“Safeguarding our Neighbors” reads the sign on the back of the city of Bothell’s bright red aid cars. Those words rang true for me on a recent Saturday night.
After my husband, Don, found me sprawled on our upstairs bathroom floor at midnight, conscious, but light-headed and weak, he immediately called 911. Within three minutes, I was surrounded by firefighters from our nearby Canyon Park Firehouse. Just imagine, three men staring down at you lying there in your old, unmatched pair of PJs, wearing no make-up, with hair disheveled! A woman’s worst nightmare! Although I don’t remember everything from that night, I recall one EMT (emergency medical technician) asking Don, “Does she always look this pale?” At which point, another EMT pricked my finger for the blood glucose test, followed by his apologetic words, “I’m sorry.”
I don’t recall how I got back to bed, but remember the blood pressure cuff and the EMT in charge consulting with his colleagues to see if they agreed with the assessment of my condition. All concluded it was not life threatening and called for an ambulance to transport me to Group Health, our health-care provider in Bellevue.
Two EMTs created a “chair” with their strong arms and carried me down our steep stairs to two awaiting ambulance drivers. I was sure the red-and-blue flashing lights from both the Bothell aid car and the ambulance had awakened the neighbors, as they probably wondered, “What’s happening at Beyer’s house?” I closed my eyes for the speedy journey down I-405.
With this experience now behind me, I looked into the requirement for a firefighter to become an EMT. Kirsten Clemens and Lisa Allen, public-information officers for Bothell Fire and Emergency Medical Services, say that every firefighter is an EMT.
Lisa says, “The initial EMT training is taught at a few different off-site community college locations. Once firefighters receive their initial training, they must attend Competency Based Training (CBT) to maintain their EMT.”
Local paramedics and senior firefighters conduct the CBT classes.
EMTs provide support for the injured, assess the situation and may call for further help from paramedics, who have a more extensive medical background. What EMTs cannot do is give drugs or diagnose the health problem. Our area paramedics are housed at the Bothell fire station headquarters in downtown Bothell and respond quickly when summoned by the EMTs.
What I didn’t realize, too, was that the entire Canyon Park Firehouse crew was in my bathroom that fateful night. I wondered who stayed behind at the firehouse.
“It’s very common for our fire crews to not be at their assigned station, due to training, calls, public events and meetings; however they do stay within a specified radius in order to ensure rapid response times,” says Kirsten.
I was also surprised to learn that there are hundreds of applicants for one opening as a firefighter. This is a competitive profession, a profession filled with caring, thoughtful and compassionate men and women, as I experienced first-hand …a brother and sisterhood of well-trained individuals who consistently safeguard our neighbors.
Suzanne G. Beyer is a Bothell resident.
