by California Casualty | Firefighters |
Another day, another blogger who is knocking our socks off.
This is a particularly exciting blog profile because it is our first EMT blog! Today’s Top FIRE & EMT Blog is…
Rescuing Providence.
Rescuing Providence is run by Captain Morse. Captain Morse is a Rescue Captain in Providence.
And like our other bloggers, Morse’s multitasking abilities are extremely impressive.
Not only is he whizzing around Providence savings lives and helping the sick and injured, he is also writing books and a blog about it.
I know, I know, I’ve said it before: But how does he have the time!? Not just to accomplish it all, but in such a successful way. Rescuing Providence‘s blog is truly a great one for EMTs & FFs. It’s chalk-full of advice, news briefs, and a ton of day-to-day inside-the-ambulance stories.
Here’s more from the Captain himself:
How would you describe Rescuing Providence? I started the Blog in 2006, thinking people would be interested in learning what happens inside an advanced life support vehicle in Providence, RI. The stories I tell are true, names and locations get mixed around to protect patient’s confidentiality.
It’s just a place where people can visit and get a picture of different person’s lives. Sometimes it’s happy, sometimes not so much, but the stories help put our own lives into perspective.
Also, because this is my blog I am able to tell most stories in a way that makes me look like a great EMT, compassionate and caring. Most of the time I am. I conveniently leave out the times I am not. But hey, it IS my blog!
What is the focus or mission of the blog? I like to think of Rescuing Providence as an Anthropological look at the people who live in the city through the eyes of an emergency responder, that being me.
Why did you start it? Rescuing Providence is a book that was published in 2001 by Paladin Press. I started the blog to promote the book, the blog took on a life of its own!
Is this your first blog? This is the first, and will be the last.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? I like writing about mundane things that have a spark of life when you peel things back. Everybody has a story, few are ever told.
Do you have a least favorite topic? I do not like writing about people’s personal shortcomings, or ridicule a person in any way, and pass on writing posts that exploit a person’s frailty.
How would you describe the EMS blog community? I found out about blogs by “googling” ems blogs. A day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver was the first to come up, and I read it to this day. I started blogging before Facebook took over, and there were four or five blogs I read daily, and still do. A lot have come and gone over the years, if you do not enjoy writing, and always seek to improve your writing style, people stop visiting, and without readers, blogging is not very much fun.
What would you say has been your best experience as a blogger? By writing daily, my skill as a writer has improved considerably. I like to look at the things I wrote six years ago and compare that to what I’m doing now and see the difference. I imagine in five years I’ll look at today’s writing and see where it could have been better.
What have you learned? That I love to write, and am fortunate that it comes naturally, albeit with tweaking along the way.
Any stories you’d like to share?
This girl broke my heart, but her courage was inspiring:
It would have been better if she was what I expected. It would have been a lot easier if she was some drunk, crazy, screaming meanie, filled with booze and hate, fighting with some other girls about whatever it is they fight about. It would have been just another call if she just cooperated, and was obnoxious, and demanding and thought the world revolved around her, and ignored me and paid more attention to her phone. That would have made it easy.
But it wasn’t easy.
She was adorable, and sober, and dressed for a night dancing with her boyfriend. She was worried that her mom would be mad that she got hurt. She wasn’t drunk, she didn’t even drink. She was in the line of fire, that’s all. The wrong place at the wrong time. She was in the way when a drunk, crazy, screaming meanie threw a bottle, and her face broke the intended path,and more glass started to fly, and fists and kicks started, and when it ended her beautiful face was sliced up, and her teeth were broken, and her eyeball gouged, and a four inch laceration bled from the top of her breast and soaked her dress with blood.
I wish she hadn’t smiled through the mask of blood, and then winced with pain when the jagged edges of her skin moved, and her lip separated when I asked her her name.
And most of all, I wish she hadn’t told me with another painful smile that her name is Marlin. Marlin, like the fish, she said, and asked me if her face would be okay.
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why? I’m a firefighter, and The Leary Foundation supports firefighters.
Want to hear more of Captain Morse’s EMT stories? Click here to read his blog. To vote for your favorite EMT & Fire Blog, click here!
by California Casualty | Peace Officers |
Here at California Casualty, we pride ourselves in knowing and understanding the professions that we work with.
But we also recognize, there is only so much we can know without being in the cop car, classroom, fire truck or hospital day in and day out. There’s only so much you can know without actually living it.
One of the highlights of this Battle of the Blogs–for me at least–has been the inside look that these blogs offer. With great writing and honest content, they are a chance to go inside the worlds of our professions- inside the cop car and into the fire.
And that’s really the stand-out feature of today’s blog.
Today’s TOP Law Enforcement Blog is…
Raindogblue.
The blog is authored by a real cop. And it talks about real things. Names and locations have been changed, but the content–the substance–is honest.
Best of all? The writing is spectacular. You can feel the real in the writing. Raindog will take you out there with him. But beware, it’s not always pretty.
As always, we wanted to know more about the man behind the blog. Here’s our Q&A with Raindog himself…
Raindog, how would you describe Raindogblue?
