National EMS Week

By Wabigonikwe Tenasco-Cook

Akwesasne Mohawk Ambulance continues to celebrate National EMS Week. This is last installment of AMA's dedicated, local, EMS employee profiles. National EMS Week is from May 15 to May 21, 2016.

Name: Derek Comins

What provider level are you? "EMT-B"

How long have you been at this level? "7 Years"

How did you choose this career? "I've been a firefighter with HAVFD since 1997, I decided to take the EMT course in 2009 just to have the training. A full time posting came up at AMA and I applied and was hired. My father was one of the original NYS certified EMT's to work for Mohawk Council back in 1981, I followed him into the fire service and decided to become an EMT as well."

Would you recommend this career to others? "I would recommend interested people to speak to the current EMT's and to spend a couple shifts with the ambulance before committing to 6 months of classes and realizing it's not for you."

If the job progresses, as you like, what would be the next step in your career? "I plan to move up to the EMT Critical Care level starting this year."

Do you volunteer or work elsewhere when you are not on duty here? "I currently hold the position of Fire Chief with the HAVFD."

Do you find there is a lot of stress involved in your job? "Yes, being from a small community with a large family many times you have to deal with family or friends."

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work? "Spending time with my children and fiancé take up most of my time away from emergency services. I enjoy watching my sons play lacrosse and hockey, racing and spending a day with our UTV in the mountains. "

Name: Issac McDonald

What provider level are you? "AEMT-Critical Care"

How long have you been at this level? "6 Years"

And the level previous? "EMT-B and an AEMT- Intermediate"

How did you choose this career? "Having coffee with Kyle Lazore (HAVFD Retired Firefighter) he asked me what I was doing today. I said nothing, got laid off yesterday. He mentioned there was an opening for a dispatcher at AMPS, it's part time but it was income, and at that point I said sure, I'll give it a shot. I worked as a Dispatcher for AMPS, and SRMTPD for about a year and a half during the course of my employment I got to work with Akwesasne Mohawk Ambulance EMT's. I found their line of work interesting, challenging, and different, every call is different, there is no such thing as "Another day in the office". I was able to go to EMT Course offered at the Alice Hyde Medical Center and in June 2006 I obtained my EMT-B, and was hired as a Part Time EMT, then shortly after a full time permanent employee."

Why did this type of work interest you? "Helping others when they need it most, and the challenges this line of work brings. Every day is different; my office is mobile, has bright red lights, siren and lifesaving equipment."

Would you recommend this career to others? "Well..... it's definitely not for everyone, it's challenging, very challenging, if you're up for a challenging career helping others in medical and traumatic emergencies, well maybe this career is for you."

What do you like most about being a provider? "The feeling you get knowing that you helped someone today, whether you checked their blood pressure, or took them to the hospital. When you made a positive difference in their life or when a family says "Thank you" it's a nice warm feeling."

What do you like least about being a provider? "Night Shift!!!! It's tough sometimes to maintain a normal social life when you're wide awake at 3am on your day off, and sleeping your day away especially in the summer. But it comes with the job. I do have days off when the weather is nice so I guess you lose some and win some."

What type of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage someone interested in this field on getting? "EMS is constantly changing, and in today's EMS volunteering at a Volunteer EMS Agency is a start, or your local FD. EMS in NYS is constantly changing and is moving in a direction for more education, training and clinical time, in other words, College level classes. If you want a taste of what it's like in EMS just visit with us an see how crazy we are and ask yourself, "Do I wanna be like them?"

Do you volunteer or work elsewhere when you are not on duty here? "I am currently the 3rd Assistant Chief for Hogansburg Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department, and Part Time Paid EMT for E 5 Support Services out of Queensbury, New York, and a member the Massena Rescue Squad."

Do you find there is a lot of stress involved in your job? "Stress is part of EMS. There are times you work under it, with it and against it. It's how you deal with it, I guess. I have been through some dark times in my career, from actually thinking about quitting my job, to seeing a psychiatrist. Family, friends and coworkers have been there for me, sometimes all we need is someone to talk to. Your mind cannot unsee the things you have seen in your career. Accepting the fact that I did everything possible to save someone but they did not survive helps me to carry on a somewhat normal life. Seeing death is not natural, seeing someone take their last breath in front of you or a patient asking you to give their loved one a message sticks with me. I remember almost all my most stressful calls to the time from doing CPR on a child, to hearing mothers and fathers cry after being told their child has died. That's stressful."

What do you do to cope with that stress? "Talk, talk, talk, with every call there is a lesson learned, and as your career goes on you gain experience. I learned to talk with trusted friends, firefighters, police officers, coworkers, and psychiatrists. PTSD is alive and well in Akwesasne within our Fire, Police and EMS agencies. Finding yourself to talk about what you keep seeing in your mind is not an easy task, it's haunting. I have learned there are many people out there that can relate, and talk. I can say now that I have cried many times over calls that ended in tragedy. Its natural and I feel a lot better after I have had my time to grieve over the loss. "It doesn't rain everyday" some cheesy line that I heard in a movie but there is truth to that, especially working here when every day is different."

Name: Daryl Diabo

What provider level are you? "Paramedic"

How long have you been at this level? "1 year"

And the level previous? "Critical care - 3 years and an EMT basic- 31 years"

How did you choose this career? "I started in the military as Medic and wanted to do more so I attended a National Registry EMT training and worked as an EMT on my time off."

Why did this type of work interest you? "The challenge of pathophysiology of medicine, need for ongoing education and always more to learn."

Would you recommend this career to others? "Yes, if you want to be challenged on a daily basis, willing to challenge yourself to train and learn more for the benefit of others."

What do you like most about being a provider? "Interaction with people, problem solving and helping others."

What do you like least about being a provider? "The stress of some of the incidents we attend."

What type of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage someone interested in this field on getting? "Volunteer with a rescue squad to get a feeling for the job."

Do you volunteer or work elsewhere when you are not on duty here? "I work with Malone EMS to maintain my advanced care provider status, I work for American Heart Association as a Basic Life Support Instructor, I work for Mountain Lakes EMS as an EMT CIC/Lab instructor, National Safety Council Instructor and I am also a preceptor for Mountain Lakes."

Do you find there is a lot of stress involved in your job? "Yes, we have a program in place to assist staff when needed."

What do you do to cope with that stress? "Reflect, time off, and debrief."

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work? "I ride my Harley, play golf, spend time with family, and travel."

Administration Assistant Deborah Mitchell, Ryan Jacobs, Dennis Bero and Tommy-Lee Thomas also work as EMT's for Akwesasne Mohawk Ambulance but were unable to be interviewed.