detached, its just some people can take it better than others and it also depends on how involved in the exstraction, care, diagnosis etc. you were.

From a firefighters point of view it affects you the most when you are sat in teh car with the casaulty talking to them, trying to make them feel as best relaxed as you can whilt having to explain whats happening and providing protection (in the form of the tear drop board when windows have no choice to be broken, holding up salvage sheets, protecting their neck, stemming bleeding when parts of their body has been punctured by projectiles etc. As in alot of cases the vehicle is not safe for paramedics to be in there.

Not taking any offense feba just letting people know we are human and just giving some info on what a firefighter has to do and what they actually deal with. If any of you has been in a RTC (wreck) you would have been consoled (right word?) by a firefighter with you through the whole extraction period doing their best to keep you alive and filled in on whats happening as well as talking to you to ease your mind.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: What's the worst that has happened?

Don't take this as an insult, but that seems odd. I mean, doctors deal with dying patients with horrible conditions all the time, and most don't seem too affected by it.

While there are a minority of heartless twats in the medical community, this is an absolute FALLACY! A majority of our family is in the medical community and while you may stuff down your angst publically, the death of each and every patient is deeply felt. My cousin recently took a 3 year sabbatical for this very reason. He is in the field of oncology and needed the rest and some therapy in order to get his feet back under him. Only a lucky few are able to take long breaks though, most of the community deal with the stress and death by having ongoing therapy or many turn to drugs and alcohol just like the average person.

[Jarre]

Re: What's the worst that has happened?

Part of the comradaryship of the fireservice is because we all had to deal with the shit and helped each other through, the fireservice is one of the few jobs where this bond between workers is very strong.