Raindogblue is a journal dedicated to Momentary Glimpses of Police Life. Be warned. This is the blog of street cop: brutal, injuring, disturbing. The stories are real. The jargon is used. Only the names of people and places have been changed to protect the fragile and innocent.
What is the focus or mission of your blog?
My blog is dedicated to describing the daily life of a patrolman.
What originally drove you to start blogging?
So that my family and friends would understand what I do and so my children, when they are adults, will know why their father was gone so many nights.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog?
I started Raindogblue on March 31st, 2008. This is my first blog.
Do you have any favorite or least favorite blogging topics?
I don’t write about favorite or least favorite topics. I write about the job. I write about stories from calls. I write about the language and jargon. I write about the bureaucracy. I write about the mundane and remarkable.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ …
At the core, Raindogblue is read by my family and friends, but over the years I have picked up readers who are interested in first responders and the families that support them. My readership spans from every state in the US as well regulars from the UK, Norway, Canada, Germany, and Mexico. And finally, despite my attempt to be anonymous, about two years ago, my blog was discovered by co-workers who were web surfing. One of my stories went viral. Officers remembered the call and started reading the blog, including my partner, Grumpy. I have been told several officers want their stories told and given nicknames in the journal.
What about them surprises you or gives you inspiration?
I like the dark humor and camaraderie for those who ‘get’ the job. Mostly, I like comments. Raindogblue is a record for the readers as much as it is for me.
What have you learned from the experience?
1) Tell the truth. It is better than fiction.
2) Don’t use the names of people and place: change them. Anonymity strengthens the story and protects the people portrayed in the posts.
Any great/funny/inspiring stories you’d like to share?
Looking for Meat, Frank, A Break in the Routine and The Crash
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why?
The Sunshine Division. They feed the hungry and clothe children.
To check out Raindogblue, click here! To vote for your favorite Law Enforcement blog, click here!
by California Casualty | Nurses |
Ever wonder what it’s like to run a hospital!?
Today’s TOP NURSING BLOG is run by a blogger who knows a thing or two about what it takes.
Today’s blog is….
Running a Hospital
Running a Hospital is a blog by the Former President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.
(Again, this furthers my theory that bloggers are superhuman. How do they lead lives like this and find time to blog about it!?!)
Okay, okay… I know. This blog isn’t technically authored by a Nurse. But we selected it as a TOP Nursing Blog because we think it’s just that: A top blog for our nursing network to follow! Running a Hospital is a great place to hear about the latest in medical news, and how that may affect the day to day lives of nurses.
So we sat down with our CEO-turned-blogger to learn a little bit about what he blogs about and why!
How would you describe your blog? This is a blog by a former CEO of a large Boston hospital to share thoughts about hospitals, medicine, and health care issues.
What is the mission behind Running a Hospital? Advocacy for patient-driven care, eliminating preventable harm, transparency of clinical outcomes, and front-line driven process improvement.
Why did you start blogging? I had a very interesting job as CEO of a large academic medical center, and I thought it might be interesting for people to read about the kinds of issues our place and I were facing.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog? Since August 2006.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? Most favorite thing has been success stories, where nurses and other front-line staff accomplish great things in clinical settings.
What about least favorite? Continued lack of progress in reducing harm to patients.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ … My blog community is represented by people of all backgrounds, in countries throughout the world. I am inspired by the stories they tell me about the kindness they show to patients and families and the comaraderie that share with one another. Their comments are often funny, as well as thoughtful.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? Actually meeting people around the world with whom I have become virtual friends. Once, I was in Mumbai, India and ended up having dinner with one such virtual friend, after several years of only electronic communication. This is the new version of pen pals!
What have you learned? OMG, I don’t have space to tell you. It would fill a book, er, a blog!
This post is a great summary of how I felt leaving the hospital, too.
If you win our Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why? The BIDMC nurses scholarship fund, which helps support practicing nurses who want to go back to school for advanced training. Why? Well, that should be obvious. Here’s a post that describes some aspects of that.
(PACU nurses who volunteer to work providing first aid at Fenway Park during the Red Sox home games.)
Want to hear more about what it was like Running a Hospital or follow along with the latest in medical news? Follow on Facebook or Twitter!
To check out Running a Hospital, click here. To vote for your favorite nursing blog, click here!
by California Casualty | Peace Officers |
When you talk about the law enforcement (and firefighter) blog communities, there is a group that deserves special recognition:
the spouses and significant others backing the blue line.
When I first started looking for the best of the best LEO blogs, I was looking for blogs authored by officers themselves.
But I was absolutely blown away by the communities created by LEO wives and significant others.
These women and men behind the badge offer each other something completely unique. They share stories, support, and tips. They offer up advice, resources, and most of all someone to listen and understand. This blog community has created a safety and support net unlike any I’ve yet encountered on the web.
With that said, it’s with great excitement that I introduce today’s TOP LEO Blog:
Suddenly Cop Wife!
