Doing this job can be terrible. I've never been to a 5 count fatal, but a three-count at one time. I've lost track of all the fatals I've seen in 38yr Vol. Fire service. I'm glad now we have professional help to assist members now. All we use to do was drink.
To those paramedics who were there, you tried. What if people like you were not there , I have a lot of paramedic friends. This Christmas Eve my wife and I are doing the rounds of our fire halls and emergency responders including the hospital’s emergency. Dropping off lots of goodies and hot chocolate. .
My father was a paramedic and he always told me that it's hard, but you must always know that you never let anyone go - death had to fight tooth and nail to take them away.
@@edloeffler9769 My dad was a paramedic for 20 something years in germany and when i told stories about his job he always did it with pretty grim humor. He said its pretty common to have this kind of humor to cope with this stuff and he always tried to make jokes out of it but you could see in his eyes that this stuff weighed heavy on him.
It's not an easy job. Someone must do it and they don't get paid enough for what they do. Depending where you're from some of them don't get paid very well
This accident was the result of someone driving at 100mph in a 40mph zone. This happened around Christmas-time. The young girl who is crying was only 21 when she responded to this scene. We owe our emergency service staff so much for all that they do
Just horrific to think this was all caused because somebody probably showing off to his friends was driving way over the speed limit. So tragic. I hope the lady (and all affected) got the support they needed.
@@pcskeng3607 That's because of the simple facts that A. A man did cause this crash and B. it is almost always men that cause these kinds of accidents.
Dispatch never gets enough credit either. They have to be therapists, investigators (particularly if crime may have been committed) & still relay all this information. Dispatch is the first point of contact for so many having the worst days of their lives.
@@debramoss2267 I work a variety of roles in the trust including in EOC and frontline, with a plethora of crews, I’m never named on the running sheet so the RD is not aware of me by name. Explain how it would be directed at me.
Retired ER nurse here. The worst part is driving home to your family knowing that other families have been shattered. Many nights I would just sit in the car and sob before going iny house.
@@sarahtamura4993 My stepmother is a retired paramedic. My father tells me that when they were dating, he learned really quick not to ask her how her day was.
@@thac0twenty377 And our government are trying so damn hard to take that away from us. Leaves me feeling frustrated that we have been like this for nearly a decade or so. It is ridiculous
When the going gets tough, the tough call mommy. I am a strong woman, but when I need a rest from being strong, my mom is always a soft, safe place to land.
@@rachelbrinkley3020 interestingly enough..my mother is not the person I would call. Not the most comforting. It's her only fault...just quite cold in that department.
@@Goose9313 I guess it would be the person you emotionally would rely on. Mom, dad, another relative, your partner. Having someone that you can rely on when you are at your weakest, most distraught point is what carries humans through very tough situations
Because you come in through this world through mom and leave out without. You said hello to life through her but you leave life without her. That comfort and that warm welcome and someone holding you into your transition is not there
When she calls her Mum and she's crying, explaining what's happened and says, 'I'm sorry for waking you up.' and you just know her Mum doesn't care about that and is glad her daughter called her..
@@joshua4185 how can u stage a car accident 💀💀 do you really think that the family members of the deceased would allow that to be broadcasted if it was rehearsed??
"I just want me mum" no matter how old you are there will always be times when a loving guardian is needed. It's actually heart warming to see the 911 operators and 1st responders break down with emotion (and be given the space to do so). Usually first responders are quite cold because they can't allow there feelings to get in the way of there job.
I still want my mum. I'm 66 and she passed 3.5 years ago. As much as I can, I am grandma to my students when they need one. We all need someone to help us bear up sometimes.
Not cold, reserved. And we are still humans, not androids, no matter how long we have worked in the field, it touches our hearts, but we keep going for the next person. Then go to break and let it out, if lucky enough to have one.
My daughter and son in law are both paramedics and have seen some gruesome things..... My son in law had a breakdown after one very bad job. He tried to go back to the job but couldn't do it, it ended his paramedic career..... These people, paramedics, fire and police deserve our respect and thanks ❤❤
My sincere respect and gratitude to both your daughter and son in law for the amazing Job they chose to do….💖 I can’t begin to imagine some of these scenes they have had to face. 😢 it’s something that not everyone can do. It must also be very frustrating as well as heartbreaking for paramedics to arrive on scene to an accident like this one knowing the carnage was caused by an inconsiderate person driving at deathly speeds…as it could of been avoided. I am also sorry for your son in law having to stop doing the Job he loved..must of been a difficult decision. But his mental health and well being is Important, and yet MP’s and powers that be refused them help and support 😡 should be ashamed of themselves….hope your son in law is doing alright now. Regards to both of them. Take care 🥰
@@lynnmace7171 Something that I will always remember, was the evening when a newly qualified paramedic went out to what had been assumed to be a non malicious timewaster call, where a mother was concerned about her 17 year old daughter. He spent more than 2 hours performing ECG, blood pressure, oxygen and sugar level tests, but nothing appeared abnormal. She was not in a relationship that could have caused any personality changes and had never been involved in drugs or alcohol. Over a cup of tea, he was trying to explain to to her mother, that changes occur during teenage years, she was still not convinced. He asked the daughter to help reassure her mother, but she did not reply. She was flatline dead. An autopsy showed a tumour covering more than 60% of her brain, that would have been inoperable long before symptoms showed. After more than 6 months of support and counselling, the paramedic refused to set foot in an ambulance ever again. He took up a successful career in IT. Please give my regards to your daughter and son in law, from LAS.
