The summer night is quiet at Southwest Memorial Hospitals emergency room when the pagers tone airing a report of a middle-aged man who lost consciousness.
Emergency medical service Coordinator and Paramedic Matthew Lindsay and Emergency Medical Technician Clayton Fuchs climb into the ambulance cab and slam the doors. Inside, the dashboard instruments glow red, yellow and green like the cockpit of an airplane.
The engine roars to life as the rig surges forward rocking slightly as it turns onto North Mildred Road in Cortez.
Dispatch reports the person who called about the downed man hung up, and emergency responders dont know if CPR is being performed.
Lights flash and sirens blare on the rolling emergency room as the ambulance streaks down the street against the backdrop of a fading Ute Mountain sunset. It bounces onto Main Street, where cars scatter and Lindsay has to break for a jaywalking pedestrian.
The ambulance lurches to a halt on scene at a hotel, and the two medics approach, carrying a 40-pound jump bag that holds many of the tools needed for saving lives.
A man approaches the medics, waving his arms.
Hes OK. Hes OK, the man says, trying unsuccessfully to ward off the medics.
Inside a hotel room, a pale, gaunt man has regained consciousness and is lying in bed. The medics introduce themselves and ask the patient about his medications and medical history. After some tests, Lindsay determines the man is suffering from what appears to be a case of severe dehydration.
I think youre to the point youre going to need an IV, Lindsay says, referring to intravenous drips that can rehydrate people. We can take you to the hospital, or we can do it here.
After twice being urged to go to the hospital, the man signs a release refusing treatment. Lindsay encourages him to drink sports drinks and water.
It has been a hot August day, and Fuchs says it was the third case of dehydration.
The emergency medical technicians and paramedics of Southwest Memorial Hospitals emergency medical service provide treatment and transportation in the critical first minutes after an incident.
Ready to respond
The hospitals emergency responders average five calls a day and more than 1,600 calls a year, Lindsay says.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Fuchs says the structure and fast pace of the EMS profession appeal to him.
I couldnt ask for a more rewarding job, he says.
Many emergency responders are military veterans or are born into a family of emergency responders, Fuchs says. Such is the case of Lindsay, whose father is a former fire chief.
A part-time firefighter, Lindsay gravitated toward EMS as his primary job because of the steady income it provided. As EMS coordinator, Lindsay works with doctors to write protocol for medics, reviews reports and keeps track of call data.
Fuchs says Lindsay sleeps little during his 24-hour shift.
After refueling the ambulance, the two medics stop at a convenience store. Lindsay purchases two large energy drinks. Fuchs gets a large fountain soda.
Expect the
unexpected
Medics learn to expect the unexpected. The strangest calls come from County Road G in McElmo Canyon, Lindsay says. It was there that he once responded to meet a car coming from Utah with a man showing symptoms of a heart attack. Lindsay directed the female driver to park behind the ambulance. He and his partner turned away for a moment and then heard a shriek.
Lindsay turned to see the woman being dragged down the hill by her car, which was rolling away.
I could hear the gears grinding, he says. The kids in the back seat got up front and were able to it into park.
The vehicle stopped just short of rolling over an embankment.
They teach that in class, Lindsay says. Never park downhill from a vehicle.
When not out on ambulance runs, medics stockpile supplies, check equipment and help emergency room staff treat patients.
It keeps our skills up, Lindsay says.
Working in the emergency room also helps build relationships with doctors, who advise EMTs in the field.
All in the head
Earlier that evening, Lindsay conducts a meticulous nightly equipment and supply check of an ambulance to assure everything is present and in working order.
After memorizing medical procedure, equipment operation and supply inventory, there is little room left in Lindsays mind for memories from responding to past calls.
If I had advice for new people, he says, it would be get a book and write down everything.
Reach Reid Wright at [email protected].
