We know auto and home insurance isn’t anybody’s absolute favorite thing to talk about. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have some fun around here. For me, the most entertaining part of my job is…
announcing the winners of our giveaways!
No matter what we are giving away, no matter who wins, no matter where they live… it’s always a blast.
They’re also excited.
They’re always surprised.
And they’re always so grateful.
(Which is slightly ironic, considering our giveaways reward people who truly deserve it and are our way of saying thanks to them.)
We’ve recently announced the winners of TWO giveaways: Our “Work Hard, Play Hard” Polaris ATV and Our School Lounge Makeover.
The winner of our Polaris ATV is a very deserving volunteer paramedic and EMS instructor named Ellie Piatt of Huber Heights, Ohio.
Congratulations, Ellie!
When we headed to Ohio to surprise Ellie at a department meeting, we learned she’d never even so much as sat on an ATV before! But that didn’t seem to curb her excitement. Ellie says she plans to use the $10,000 ATV to help her Bethel Township Fire Department better help the community.
Ellie, The Bethel Township Fire Department, and member of the California Casualty team all posing with the Polaris ATV
An extremely selfless volunteer paramedic!? I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised. But the genuine bigheartedness of the people we work with is always the biggest reminder of why we work so hard to protect these American Heroes.
Congratulations, Ellie, and thanks for continuing to volunteer your time, talents, and treasures to your community.
As if that wasn’t rewarding enough…
We also revealed our most recently completed School Lounge Makeover!
This time, we had the pleasure of working with EON Designs to remodel the Teachers Lounge at Tusky Valley High School. (Tusky Valley is also in Ohio, what a coincidence!)
I had the pleasure of going out to TVHS in May to help surprise our winning teacher.
Kelly Gulling is a highly regarded and much beloved Chemistry and Physics teacher.
Congratulations, Kelly!
For the last 3 months, the EON Design team has been working hard to give the TVHS Teaching Team the Teachers Lounge they deserve. One with chairs that don’t break when you sit in them, enough space for everyone to enjoy the space, and a decor that is relaxing and soothing.
So here’s what the lounge looked like before the School Lounge Makeover…
On Tuesday, we revealed the newly made-over TVHS School Lounge!
Are you ready for this?!…
Doesn’t it look fantastic!? I really love the color…
And here’s Kelly, our winner, in the Lounge with her local Union President (far left) and the Principal at TVHS (far right).
I can’t tell you guys how great it was to see the Before and After of this School Lounge Makeover. The entire community at Tusky Valley High School was a pleasure to meet!
We hope you guys have a rockin new school year in your new lounge! Thanks for letting us get to know your community and reward your educators for everything they do.
Like everyone else across the country, the violent deaths of 12 innocent people in an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre left me heartbroken.
My mind flooded with questions and my heart ached for every victim, every family member, every friend and every member of the Aurora community that was touched by this devastating tragedy.
I was inspired and heartbroken as, one by one, each victim’s story came out. The six-year-old who was out seeing a movie with her babysitter. The two young men who gave their lives to save their girlfriends. The heroic members of the Armed Services who died in that theatre.
The list goes on.
And now, a week out, the question remains: How do we go on?How do we heal?
This question is particularly true of a few certain groups of Heroes. Heroes whose role in responding to tragedies like Aurora story is often overlooked.
The police officers who responded to the horrific scene that night. Who had to put their personal feelings aside to professionally process the scene and eliminate any existing threats- including the booby trapped apartment of the suspect. More Here.
The paramedics who treated and transported victims. Who held it together despite seeing the carnage up close, triaged the 58 innocent people with injuries, and comforted them on their way to hospitals. More here.
The nurses and medical staff who continue to heal survivors. Who tirelessly support their patients down a long and tough road to recovery, answer the tough questions, and experience firsthand the pain, sorrow, and confusion of the victims and their families. More here.
I can’t imagine what it must have been like responding to that scene. The horror of the loss. The pain of injured. The questions of the survivors. So I looked to some of my favorite Police Officer, EMT and Nurse bloggers. I asked them what advice or words of support they could offer to their professional colleagues in this time of processing and healing.
In three posts below, I have posted some fantastic responses, thoughts, and resources from Police Blogger John Marx of Cops Alive, EMT Blogger Captain Morse of Rescuing Providence, and Nurse Blogger Keith Carlson of Digital Doorway.
With 58 injured survivors and 12 fatalities, the Paramedics who responded to the Aurora theatre on July 20, 2012 were dealt a chaotic scene. The professional job in front of them was immense, to say nothing of how they must have been feeling on a personal level.
(Photo: Karl Gehring/The Denver Post )
To get some perspective on what an event such as this is like for a Paramedic, I headed to our Top Fire & EMT Blog: Rescuing Providence. Rescuing Providence is run by Captain Morse, is a Rescue Captain in Providence.
On his site site, Captain Morse has posted his thoughts and responses to Aurora, speaking as an EMT. I’ve included a few particularly poignant excerpts here, but head to Rescuing Providence to read the text in full.
When sorting through the bodies, and separating the living from the dead, then prioritizing those who survived, and those who probably will not, focus is key. Having a job to do, one that years of training and experience has prepared you for makes the images and sounds manageable, work to be done, wounds to heal, lives to save.
Moments such as those in Aurora, Colorado will never happened to the vast majority of people. These are isolated incidents, pockets of madness that crept up on some other people. But those people do exist, and they are no different from you or I, had no warning, have no answers and will live the rest of their lives flashing back to those pivotal moments.