I did the same. I had a patient I could do absolutely nothing for. Thankfully he didn't die, but he had a sinal injury, head injury and disloc knee and possible internal injuries. I had to wait for an icp or ecp (intensive care paramedic or extended care paramedic) to arrive to administer pain relief yo him that didn't have any contraindications to his injuries. I felt so useless and that night I had a break down as nobody understood why I couldn't give him the pain relief I did have, why I wouldn't let them give him anything to drink (he was really thirsty). I was called a fat useless b*tch (I was 5 months pregnant at the time). I do basic low risk medical still but I refuse to go any higher than pleb as I call it. My partner who uses this acct too is an advanced life support paramedic, so I will often back him up with the big jobs, do any paperwork, fetch anything he needs and I will often wrap, strap or slap after he assesses or administers etc. We have encountered a fatality once and that was while we were travelling (not working) and it was a road crash rescue car Vs Truck and another car. The deceased had injuries incompatible with life, but we still performed cpr on her until she was formally pronounced. It was more for the other victims of the crash so they knew that everything possible was done to try and save her. They didn't see the end result of the deceased, but they saw us doing compressions. The crash was the deceaseds fault, as she pulled out infront of a truck she thought was turning, the truck hit her and pushed her in front of another car who then hit her car before they went down a small gully and the deceaseds car came to rest in the middle of the highway. The intersection where the crash was has now been completely changed, so another crash like that can never happen again. But that night my partner had a break down too, where i made him call one of his seniors, and they told him that it's good that he has this reaction, and when he doesn't feel that way after something so traumatic, it's time to get out of the game.
I'd like you say thank you to those who posted replies.... I've passed them onto my daughter and son in law and they both said thank you too and that they know there are people out there who understand... Again thank you. ❤️❤️
The public doesn’t give paramedics, fire crews and police enough credit for what jobs they do and what they have to go through in their jobs! Thank you guys and gals for all your services!
Lewis I agree with you I can't imagine some of the stuff they see throughout their Career. Like you said their not given enough credit for all they do. I thank each of you for your service to our communities.
I think this is a bit...or a lot over exaggerated, most of the public give these people massive amounts of credit for what they do, rightfully so. Instead of focussing on the positive (the credit they DO get) we tend to look at the negative, and instead of saying you respect them a lot it becomes others don't give them enough credit, without actually being able to measure ''credit''. I know what you're trying to do but it actually has the opposite effect.
As a paramedic in America I can not describe how happy it makes me to see emergency service workers in other parts of the world have a support system that places emphasis on their mental health. One of the hardest of this job is going on that traumatic call and having to quickly reset and go on the next one before you’ve fully processed it. Good on the NHS for caring for their paramedics
Exactly… it seems much better in the UK than in the states… at least the county I was in you had to argue with a supervisor to be put off for a call like that. Just curious as to your experience if you don’t mind sharing
@@Irishjay1025 the mental health in my area in the states rather take you out of the job. So I feel like here people never speak up I know I just push it down 😂.
Dang, this hits deep. People always ask me things like "what's the worst thing you've seen" or "how many car crashes have you been to"; they always want to know the adrenal-pumping stories. The next thing they ask is "how do you do it"? Truth is the dead have never really bothered me, even the ones we lose. It's the family and friends...the screams from a mother losing her child, a son begging his father to wake up, a desperate husband asking us why we're stopping efforts. You never forget the moment you see their hope leave their eyes.
Reading this is so true i remember being on a cpr call and using a defib and tge wife saying oh its going to shock him awake like the tv show she watched that broke me inside knowing she was about to find out her husband was dead
i didn’t realize that i was affected until after covid ended when family was allowed to come to the hospital and thats when i started struggling with the dead
I cried when the lady called her mum :( that feeling of just wanting your mum's comfort is a feeling like no other... All paramedics are doing an incredible job!
Me too. I'm almost 50 and sadly lost my mam two years ago. Some days I really just wish to have her. You are never too old to want the safety and security of your mother, and father....