Suddenly Cop Wife is authored by the wife of a Police Officer (obviously). Her blogger name is Stella New York. Stella is a fitness instructor and personal trainer. She is also the loving and supporting wife of a NYPD officer.
When Stella isn’t busy working, supporting her husband, and blogging about their experiences, she also hosts a LIVE show all about being an LEO wife called ‘Suddenly Cop Wife LIVE‘! Her latest show was in White Plains, NY, and (in her words), was “about the life that we lead; the things that the general public knows nothing about…the things that family and friends sometimes just don’t get.”
The reason we chose Suddenly Cop Wife as a top blog? Aside from being a great resource for LEOs and their families, Suddenly Cop Wife is honest. It’s a great blog for LEO families that want to hear from someone that shares their struggles, and isn’t afraid to talk about them.
I recently chatted with Ms. Stella about the blog behind the blue. Here’s what she had to say about Suddenly Cop Wife…
How would you describe your blog? My take on being the wife of an NYPD Officer
What is the focus or mission of Suddenly Cop Wife? To connect with other Cop’s Wives, to vent and write about the issues of the day
Why did you start it? I felt very alone in my experience as a Cop’s Wife; I did not initially marry a cop, and had a hard time adjusting to the changes the career brings; sometimes I still have a tough time with it!!
How long have you been writing on this particular blog? Since June 2010
What’s your favorite thing to write about? Least favorite? I enjoy writing about the funny things that happen. I hate when a child gets killed or something similar is gripping NYC and I feel I need to acknowledge it
Can you tell us a little bit your blog ‘community’ … I am always surprised by what people comment on…the things that I think people will for sure comment on, they never do…and then the things they do comment on never cease to amaze me…
What has been your best experience as a blogger? I was walking through NYC one day and was talking to a cop about my blog and she said, “Oh, my friend reads you.”
Have you learned anything through the experience? I’ve learned that people are people…we may be from NYC, but the feelings I have are pretty much universal.
I guess it’s important to mention that I think it’s great for a new Cop’s Wife to read; it will help her to navigate all the new roads ahead.
Any stories you’d like to share? Out of the Blog, came a Live Theatre Show; it was a labor of love and has so far been a one-of-a-kind hit.
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Havanese Rescue. Because I cannot live without my precious Havanese!!
Want to know more about Suddenly Cop Wife? You can keep up with Stella on Facebook or Twitter. More info on her LIVE show is here. To check out her fabulous LEO blog, click here! To vote for your favorite LEO blog, click here!
by California Casualty | Nurses |
Alright, what’s the secret?
There has to be something our top bloggers know that I don’t. Because for the life of me I cannot figure out how you guys (and gals!) find time to do all the things you do!
Today’s Battle of the Blog spotlight is on our FIRST NURSING blogger!
This is Keith Carlson, RN (aka: “NurseKeith”)
NurseKeith is a registered nurse, professional coach, writer, AND rock star blogger. Oh, excuse me, did I forget to mention he also co-founded an internet radio station called “RN.FM Radio: Nursing Unleashed”?
Seriously, people, how can you pull all this off!?
The name of Keith’s blog (well….one of them) is Digital Doorway. In his blog posts, NurseKeith discusses everything from the latest happenings in the world of nursing to book reviews to personal stories from his nursing experiences.
The real miracle is that Keith found some time to talk to us about his blog. Learn more below!
How would you describe Digital Doorway?
Digital Doorway is a venue for my thoughts, opinions and reflections on issues related to nursing, health care, and coaching.
What would you say is the focus or mission?
The mission of my blog is to be informative, thought-provoking, and intellectually stimulating, and to communicate important and timely information related to nursing and healthcare, as well as social justice and related topics.
What inspired you to start it?
I started Digital Doorway as a means to use my voice as a nurse and writer in a public format.
My blog began more as a personal exploration of issues important to me, and in the last 4 to 5 years it has become increasingly focused on nursing and health care.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog?
Digital Doorway has been active since January of 2005.
Do you have a favorite thing to write about?
My favorite subjects to write about are nursing, health care, social justice, and health.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ …
My blog community is varied and sundry. I am sometimes surprised by the amount of attention that certain posts engender, and I am frequently gratified by the wonderful encouragement and feedback that I receive.
What would you say has been your best experience as a blogger?
My best experience as a blogger has been the ongoing relationships with other nurse bloggers that I have developed over the years, as well as the organic notoriety that has been created by the blog.
I have actually met several people face to face with whom I first connected through Digital Doorway. It’s wonderful to create a real friendship out of an online connection.
What have you learned through the experience?
I have learned a great deal about writing, blogging, the internet, nursing, and the intersection between internet technology and healthcare.
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why?
I will be likely to donate my $200 winnings to Madre, an excellent organization that assists women and children around the world.
Other than the blog, where can we find you on the web?
On Facebook and on Twitter.
We are so happy to have our first Nursing blogger profile! To learn more about Nurse Keith and check out some of his blog posts, click here. To vote for your favorite Nursing Blog in Battle of the Blogs, click here!
