FirefighterErik's blog: "Doin' it on the cell phone"

I've had the best/worst luck the last three days. I've walked into the firehouse and each time within 5 minutes a call's gone out. Yesterday was no exception... walked in, said my hello's, and we get tapped out for a 7 year old female seizing. Look around, no one else to drive the medic unit... God dammit. Jump on, off we go. Head into the house, she's unresponsive and barely breathing. Then she starts seizing again. Get oxygen flowing, establish an IV, push some drugs, then I pick her up in my arms and take her to the ambulance. Put her on the cot, help get some equipment set up, then go back up front. Hop in, throw it in reverse, and off we go. I always tell my guys that speeding is almost never worth the risk it comes with; you might save a minute or two and you also might wreck. Well, in this case I decided it was worth it. Turned a 19 minute trip into just a hair over 13. Rolled into the ER, and within 5 minutes they had a helicopter en-route Priority 1 to take her to a pediatric specialty center. Last I heard she was critical yet stable. Doin' it.