That hurt. Nearly 30, lost my mum a few years back and that feeling never goes away unfortunately. Cherish those relationships if you're lucky enough to have them while you do. 💜
As a daughter, I completely related and just wanted to cry along with her while she was on the phone. As a mother, I just wanted to hold her and remind her of how important she is in this bold line of duty. ❤️🩹
Especially the police tbh. They're typically the first on the scene as well. I remember 1 video of a car that went straight through someones house, an old woman was trapped under rubble. Police where first on scene, arrested the drunk driver(of course) and where around the site assessing the situation and trying to make it safe for when fire fighters got there.. Comments were flooded calling them useless and how it was the police's fault that she ended up passing. Like, no? They went above what they are trained to do, stayed with her so she knew she wasn't alone. they don't have equipment to safety remove her from the rubble and they don't have the equipment to give her air, however what they did have was a group of people pestering them making it harder for them to do their jobs because "the media told me I should hate copes because of a MINORITY of cops and the cops who arrest violent career criminal that we should for some reason feel sorry for and burn down towns". I have major respect for the police, now with all the "defund police" crap people complain they dont do anything, because YOU took away the funding and made their jobs even harder than it was before. Congratulation backwards mindset society.
My dad was a local cop for many years and I myself want to pursue a similar career so I asked him about the trauma side of things on the job and all he could tell me without breaking down was “I’ve seen too many people look at me and take their last breath” and personally that crushed me seeing the pain in his eyes when he said that. I’m truly thankful for every first responder no matter what you do. You guys and girls are the reason people get another chance at life.
If you want to give it a try, you might be able to handle it. If you cannot, don’t attempt it. It is very rough dealing with it every day. I believe that God gave me and most of my family the ability to do it. I see an awful lot in the hospital. My brother has seen it all being a doctor and on the front line of it all. My nephew has a rough job. RN and a coroner. This is not for everyone. All of us carry a large amount of supplies in our vehicles. After 40 years in the business, if we don’t know what we are doing by now, we wouldn’t be out there helping.
I’m a paramedic and I’ve been on some horrific traffic injuries and more than once have I had to pull a dead body out of a car. And I too have called my wife to tell her about what I had just seen. But with a passion, I love what I do. I look forward to every shift and consider it an honor to be one of the guys at the fire station responding to calls for help. God bless my fellow first responders.
May i ask , were seatbelts a factor in their deaths ? Did not wearing them contribute to their death? Could it have saved them . I ask because usually that’s the case .
@@raquelpk2 great question. I have seen traffic fatalities when we have had to cut them out of their seatbelts and conversely I have been on fatalities when they weren’t wearing them. But seatbelts will always offer better protection than when not wearing them.
@@raquelpk2 I'm not a professional or anything but i was in a wreck like 3 weeks ago because of ice conditions on the road,and one thing is sure the seatbelt not only saved my life but saved me from any serious injury, the car went into a ditch and fliped, stopped on it's side, i had to jump out of it to get out,so yeah I'm sure as hell that even if i have to go 20m by car im putting my seatbelt on
@@raquelpk2 the driver of taxi and his passengers were wearing seat belts. Thr many fatalities were down to the driver in the Audi doing 100mph in a 40 zone. He lost control whilst going round a bend and hit the taxi head on which was going the other way. The driver had cannabis in his system.
@@angrygromit93 what? All those who serve others every day and help people are without doubt great people, but this video is about first responders and without thanking first responders, someone is demanding praise for themselves. Its just weird.
I totally feel this girl's pain about what stood in front of her. She and her team did everything they possibly could to save those people involved in the crash. Knowing that five of them died straight away, is a very big hit in the heart. I salute this brave and super-professional lady. Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
@@jimmyshelton6558 it was shown in the UK on Ambulance 31 May 2018 on BBC1. The accident happened 17th December 2017. The driver of the Audi caused the crash doing 100mph in a 40 zone. He clipped the curb. He was also high on cannabis. You can watch it if you Google Ambulance series 3 episode 6. It will come up in Daily Motion website.
These people are angels and deserve our praise and appreciation.They work calmly and selflessly and see many terrible things. But they still continue to serve. ANGELS.
@@Sonnenanbeterin1991 One of the main reasons they are attacked and abused especially by the people they are trying to help has to do with our biology when under threat. All those flight or fight hormones start surging whenever the body is injured and so gives the impression anyone helping is a predator. So the injured will struggle to refuse help if they are capable of struggling and some have become violent against the first responders.
I worked EMS in Houston, Texas USA for 8 years until a drunk driver hit our rig head on while on an accident scene. I was standing in the back with the doors open. The only thing that kept me from flying out the back was my hand finally found the IV bar. I had no warning, I didn’t know what happened until the rest of my crew got to me. I have had back trouble since then, 35 years ago, and have been in a wheelchair for the past 18 months. Many nights both crews sat I n the station and cried with one another. I feel your pain, I have been there. Good job guys, you did all you could. I salute you all!