Now that the shooting is over, and the healing begins, people will look to the police, medics, nurses, doctors and firefighters who responded to the scene for direction. How we act, and how we cope, and how we get on with our lives is of vital importance to those poor souls drowning in an ocean of grief.
Our firefighters have been on our minds a lot lately.
We have been keeping close track of the multiple wildfires burning across the country (this blog post is about our Service Center in Colorado Springs, near the Waldo Canyon Fire).
The Fourth of July is also coming up!
For most of us, this is a fun day with family and friends. BBQ. Fireworks. Stars and Stripes.
But for our Firefighters and EMTs, the 4th of July is one of the busiest days of the year. So be sure to keep them in mind while celebrating, and celebrate safely so you don’t need their assistance!
(We will cut our safety speech a little short. But keep an eye on the blog in the next few days for firework and safety tips.)
Anywayssss…
Speaking of Firefighters, today we have our LAST TOP FIRE & EMT Blog.
Can you believe it? Our first Battle of the Blogsis almost over. (Voting ends July 8!)
But we’re wrapping it up on a great note with a GREAT Fire & EMT Blog…
Firefighter/Paramedic Stories.
If you are looking for excellent day-to-day stories about the life and experiences of a Firefighter and Paramedic: this is the blog for you.
It’s authored by a Firefighter Paramedic, a blogger named FireMedic.
In his blog, FireMedic takes you along with him. Introduces you to his patients. Shows you the character of his coworkers. Brings you into the fire. Describes the humor, the crazy, and the heartbreak that goes into this job.
So we caught up with the FireMedic himself and got the behind-the-scenes scoop on the blog… So, FireMedic, how would you describe Firefighter/Paramedic Stories? For the most part it’s a glimpse into the life of a firefighter/paramedic.
What is the focus or mission of your blog? It covers calls, station life, training, a little bit of my personal life and the occasional rant.
Why did you start it? My wife actually started it while I was in paramedic school as a way to share my experiences with close friends and family.
How long have you been writing here? My blog just had its 7th birthday.
Do you have a favorite thing to write about? I love writing about fires. While everyone may one day come across a medical emergency very few people get to run into a burning building. I like to share that.
How would you describe your blog ‘community’ … There’s a lot of fire and EMS bloggers out there. Some of them put a lot more time in then I do. Their dedication amazes me. Happy medic and Statter 911 are two of my favorites.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? I love getting comments from people. It’s great to be able to connect with random people from all over the globe and to answer question that they have.
What have you learned? Even though my blog is anonymous, there have been some people with whom I work that have figured out who I am. Some of them are not too happy that I have a blog. I guess I’ve learned the importance of being discreet.
Any stories you’d like to share? New ones all the time, come back and read them.
(He’s telling the truth. FireMedic is a frequent blogger, always with good stories to tell)
If you win Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why?Toys for Tots. Every kid deserves something to smile about.
Where else can we find ya on the web? On Facebook and Twitter.
Want to read some of FireMedic’s stories? Check out Firefighter/Paramedic Storieshere. To vote for your favorite FIRE & EMT Blog, click here!
Yes, yes. Yet again, we have found a fun blog authored by a female paramedic.
Today we are profiling another TOP FIRE & EMT Blog!
Parapup.
Parapup (the blogger) describes herself as, “A bright-eyed blond thought she could save the world, so she went to paramedic school.” And now she’s taking you along while she learns as she goes.
This blog is a great place to read about the day-to-day experiences of a paramedic. Parapup is a very funny, honest blogger who doesn’t mind telling things like they are. Learn more about her! Here’s our Q&A:
How would you describe your blog? A collection of largely longwinded ruminations.
What would you say is the mission of Parapup? I generally prefer to write about things that make me laugh.
Why did you start it? I ran my first priority call as a paramedic and I was ready with my cape flapping in the wind. Everything went wrong, but at least the patient lived. That story practically told itself.
How long have you been writing on Parapup? About three years. I have another blog I write on from time to time about non-EMS things.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? I love writing about things that make me laugh. I love to go on long tangents and pour my soul into a piece. I love using my lexicon to try to explain complicated emotions and thoughts. I just hate that it takes so long to sit down and pump out the words.
What is blog ‘community’ around Parapup like? I love the community with whom I write. It’s full of awesome folks. They’ll make you laugh, cry, and get mad. They welcomed me with open arms. From my first Word Press emergency to my spontaneous email interview about mustaches, my fellow bloggers have been awesome.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? I love when my readers email me. I have readers that are incredibly thoughtful and some that are downright hilarious. I haven’t had any hate mail, yet. I figure I’ll know I’ve made it one day when I get hate mail.
What have you learned? I have learned to channel my emotions through my writing. It’s how I get the demons out.
Any great stories you’d like to share? I once had a reader tell me that he had been scared to enroll in an EMT class because he didn’t think he had what it took, despite that he was passionate about EMS. He read a story I wrote about a mistake I made, and opted to enroll. My words changed someone’s career path. How cool is that?
If you win TOP Fire & EMT Blog, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why? At my agency, we have a benevolent fund that helps out when people get seriously hurt or ill.
Want to know more about Parapup? You can read her blog here or keep up with her on Facebook. To vote for your favorite FIRE & EMT Blog, click here!
Another day, another blogger who is knocking our socks off.
This is a particularly exciting blog profile because it is our firstEMT 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!
Ellie, The Bethel Township Fire Department, and member of the California Casualty team all posing with the Polaris ATV
