Person Down!

When you call 911, the call is put into a category depending on what you tell the dispatcher over the phone.  This is a  nationally used protocol, created to bring a uniform standard to 911 dispatching.  If the protocol is being used by the center you call, you will get questions asked to you in a way that will best extract the most pertinent information in a timely manner.  That way, the proper services and amount of rescuers are sent to your emergency call.

This is because, unless a dispatcher can actually see what is going on and why you are calling, he is blind and at your mercy to relay what is really going on.

911 calls are made all the time for any reason. But for this post, I will focus on a "Person down." This is different from a "Fall," which is when the caller states the patient was actually seen, heard or told of falling down. A "Person down" is just that, someone on the ground for no reason, or no witnessed reason. 

Most of the time in the area where I work, it is for a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk, or a drunk person that has passed out and/or is sleeping too.

Oddly, when someone has a seizure, heart attack, or drug overdose,they are usually with someone and/or it is witnessed, and the 911 call comes in as something other than "Person down." Even a suicide or someone who had died on the street comes out as a "DOA." A "Person down" seems to be always someone who is sleeping or drunk.

Many times, it ends up being a false alarm. The caller is sometimes driving in their car and sees someone on the sidewalk and decides to call. A man was kneeling down on his front lawn doing some gardening, and a driver mistook him as being unconscious and on the ground. Silly good Samaritan...... Other times it's someone who is walking by, or lives/works nearby and sees something "wrong." I came on scene to find a man laying on the sidewalk, with the 911 caller standing right next to him. I asked, "What's wrong?" The caller said, "I think he's dead." I looked down at the man, and shouted, "Hello! Are you okay?" The man on the sidewalk said, "Leave me alone, I'm sleeping."

Yes, many times, good Samaritans just call 911 without trying to investigate why they are calling. I guess there's a point where they care, but not that much. Like the many drivers who call 911, but won't circle the block to find out if they are calling for a legitimate reason, and just keep driving on their merry way.

So far,  knock on wood, my "Person Downs" have not had any emergency needing special attention. Most are people who are trying to sleep. Some are too drunk to be left on their own, and are carted off to the hospital. Some are homeless and feign illness because they know it means a warm bed and something to eat, even though it will take up a bed in the Emergency room.

Today's call was different. "Person down, behind the library." We respond lights and sirens through heavy traffic, and finally get to our destination and head for the back of the library. We didn't find anyone. We looked all over, then walked down some steps to an alley. We looked around, nothing..... Then someone pointed to a place that was behind us, and said "He's up there." We looked up a different flight of stairs and saw a bundled blanket in the library's back doorway.

We asked the pointer, "Did you call 911?" He answered, "Yes, I called." We asked, "What happened, why did you call?" The pointer answered, "No movement." By then we were getting nearer to the person who hasn't moved for I don't know how long, but long enough for the caller to be worried. As we got closer, I thought, "We passed this alley to get to the back of the library, why didn't the 911 caller flag us down and tell us to go down this alley instead?" We would have gotten to the patient a little bit sooner, and it would have been much easier to get this person in distress into the ambulance to be quickly whisked away to the hospital.

Were we too late? Could this person who hasn't moved be saved? We wondered as we got closer..... we shouted "Are you okay? Are you okay? No movement........ none at all. We got closer...... We shook the blanket. No movement. We slowly uncovered the blanket....... and found.........
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No one. There was no one under the blanket. Surprised? *rolls eyes*

The Wizard

Everyone is well aware of the Coke vs Pepsi, Cola wars. Each one spends millions to get you to drink their cola. Each one tells you how great they taste and how much better they are than the other. I bet you even have your own favorite brand.

But just for a minute, think about this. What if both brands were owned by the same person? That means of course, no matter which one you buy, one person makes money off you. But why would one person do this? Why wouldn't they just market both flavors under one label?

Loyalty. You get the people all riled up to pick a side, and they get in a frenzy. Mob mentality takes over. You are no one unless you drink what "I" drink. And with only two to pick from, all those other independents fall by the wayside. Remember Royal Crown (RC) Cola? It was at one time, a viable third candidate. But now, you can't find it in a store.