Thank you all for your kind words. Even with the injury, I wouldn’t trade my time in EMS for anything in the world.it was a pleasure to help people in their time of need. God bless you all.
One thing that really strikes me watching this is how deeply and genuinely everyone working that night cared. Whether at the scene or at the communications centre nobody saw it as just a job. They cared for the victims as one human to another. What a great impression this gives of England.
I applied to be a paramedic in the UK, Scotland specifically. Went through the training and onboard if processes, and 6 months in I left. It was after a car crash where two people died at a crossing and seeing a scene like it for the first time was just too much for me. It was always cases of home visits and victim transportation but this one just did it for me. I knew then I didn’t have the will or the guts that these guys have to perform the job. I do feel undeniably ashamed that I left but it takes a certain mindset and willpower. I salute all the of paramedics and the NHS themselves for all that they do for us.
It’s definitely not for everyone & I have a lot of respect for you & commend you for your honesty, & for knowing & admitting that & for moving on to find something that you do enjoy!! You shouldn’t feel bad about that decision either, it’s not a bad thing , it’s an incredibly difficult job, traumatizing & intense, it takes a very particular person to be able to cope with what they see & do for a living!✌️😬
And it takes a strong person to admit when they are not suitable for something and get out rather than crumbling at a scene and putting people in danger
Please do not feel ashamed, admiting that something isn't the best option for you is a hard thing, however a very strong thing to do so. You tried, with the best you could and that takes courage aswell. I hope that the career you end up in will be a great one for you!
To any paramedics out there, you do fantastic, essential work and we should all be incredibly grateful. You saved my life many years ago when i was 6, hit by a car and hospitalised for 3 months. I'm now 40 with 3 beautiful children, thank you.
Being a first responder takes a toll unimaginable to most. What we’ll see in a single incident, the majority of the public will never see in a lifetime. The only reassurance is that we’ve done what we could to give our patients the best chance possible, and that’s no small feat. Thank you for doing what you all do. Sending love from across the pond.- One Utah Fireman.
Probably won’t mean much but thank you for what you do. I wanted to see about possibly becoming a paramedic once I’m out of the military but I’m hearing (just like the military) that it’s not for everyone.
Got to have the right psychological makeup- isn't for everyone that's for sure. I've dealt with multiple deaths and accidents +20- during, you just get on with it, it's the reflection later, when it's quiet and you have time to think about it that people find tough. I was fine about it (I think growing up in the country with livestock helped- death is just something that happens) and was always called to deal because colleagues couldn't cope. I still remember some of them, but to be honest it's the families and friends I remember more as those are the ones I could actually help. Dealing with them was often tougher than dealing with the death if I'm being honest.
I know it’s different to the military, because for us, it’s people we know. But it never happens anywhere near the frequency of first responders. It must be absolutely fucking brutal to go through this day in day out. I can’t even begin to imagine the strength of your fucking guts to stomach this every day. 🤢
Over 100 emergency personnel at the scene? I have never even HEARD of any crash scene here in America that had that many personnel on duty, let alone responding to a single crash scene! And thank God for all the debriefing that those responders go through so that they can process what they have just dealt with before heading out to the next call! God Bless All of them for their unwavering help!
Strange you should say that as I am always amazed when I watch DUI videos from America how many cars turn up to deal with one driver, it doesn't seem uncommon to have 5 or 6 cars turn up.
I live in America and I say the same thing, I was surprised to see all those people show up for that car accident and here in America there's a car accident there's only a few people show up to take care of the problem. I'm not saying they don't do a good, because we have police officers paramedics and fire department all working to help out with most bad accidents but I don't think they're as organized as what I just saw.
@@sheenacarroll3337 Those 100 who attended would have included a police forensic team to check the vehicles and the road for possible mechanical causes, along with crews to replace any any damaged barriers and resurface any torn areas of the road. Their are also recovery vehicles and a crane when commercial vehicles are involved. Our tight geographical layout makes this much easier than in the US.
I recently watched a video of well over 100 cop cars in miami, the police said their response was due to a bunch of teens fighting each other. 4 teens were arrested. I was amazed at the scale of the police presence. It was a huge number of cops so much so that people think something else happened(aliens is one theory).. In my country it would have been 1 or 2 cop cars.
i was near scene for a crash that went out as a MCI (Mass Casualty Incident) on a 10 car pile up involving a horse trailer and a 18 wheeler. no deaths as a result of the incident BUT there was 10 ambulances, 20+ highway patrol, 2+ firefighter units and 3+ heavy duty tow trucks that arrived on scene. when shit gets REALLY BAD, they roll in deep.
