Rookie!

I finally made a truck Friday morning!!!

After 2 months of trying, I made a truck in the last hour of my shift.

For those of you that don't know, I am a member of the New Prague Volunteer Ambulance.

My pager went off just after 5am. I shot straight out of bed, turned off my pager, and stared at my clock for a good 10 seconds. I was really out of it and I couldn't tell what time it was; before or after 6am. After 6am I was no longer on shift so I wouldn't have had to go, but my brain couldn't compute the numbers displayed on the digital clock. Finally the "DUH" like turned on and I ran for the kitchen, where I had my med pants and boots waiting.

The call was nothing over the top, but it did force me to stop out of the box and take charge of getting certain information from family members. Riding as a 4th crew member you're technically an observer, however since everyone knows that I am an EMT (you don't have to be to ride as a 4th, nor to be on the ambulance...they'll send you through EMT training) so they look at me as if I know what I'm doing. As far as knowing what I'm doing, I'm rusty but most of all I need to get a feel of how they do things. Not every ambulance service runs their scenes the same...and that's what I'm observing as a 4th crew member.

Well, after one call I think I'm feeling a bit more confident. I plan on riding as a 4th for at least two more calls...where I make a truck!...but thereafter I will go as a 3rd and that will make me an ACTIVE crew member.