So why am I telling you this? I have a sneaking suspicion, and one day it may be revealed, that there really isn't two political parties. Both are working together for one thing, and it's not to make good government. It's to get your money into their pockets.

Made for Women

Have you ever heard the old saying, "Work smart, not hard?" It just means that if you take the time to think things out, you won't have to work as hard to accomplish a goal. You can also use a machine to do things for you, instead of doing it manually, so that it will be faster and easier.

Machines do make our lives easier. Many mundane chores are now being done by a machine. Not being sexist, but most of the time, these jobs were at one time, done by women. Cooking, cleaning, whatever. Think of all the appliances that are available today, and you will see that most of them help women NOT do a job they once did.

Here are some examples of inventions made for women.

Stove and oven, women don't have to gather wood and start a fire anymore.
Washing machine, women don't have to drag clothes to the river and hit them with rocks.
Dryer, women don't have to hang clothes and wait for them to dry.
Vacuum cleaner, women don't have to endlessly sweep and dust all day.
Can opener, women don't have to use their hands. Heck, food comes in pouches now.
Microwave, women don't have to slave over the now obsolete stove and oven.
Computer, women don't have to go out on dates anymore, they can just as easily reject you while sitting comfortably at home in their jammies.
Even the Television. What? The television?

Yes, now that women have more time on their hands because they don't have to do any manual labor, they need something to keep them occupied, so Television and Soap Operas were invented. And you thought it was made for men to watch sports. *shakes head*

Yes there are many appliances that have made life easier for women. What's next, you ask? Well, I was at the Pharmacy today, and I saw a breast pump for sale......... Now women are trying to replace what men are supposed to do......

Lessons Learned?

September 11, 2001, the day the USA changed.

I remember where I was and what I was doing 10 years ago. I was at home and asleep, awakened by a friend who told me to turn on the TV. At first I was grumpy from having been disturbed from much needed rest, after being relentlessly tired from working at one of the busiest Paramedic ambulances in LA City. But then, like being slapped in the face, I was shocked wide awake, to see what was happening in New York. I watched as the second plane hit the 2nd tower, and at no time did I ever think anything but terrorist attack. In the beginning, there was speculation as to what was happening, thinking only a small plane had tragically hit the first tower. But I came in late, and immediately saw things as everyone else was now coming to grips to. This was no accident.

Then the reports of the Pentagon being hit, and possibly more planes unaccounted for. To be honest, I was never in fear of an attack here in Los Angeles. I don't know why, I guess I felt like they were targeting the East Coast and Government buildings. Later, we did find out that many places were targeted, with Los Angeles being listed. Though the world was now on alert, I don't remember being called in to staff any extra resources. There may have been some, but I just don't recall any right now. Some Firefighters spent their vacations in New York, working for free on their Fire Engines, while the NY firefighters worked to find survivors in the rubble of the World trade Centers.

From my perspective as a Firefighter, we changed in many ways. Our tactics changed. Our state of alertness changed.

But what is more important is how we changed as people after that day. We were one. We were no longer LAFD or LACountyFD or FDNY. We were Firefighters. We were First Responders. We were Brothers and Sisters. Yes, there were Fire Dept rivalries. Just like USC vs UCLA, people had their pride, sometimes misplaced, sometimes foolish.

As we find out more and more about the tragedy of 9/11, we also find out more about the acts of complete strangers helping out complete strangers. Not just people involved with Public Safety, but just your normal everyday person, who also risked their lives to help others. People with no training, or knowledge of the dangers facing them, who only had one thing on their mind. To help another person live.

We also saw that, how in most "doomsday" predictions, people are "predicted" to turn on each other, killing each other for their money, possessions, food, water, you name it. People are supposed to think only of themselves and throw you over the cliff so that they could live. But it didn't happen. People heard cries for help and helped. Groups that left as a team, found their way out as a team.

I guess this is how it is when the perceived "enemy" is from the outside.

Unfortunately, we seem to be divided again. I guess we didn't learn from the selfless acts of strangers that day, that gave for the greater good. "We" are back to "me, myself, and I." I guess this is how it is when the perceived "enemy" is on the inside. Liberal/Conservative. Republican/Democrat. Fox/CNN.