I was an EMT in Los Angeles County for just about 5 years before an injury took me out. It’s great to see how much mental health is now taken into consideration for first responders. I started in the late 90’s and I honestly can’t remember EMS mental health ever really being discussed. We were certainly never pulled out of rotation after a horrific call. More often than not you would meet up with another ambulance or fire apparatus, joke about things in a morbid way most people wouldn’t understand and wait for the next tone sending you to whatever call was next.
Some of the strangest most fed conversations to outsiders and Humor to make your day possible. In some ways you miss those chats as they where so brutal and raw most others seem false or beet around the bush
As a LE Chaplain I totally understand. ER is about the same, we all need to deal with death and injury together, and move on to the next event. That's one of the things that make LEOs, EMTs and ER workers unique. It's only for the very few.
@@mordeath83 I’m sure from a clinical psychology point of view there is a better way long term to deal it, but until your next set of days off and definitely for the rest of that shift, it’s a necessary evil.
sorry for my bad English . I am a firefighter myself from Germany. Experienced such situations very often. It is often very difficult to forget such pictures. Luckily you have friends, colleagues and family. I wish every firefighter, policeman or paramedic only the best. Without you, the world would not be safe. Always come home safe. Best wishes
The problem is if you can’t talk to someone who has done the job they can’t relate to you or it . So we refuse to talk to them most are not qualified anyway!! So now their is a huge amount of drug and alcohol use !!! Then the end result is a suicide!!
@@JS-zb1vv qualified therapists help people with conditions they haven't had all the time. It's very , very negative & quite egotistical to say 'you wouldn't understand because you haven't been through it'.
I agree, last evening there was a football ( we are British) match on TV and God's honest truth I thought of all the thousands of pounds they get paid for kicking a flipping ball up and down a field compared to the work our doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen and police do!!!!!! It's all wrong 🙁. Respect to them all ❤️❤️
So right. If only 1/10 of the money spent on "professional" sports (i. e. subsidized violence for entertainment) could be spent instead on health care, hospitals, and health workers, our society would see an instant improvement. From what I read, this is true world-wide. Sports madness harms all citizens.
Bless that woman’s heart crying on the phone to her mom. I don’t even know her and the mother in me just wants to hug her and tell her it’s going to be ok. Try to remember that you are a hero to a ton of people that you do help in the future. It takes a special person to be able to handle that job. God bless you and all your coworkers!!
my sister did the same thing, phoned my mum up at 2am in the morning (it was her first major RTC) 2 months in on the job and she ended up leaving year and half or so later, due to mental health problems, it messed her. she said it wasn't the heart attacks, strokes and whatnot...but the car accidents, I think road accidents/RTC's put a major toll on ones mental health over time and it just happened to make my sister give in after she went to one where multiple children were involved. I truly respect the work they do and that goes for all fire, paramedics, police etc
In equal measure we have fantastic patients and share beautiful moments from the beginning to end of people’s lives. This video made me cry because it’s so so accurate but in the same way we’re all so lucky to have what we’d all agree is the best job in the world..
Things like this need to be shown in secondary schools almost daily to proactively stop potentially dangerous driving and stupidity on the roads from occurring. This shows just how many people are affected by incidents such as this.
In the 70's when I took driver's education there was a movie called "Red Asphalt" shown in the classroom. It worked for me. But yes I agree. Or shadow a Trauma Nurse. I'm retired now, but that will convince anyone.
@@katiesimpson4514 About 2 months ago I willingly watched some of the Red Asphalt videos. They were all harrowing but the 2000s one hit me the worst. I will never forget the sight of a family dead in their seats with the young son, maybe all of about 6-7, laying on the ground on his head with his whole body slumped over the top of him like a contortionist's pose. That picture sticks in my mind whenever I see people driving like idiots (or just driving at all). I think they should still show it in schools. When I was in school, we watched the real dashcam footage of someone who had died on one of our local roads from about a month or two ago. In the footage, you can hear him spluttering on his own blood before dying. You just hear his struggled breaths and then nothing. Parents complained about THAT and said it was too traumatic for kids so I doubt they would ever be able to re-show Red Asphalt but I DO think that anyone and everyone should seek it out for themselves to inform themselves of the dangers of the road.
Amen. I have taught my kids to be safe and defensive drivers, to try and anticipate what other drivers might do and to try and allow them room to do their dumb things. I've even taught them that, when approaching a green light, to pick a point along the side of the road that should serve as the point of no return, should the light turn yellow. But you can't anticipate people driving like complete a-holes.
