First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate Kelly Grayson on his impressive victory in the EMS Blog of the Year Contest at Fire Critic. http://firecritic.com/2011/02/and-the-winners-are-iron-firemen-and-ambo-driver/
His gracious acceptance of the award is aww…inspiring! http://ambulancedriverfiles.com/2011/02/ems-blog-of-the-year-baby/
Iron Firemen http://ironfiremen.com/2011/02/we-did-it/ took the award in the Fire Blog category, congratulations to him, well done sir!
Thanks to the Fire Critic for hosting the contest, it was a lot of fun, and hopefully everybody got a chance to find some new reads and will continue to visit these blogs, and all of the ones that were nominated, and the ones on the blogrolls, there are a lot of gems out there, waiting to be discovered by the masses.
What of Rescuing Providence you ask? Is another #2 finish going to finish him? Will he go through life a perpetual bridesmaid, and never a bride?
Hell no!
Meaning no disrespect to Fire Critic, and the winners of this years contest, I hereby announce that I am the recipient of something far more valuable than a pair of boots and some bragging rights:
I’m nearing the end of a twenty year career in EMS, I think. I never thought I would last this long. During my darkest moments, when I had given up on our profession, and considered it a joke, Justin, and Mark, http://999medic.com/ developed a little something called EMS 2.0 http://chroniclesofems.com/ems-20.htm
If somebody cared enough about what we do, and who we are, and what we represent, perhaps all isn’t lost, I thought. I wanted to get more involved, but simply had no time, and to be honest, my heart just isn’t in it to the extent Justin and Mark deserve.
Anyway, without EMS 2.0, and The Happy Medic there would be no Rescuing Providence. And that is the absolute truth.
A sincere thank you to The Happy Medic, for everything.
I won a popularity contest because I have a lot of readers, but there’s a reason you’re one of the top EMS blogs on the internet.
All your accolades are well deserved.
Capt- you may not have won, but your blog is excellent. Please continue writing and providing your perspective(s) on EMS up there.
Kelly Grayson is an opponent of fire based EMS, and has written articles against it…not a big fan. Your blog to me is more equivalent to my job description, just as urbanfirefighter magazine is. Keep doing what you do.
Thanks NFO, and thanks for all of the comments, I always read them but don’t reply as much as I would like.
6 after midnight, love the name, perfect, so many people have no idea, I imagine it’s the norm where you are, as it is in Providence.
I’ve read a lot of Kelly’s things and a few where he is critical of fire based EMS. I don’t know what goes on in other departments, thankfully what he is against doesn’t happen here, we’ve got a good thing going on.
Yeah buddy, 5800 runs a year, with multiple homeless shelters, a Greyhound hub, and about 6 high rise housing projects in our first in…we work 24-48′s and ride the “Shitbox” as we so affectionately call it, about every 3rd or 4th shift. I’m assigned to an engine that I ride on the other days. I wouldn’t trade it for anything though, like you said, so many people have no idea. In the latest urban firefighter magazine, They pointed out that something like 8.4% of the nation’s professional firefighters serve a population of over 250,000, and when you take in to account that not all of them run EMS, it’s a pretty select group that routinely take the 20-25 run shifts, not that you have to serve over 250k to work in the ‘hood, there’s just more ‘hood in the big cities…btw, only had 4 after midnight last shift, with a break from 0200-0530. Not bad.
Miracles happen. Quiet last night here as well, three after, none between 3 and 6. Stay safe out there. (by the way, I found myself on an Engine Company last week, first in on the pipe, building fire. Felt great)