In the end, we are all just people who want the same thing. Food, shelter, and safety. Together, we can achieve this. Divided, we fail. Now go ahead and blame the other guy for it being this way.

Women - A Foreign Language

Before you read this, you have to read this about how women say one thing, and mean another. http://blogs.laweekly.com/afterdark/2011/08/16_things_women_say_that_men_m.php

Though I'm not disagreeing with this article, I have never heard any woman say #7, or heard of any man who complained that she said it. I do agree that most women say one thing and mean another. I just don't agree on what men and women have been trying to accomplish, since these types of articles have been written.

Think about it. When you look at something, first you look back to when things were different. Then you think about when things started to change, and then that's when you put two and two together to get five.

In the old days, before there were articles like this, men were men and women were women. There was still miscommunication, but whenever there was a relationship, it was "till death do you part." Men and women stayed married and celebrated decades of marriage together.

But now, with these "guides" to how women think, men have tried to turn into Sherlock Holmes, deciphering what women are really trying to say. And what are the results? Divorces, people having trouble finding someone, the explosion of dating sites, and even stalking. Yes, there are more cases of stalking now because men are trying to decipher what you say.

Oh no, she couldn't have meant leave her alone, when she said, "Leave me alone." And she really didn't mean for me to stay the fuck away from her when she said, "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!"

Women, hahaha, they're so funny that way.

Anyway, now that I just spent 6 months in jail for stalking, I've had a lot of time to think about this. Where did men go wrong? Well, the answer is simple. Men thought they were at fault, and tried to better themselves by trying to be a better listener, and therefore be a better partner to a woman. Men tried to be more sensitive. Tsk tsk, what a mistake.

In reality, women are at fault here. Women are the ones who say things that they don't really mean, not men. Yes it IS your fault. For men and women to start being better communicators with each other, WOMEN have to start saying what they mean.

When you go to McDonald's and want a Quarter Pounder with cheese, you don't ask for a Filet 'o Fish, and if you do and end up with a Filet 'o Fish, you better not complain. Now maybe you could get away with asking for a "Royale with cheese" instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese, and still get a Quarter Pounder with cheese, but you can't ask for a Filet 'o Fish.

But there is more to this story than meets the eye. You see, if women say one thing and mean another, they they could also possibly interpret things in a way only they can understand.

For example, when men say "I'm hungry," men mean, "I'm hungry." It doesn't mean, "OMG! I'm stressed out from my job because that bitch that I work with is always trying to make me look bad, and always talking about me behind my back, and trying to get the promotion that I deserve, that BITCH!"

But, women aren't totally alone here. Sometimes there is a little more to what men say, but it's just not as bad as what you are thinking. So, here are a few things that men say, that mean a little more than what they are saying, but is still misinterpreted by women.

When men say, "Let's have lunch." Women, you should not think, "OMG! I know what he really wants. He's making reservations at a cheap Motel, there is NO WAY I'm having sex with him." What men really means is, "Let's have lunch, I'm hungry and don't like eating alone."

When men say, "Let's have dinner." Women, you should not think, "OMG! He wants to eventually marry me and is making reservations at a Hotel, there is NO WAY I'm having sex with him." What men really means is, "Let's have dinner, I'm hungry and don't like eating alone, and I'll pay."

When men say, "Let's have sex." Women, you should not think, "OMG! He's so funny! He sure is confident. Wow, that is so sexy. I want him. I really, really want him. Right now. In fact right here in front of everyone in this bar, because I've had a few too many and I'm horny and uninhibited. I can't help myself, I'm gonna leave with him right now and attack him in his car in the parking lot. Oh gosh, I am soooo hot right now..... What men really mean is, "I'm horny, I won't remember your name tomorrow, don't expect me to call you, ever."

Not so hard, is it?

The Pina Colada Song

Isn't it funny how people get the wrong impressions from songs? Springsteen's "Born in the USA," was mistaken as a patriotic song. But it was more about what was wrong with the USA at the time, than how great a Country we were.

Just like most people think the Pina Colada song is romantic, yet, not really. Yeah, you all know that song..... "If you like Pina Coladas......."

Think about it for a minute. In real life, this is how the song would end.....