I'm not saying this doesn't work. But I was in high school mid 2010s, and we had assemblies where affected family members spoke, we had assemblies of how to handle situations of being with reckless drivers, and our drama department put an entire car accident scene together showing a dramatization of the aftermath of a drunk driving incident (with cars in our football field, fake blood, and kids in different areas.) Then in driver's ed, they showed us videos of people recklessly driving, not wearing seatbelts, bodies flying in accidents. It was honestly a bit traumatizing for me. It raised my anxiety immensely towards driving. But it never stopped reckless driving that happens. In my early 20s, it wasn't on my mind. I know people from my 2014 class that also still drove recklessly*. They also did it a few years after too. I know people who have died in horrific accidents. It works for some, causes fear in others, or it prevents nothing. Now, my school may have gone overboard. If I'm not mistaken, they cracked down on car safety (specifically the dramatization before prom) because a few students passed in an accident. But they did do that. Some people just find it irrelevant to them, or they think it will never happen to them. *The program was called Distracted Drivers Destroy Dreams
As someone who lost their 18 year old sibling in a horrific car accident, I can’t thank the first responders enough for all they do. I know so many of you bring your work home with you and live with that trauma on a daily basis. Please know what you mean to those of us who have loved ones lost or ones who barely made it. You are beautiful souls.
I'm not a paramedic, but an emergency photographer. I have seen a lot of things in my carreer, from bodyparts on the train tracks to huge traffic accidents. You will never forget what you saw or heard, even though you want it. You have to deal with this straight away, in the Netherlands all the emergency workers meet after the incident to talk it through. I heard good things about that from them. It helped and it also shows who needs extra care. I work for myself and had to figure out by myself how to deal with this. I once went to an accident where a father crushed his 2-year-old between his van and a wall. When I came home I cried, I also wrote about how difficult my job is mentally and that also helped some emergency workers. The most terrible things happen in the world, most people don't see it but these people see it all. Always remember this before you become angry for getting a fine for not wearing your seatbelt or when someone is not responding polite.
You're doing a job that I can never imagine doing. I wish you the best of luck and hope you can find a way to mentally strengthen yourself for difficult calls. If you can, talk to a therapist. Not many first responders are mentally prepared for calls just like the one with the 2 year old you were talking about. But again I wish you best of luck and have a good day.
@@tj4391 It can be a hard job. People don't always know this, but I also help victims. Shooting footage of one of the worst days in their life will help them processing it. The families of someone who died often contact me because they want a visual of what the scene looked like. Sometimes victims contact me because it's a black hole in their memory and showing the footage makes them understand more what happened in the time they don't remember. I earn my money with selling footage to the news, but that gives me the space to help them out for free. Also knowing the footage can help the victims, gives me the motivation to keep going. I know how to deal with everything and who I can count on. If I need help, first thing I will do is contact firefighters or policemen. They are always there for me and I am here for them.
A hard part of this job is separating yourself from the scene. Emergency responders have come to help. You must remember that you didn’t create the problem, you came to mitigate the incident. When you first start your career in emergency services, you think you can save the world but the longer you’re in it, you realize that isn’t the case. At least these folks are using Critical Incident Stress Debrief services that are available to them to decompress after a traumatic event. That wasn’t available when I started years ago. I found that focusing on loving the ones closest to me after an incident like this and talking with coworkers really helped me a lot. God bless these brave men and women. Keep moving forward.
@@JS-zb1vv That depends on where you work. In Australia the ambulance services are state run, so you get the same ambulance service in a town of 2,000 as you do in a major city. Critical incident debriefs are just SOP here no matter where you work.
@@JS-zb1vv Yes, I've done station visits and ride alongs to a few large and small US EMS and FD stations over the years. One I visited in a town in Montana seemed so archaic compared to Australia. It all made sense when I found out they don't have the funding to afford extensive training and the latest equipment to bring them into the 21st century. They had something like 8 full time professional staff and 24 volunteers, 10-20 year old ambulances and only offered what they call BLS.
"Are you guys alright?" - "No." This exchange crushed me, because it was honest, and in most professions in the US, people would probably just say, "yeah," and move on because any other answer feels wrong to say out loud.
Thank you so much for saying this! The US needs to advocate more on mental health with professionals. It will make their work and home lives so much stronger as well. Showing emotions needs to be embraced, not stifled.
Any other answer doesn’t matter. So saying what you feel makes it hurt more. Better to lie out loud and move on because in health care (in the US) they don’t care about the health or care for the healthcare workers.
My relative is an er nurse in the u.s. people can be so mean to each other. After trying to save someone for 45 minutes your not supposed to be emotional? Her answer to someone was f you I have real emotions, cry's and then resets until the next trauma.
I could literally feel their trauma just by the look in their faces. Wow. I just wanna hug them. Keep strong and remember you can’t save them all. Folks do appreciate you. Much love and respect from Texas.
