Day One, Solo
Every Responder has a different experience on their first shift as a Community First Responder, here is the account of Conor’s first solo experience.
Fear and excitement
Shiny boots, full responder kit, signed off and ready to go. I signed on duty from home, early in the morning (about 0500hrs) thinking I could have breakfast, catch up on telly and maybe when other people have woken up- the text dispatching me to a job may come through. By the time I’d reached for the milk to put on my cereal, I could hear a beep. I paused, walked over to the phone and was expecting an advisory for jobs currently occurring. It was a job. Everything I had trained for was now rushing through my mind at a million miles an hour, a strange cocktail of fear and excitement!
Driving to the job, I couldn’t wait to see who would be on the other side of the door and how I could possibly help them. When I arrived, I performed initial observations on the patient, helped to keep family calm and in the blink of an eye was back in my car thinking about breakfast!
I sat and enjoyed my cereal thinking about the next job and if I was weird to be excited and thinking about someone needing an Ambulance. Truth be told, we live for the excitement but always at the forefront of our thoughts is ensuring we care for and respect our patients.
It was either two or three hours later, I had left the house to go and sit at my dispatch point. I hadn’t received any further jobs or even an advisory, beginning to think this could be it for the shift I spoke to my Scheme Co-Ordinator. We discussed the job I went to first thing and how ironic it was that I signed on early thinking I could have a few hours to myself. I was thinking to myself whilst we were talking, for such a busy area it sure is quiet. And the curse of the ‘Q’ word struck.
This is why we train, train and… train
My phone began pinging, then ringing and I read the words nobody wants to see; conscious, no breathing, no. It was a Cardiac Arrest. My scheme Co-Ordinator wished me luck and I spoke with the dispatch controller. He informed me it was a confirmed Cardiac Arrest and asked (knowing it was my first solo shift) if I was okay to attend. I had already started driving in the direction. This was the real reason First Responders exist- to get there quickly, safely and save a life if possible. I arrived on scene and took the biggest breath in- ‘here we go’, I thought to myself. A lady was waiting outside and as I got my responder kit out of the car I suddenly thought- this is the first person I have ever seen deceased, the first time I will perform real compressions and the first time I will be alone and using the kit we are trained to use for the most catastrophic of jobs (airways, suction equipment and oxygen etc.). Whilst walking upstairs, I couldn’t tell you what was going through my mind, it was a mixture of remembering to breath, remembering what we had been trained on and some background music that was on the radio in my car on the way.
The door of the bedroom opened, all eyes were on me. I introduced myself, ascertained what had happened and got to work preparing oxygen, my airway management items (OPA and Suction) whilst instructing those in the room to continue with compressions, maintain an airway for the patient and generally asking if everyone was okay. Within a minute, I had taken control and we were working to save the life of this patient. I took over compressions, it felt as they said it would- unnatural. Without going into every detail surrounding the incident and the patient, it was around 10 minutes until the first of many Ambulance staff arrived. This for me, highlighted the importance of CFR’s- 10 minutes without high quality CPR and medical intervention with appropriate equipment provides little to no chance of survival. Thankfully, the first words from the Paramedic was “great compressions, great quality CPR, well done”. The next few crew members came through the door with a variety of equipment and the calmest of personas given the situation.
We’ve got a pulse
“We’ve got a pulse”. We, as a team achieved what is called a Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC). Unfortunately, ultimately it wasn’t enough. The patient was so critically ill they arrested numerous times before and on the way to hospital. They passed on that day to the other side. I was upset, I wasn’t as excited as I was earlier in the day, I was tired, my boots weren’t clean, and I was aching ever so slightly. The crew, the dispatcher, my scheme coordinator and all of my fellow responders were so supportive and kind. That helped, it helped me to accept we can’t save everyone, and it helped me to put my uniform back on and get straight back out there. I wasn’t alone, I had joined a family of like-minded people just wanting to help and support anyone who needed it.
Two final things- never eat cereal before going out on duty and always respect the ‘Q’ word, it’s powerful.