You?
You? Why are you writing personal ads?!?!
Why are you ANSWERING personal ads?
You don't drink pina coladas! And you can't stand getting wet in the rain!
Well, I don't like yoga and YOU don't have half a brain!
Well you can't make love at midnight, you're always asleep by 10!
*SPLASH!* Here's your taste of champagne! Now go and escape!

Am I right?

Los Angeles Parking Violations, Parking Tickets

If you received a Parking Ticket in the City of Los Angeles, with only the envelope on your windshield, no ticket inside, then had to pay the fine and late fees, leave a comment.

Thanks.

Limitations

As Dirty Harry once said, "A man's gotta know his limitations." This is all relative of course. You never know something, unless you try it. And trying something new or different for the first time usually doesn't disappoint.

But, I'm not writing about things like that. It's more like trying to be a Major League Pitcher when you can't throw the ball over home plate. No, that's not me, it's an example. Some things you are just naturally good at, some things you are not.

Well before my "Reflections" post, I have been reflecting on my life. All aspects, home, family, work, friends, God, you name it, I've been thinking about it. You might have noticed that theme in my blog.

I have known for a long time, that I am not especially good at one thing. I fail miserably all the time. But I kept trying, though admittedly, with much skepticism and being overly cautious when I did, which is probably also why I failed.

For the past 5 years, ever since I became an online personality, I have yearned for a more "normal" life. One that has normal hours of work, and to get more time for myself. But when I tried to change these things, I have run into road blocks.

Wanting this change, I had been neglecting the life I am good at. I have spent less time keeping up with my duties and relationships at work. You see, being a Firefighter is not just a job. It's a different kind of life. I'm beginning to think that wanting a change is not what's in my best interest. I'm starting to believe that, at this point in my life, I should just stick with what I know and do best.

I may even give up my online personality, which is kind of the root cause of my straying from what I was doing. Seeing people do regular things and have a regular life, have made me envious of that life. But that isn't my life. Mine is different, and I have to realize that it is, and accept it again.

I have met some great "friends" online. People that I would never had met or come across in real life. And I would miss them if I left this online world. But there are real people, and there are internet people. Real people are people that you do see, meet, or come across and interact with through work or play. Internet people are just the ones you "see" online, people you may not have even met in person.

I don't think that's healthy. Interacting with real people is not the same as interacting with them online. And many experts agree. They believe that the next generation will have a difficult time having normal interactions with each other. Have you seen people having dinner together, both on their smartphones texting away? How is that normal? It's not. I just hope they are not texting each other, that would be the worst.

Anyway, I am still reflecting on things. Maybe I just need more time to figure it all out. But I do know what I'm good at. At least I can fall back on that.

Besides, most of the time, people are always trying to be/do something that they're not. Whether due to peer pressure or just trying to fit in. It's better to just be yourself, and let people love you for who you are. That's what works for me, as most of the time, I rarely did things because "everyone was doing it." I have to do things my own way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Divine Intervention?

It would take a long time to explain how I feel about this, explaining how I got to this point, but to make it short, I do believe my life is being guided in some ways.

And sometimes specifically. For example, I wanted to become a Firefighter. Back when I started looking for a job as a Firefighter, it was difficult to get a job as one. Thousands would compete for Firefighter jobs. Depending on the City that was hiring, it could have meant 1 open position or 50 positions. I went everywhere there was a job announcement, from Santa Rosa to San Diego, and even Tuscon, Arizona. I passed most of the tests and even had interviews, but I didn't get hired by anyone except Los Angeles and Monterey Park.

When you want to be a Firefighter, you practice doing mock interviews with common questions given during interviews. Most questions are designed to test your honesty, integrity, and decision making skills. One common question has to do with witnessing a Firefighter possibly stealing something of value from a home that was on fire. You are supposed to answer that in two ways. First, you tell the interviewer that the Firefighter may not have the intent to steal these valuable items, but to collect them and to give them to the owners when he got outside. Second, you are to make sure that you report this incident to superiors to let them be aware of the situation, and that if there was any crime involved, you would not condone it.

I was asked this question with the City of San Diego, and I answered this question wrong and knew it. I tried to justify the answer instead of just saying I made a mistake, and I kept digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole. And I knew it. I was even given a chance to possibly fix this when they asked me if there was anything else I'd like to say. I didn't say anything. This totally blew my chance of being hired as a Firefighter for the City of San Diego.