People don't realize how motor vehicles are incredibly dangerous! Don't drink and drive, use your seatbelt, respect the speed limit and take care of your car. It's quite simple to improve your safety and the ones around you. And ofc congrats to the paramedics and fire service! You are the best :)
How very moving to see the human side of emergency professionals doing their job so well and the painful aftermath of a tragedy for them. Thank you for doing this vital and very hard job on a daily basis. We really do appreciate all of our amazing emergency services…
After finishing school in Germany, I also trained as a paramedic. During my training, I realized how challenging it was. Unfortunately, I struggled with the aspect of seeing and treating severely injured people, so I ended my training and never worked in emergency services. I have immense respect for all those out there saving lives and carrying such a heavy responsibility
It’s so good and brave of her to give permission to the tv makers to actually air the footage of her calling her mom. It made my eyes water and I just wished I could give her and her colleagues a tap on the shoulder and say ‘thank you for your service.’ Much respect for all emergency personnel all over the globe.
When she spoke to her mum I could feel my chest tighten and the tears roll down my cheeks. When you become a mum you are the best medicine for your children so never underestimate the power of a simple hug and a chat to make the world a better place to live in.
@@peaches44 She may be the product of her own upbringing. I hope you have found someone you can rely on to listen to your concerns and reassures you you will be OK. We sometimes have to reinvent our own family from friends and friends mother’s and father’s as our own are to hard to cope with.
@@tinasteer2507 Thank you, and yes I am in therapy and see that her own mother was emotionally unavailable as well. Sadly I do not have any friends and the rest of my family wants nothing to do with me. (like I said, emotionally unavailable lol) I am just coasting through life trying to socialize with other humans and hoping to make friends one day. But I hope you are doing much better in life and have a chance at having people who love you. :) All the best!
My uncle is an ex-firefighter and he has told me a few things about what he saw and dealt with when attending RTC's, so I have some idea of the trauma and horror that the emergency services witness in such situations. I cannot thank them highly enough for the work they do, and for what they endure mentally & emotionally after seeing such devastating scenes. Your families must be so proud of you all.
Yeah, I do some volunteer firefighting during "let's burn this province to the ground season". I found the training itself interesting and even fun sometimes. But the amount of shit you see... The worst is entirely preventable things that didn't need to happen and shouldn't have happened if people could use their brain for once. We had, top idiot of the year, one guy decide to take his 8m preggers wife to their cabin in the woods, somehow bypassing the roadblocks. Which wouldn't have been so bad if the entire area hadn't been evacuated weeks ago and despite our best efforts the fire just wouldn't stay contained. This special snowflake waits until his shoes are literally melting to the ground before trying to drive away. by this point they're surrounded, we finally were called to do an air rescue but I think we all know how well smoke and choppers go together. We couldn't get close enough to do a pickup in the normal recommended ways without risking a crash. Thankfully I carry things in my ready bag that I'm not supposed to and I have really good pilots who care more about people then rules and regs. I grabbed my clippy line (I don't remember what they're actually supposed to be called. I was told years ago but I had a 2lt who got all twitchy whenever I came up with my own names for things so it just stuck. Besides, the guy was the prime example of "nothing more dangerous then an officer with a map".) You basically wear a harness, and you clip into the line while walking and dangle like the world's most disturbing set of berries the entire way back. It's fun when it's not life and death. Problem was by this point the couple were starting to blister and choke as their airway burned just from the heat alone. Tried to get the harness on and the skin would start to just slough off. And just ask your uncle how wonderfully manoeuvrable full kit is when you're also carrying extra rescue gear. And if it wasn't that then they would be screaming and pulling away. Managed a dirty rig, radio buddies in to toss the line down since they had taken off a little bit to stay clear of the smoke. Thankfully, they were able to get a line down. Even with gear and whatnot I was starting to get bad. Clipped one in and then the other and I was riding tail. Halfway back the lady starts screaming in a different way. Turns out the stress sent her into labor. Both made it to hospital but died shortly after. One due to his burnt as fuck airway and the other from infection due to burns on top of exhaustion delivering a baby. That being said, I also came across a guy who was clearly not all there mentally and was convinced the reports of fires were a conspiracy to keep him from his naked morning hikes...I could have gone my entire life without seeing that image. We've also rescued tons of animals that were trapped by the fires when their owners were forced to leave. Had one scary as fuck ride when the fire suddenly decided to change directions and attempted to give me a hug. Was getting horses out of stalls and opening gates to at least give them a chance. Saw a tree crash to the ground on fire an grabbed one of the horses that were just starting to run off in a panic. Wildest ride of my life. I've ridden bareback tons of times and tackless enough to know it's probably not a good idea on the kinds of horses I prefer. But full tilt gallop on someone else's horse with no tack and just enough ability to steer to avoid running in circles... I love my jobs...most days.
My heart aches not only for the families of those who lost their lives, but for the paramedics. A friend of mine is a fire fighter and saw a guy burn alive whilst he was trapped inside a vehicle after an accident. I can't imagine how this would scar a person. They have my absolute respect for doing the job they do.