So why did I blow it? I knew how to answer that question, yet, I didn't. I can only say that maybe it wasn't my destiny to work for the City of San Diego. When I got interviewed for the City of Los Angeles, I passed with flying colors. Yet there was a hiring freeze. I eventually did get hired by Los Angeles, and also got a call from Monterey Park.

So I can conclude that not only was I to become a Firefighter, but a Firefighter for the City of Los Angeles, not anywhere else. And it did feel "right." From training through probation, I did well, and was well liked. I was never given a bad evaluation.

Same with me becoming Paramedic trained. I wasn't taken in the first year I volunteered, but they did take me the next year when they had a new "On Duty" school schedule. I believe this schedule helped me pass Paramedic school, as the other way of "leaving" the Fire Dept for a short time and taking classes 5 days a week would have been a burden on my home life, and I would not have had time to study much.

Back then, the LAFD had a shortage of Paramedics which is why I volunteered to become one, and they were being overworked. When I became a Paramedic I was working on one of the busiest assignments in the City. Eventually I became weary of working as a Paramedic. I transferred to a "slower" spot, but it was still busy enough to keep wearing me down.

I decided I needed a break, and work at a "desk job" with regular 9-5 hours within the LAFD. So I looked for an administrative position at our training center. I found one, but it required certain certifications. I had to take and pass a 40 hour class. I did, paid for it on my own, and attended on my own time. Then I was asked to take one more class so that I could be certified in another section of the same unit. This time, the Fire Dept paid for the class, but I went on my own time.

When I was done, I was going to get transferred within a couple of weeks. Then another Firefighter got injured, and was placed in the position that I wanted. That's what we do with injured personnel, give them "desk jobs" until they heal. Then the budget cuts hit, and they streamlined that unit and when the injured Firefighter got better, they cut his position, and there were no more openings for me.

I did find another open position in another training unit, and I thought I was a shoe-in, as I knew both supervisors in charge of the unit. I ended up number 3 out of 3 with only 1 open position. It all worked out though, as budget cuts also cut the positions in that unit. I would have had to look for another position.

It wasn't meant to be, I was meant to stay out in the field as a Paramedic Firefighter. I even tried to transfer out of the Station I am currently at, to a "slower" Station. But that too did not happen. This is really not common, you can usually find administrative positions, or get another spot at another station. Is it Divine intervention or bad luck? I know what it is. The troubling part is, that I don't know why. Or maybe I do, and that's what troubles me.

Uncharted Territories

Changes are coming to the Los Angeles Fire Department in July 2011. Budget cuts have forced the Fire Chief to shut down several Fire Companies and this has caused great concern amongst Firefighters. There will be less Firefighters on duty everyday, meaning there will be less coverage for all types of emergencies.

There will be domino effects when one Company is helping someone in their district, and another emergency will have to be covered by another Company from another district farther away, thus creating gaps in coverage. If you could schedule emergencies, this would not happen, but we all know that anything happens at anytime.

Besides the inherent dangers to the public, there will also be dangers to Firefighters. When I taught fire safety to Elementary school children, one line we used was, "Big fires start small." When a fire starts, the more units you send to fight it and prevent it from getting bigger, the faster it is put out. With less companies, that means the potential for more danger is there.

Personally, it also means changes to life at affected Fire Stations. I myself, am working at the Fire Station that serves the area where I grew up. Yes, I work and serve in my hometown neighborhood. I thought it would be the last place that I would work, and that I would retire from here. But I don't like the changes that are coming, so I put in transfers to other Stations. Others felt the same and have already left. This is happening throughout the whole LAFD.

For the past few years, I thought my future was planned out. Now this, along with other recent disappointments, have caused me to question what the future has in store for me. Things that I know, keep me sane. Things that I'm unsure of, makes me think too much. Thinking too much makes you second guess yourself.

I guess I'm not patient enough. Getting older may be making me desperate, as if I am running out of time. I should have more faith in what fate has in store for me, as it really hasn't let me down so far. Still, this not knowing is really getting to me. Transfers come out Wednesday......