When that poor woman was breaking down, I cried along with her. Being a former volunteer firefighter, it is very hard to deal with the things you've seen. I live in a rural area so we never really had multicar pile ups. But I've seen some bad stuff... public safety officials don't get enough credit for their work.
@@PolishMechanik I could understand your point in any other context but I believe here Winter was just using a descriptive term, so cut them some slack because it just makes you sound like the world's #1 SJW looking for things to jump on.
@@PolishMechanik look dude. I’m a feminist and I 100 percent fight against shit like that but this person was not being rude at all lmao. It was a description to narrow down the person they’re taking to
@@PolishMechanik would you prefer: "the blond meat sack with the green jacket with the face with make-up on it and no beard?" I hope I didn't offend you by using the 'B' word... You are what is wrong with society today and have tainted this comment sections meaningful, heartfelt, friendly, compassionate and emotional original intention with your garbage. Have a nice day 😊
When they say “injuries incompatible with life”, you know they’ve just witnessed something horrible. 5 at one scene even more so. I have a strong stomach but I doubt I’d be able to handle this and keep going. First responders deserve so much respect for what they do.
I've just got my course passed and become a CFR going to apply for frec 4 the apprenticeship ECA with provisional c1 licence then full ECA emergency care assistant. Then EMT FREC 5 then paramedic frec 6 I'm exposing myself to these and even then I know it won't be enough
a very true line, but there also needs to be the backup and support for these guys. Sadly this is something that has been missing and we then see the consequences later down the line.
Several of my cousins are paramedics/firemen in the town I live in. My mom died January 1, 2011 and they just happened to be on call that morning and were the first responders. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it must have been for them to get the call and realize that it was our house and it was my mom/their aunt that died and had to keep it together so they could do their job.
I'm sooo sorry for ALL of yours loss!!!! Please thank them for their service?!! God bless you ALL 🙏 ❤️ & your families 👪 🙏 ❤️!!!! I will keep you ALL in my prayers 🙏 ❤️!!!
As a coastal lifeguard, I can’t tell you how important it is to get talking about the traumas you’ve experienced on the job in order to get it off the chest and mind. We are professionals, but even professionals need professional help in such occasions. Mad respect for the Ambulance people of this series.
My nephew is an advanced EMT,RN and a Coroner. He has a lot to deal with. My brother is a doctor right on the front line of it all. 40 years of it now. I’m also a nurse. We believe that God gave us the skills to help people. I will say, it is a very rough line of work. My brother and his son won’t talk about anything that they see. I’m female and I handle it but I find myself crying,especially when it’s time for me to go home. I try hard not to let my children see it wear on me.
@@misshazel271 Hey mate I just want you to know I'm proud of you. We've never met but my own father is loosing his battle with PTSD, and because of people like you and him so many other get to see the ones they love. Please don't give up, but please don't drown as well, I don't think I could stand someone else going down.
As an advanced telemarketer, I have seen things that would make most people very bored. But you get used to it. Every day is a mild challenge. But you don't stop. You keep going.
"Incompatible with life" is one term i never want to hear in person. I can't think of a more terrifying situation. Hard enough hearing that diagnosis about a living person on video. Those medics are absolute legends, the lot of them.
It actually pissed me off. "incompatible with Life". You mean dead. Save the dramatics and get the information out. Thats all fluff and needs to be removed from training. Quick, informative, and direct. You see this in many departments where fluff words are used to sound wordy and more technical. Example "Custodial engineer" is a dang Janitor.
It basically means the 4 young men had their heads smashed to pieces and their internal organs exposed everywhere so this term means basically don't bother to try resuscitation
I saw a man get hit by a bus, mangled like spaghetti in the axel and then flung out into the road when I was 9. They put a white sheet over him as soon as they got there. The memory still haunts me over 10 years later. I imagine it’s an awful way to go. Thank you to all the paramedics who put their emotions aside for a time and try to save lives ❤️❤️
little late to be recalling this because i might end up with dreams about it but, when i was around that age i witnessed a car absolutely smush another car, driver flew out and skidded about 30ft on the pavement, two people in the other car immediately dead on impact. i can still see the blood in the road and the mangled cars in my head but i cant see any images of the bodies at all, just doesnt mentally exist at all, no matter how much i dig. probably for the best.
@@FusionTheVJ i agree. its the brains defense mechanism after all these years, theres been a few other situations ive seen where i can but they wernt visceral deaths.
@@Livpest I also have had childhood trauma, not witnessing an accident but something else. Every time I try to remember it, it just goes before the memory is clear and I get a pretty bad headache. What's forgotten is supposed to be so definitely for the best.
Ive got 31 years in as a fulltime medic so I get PTSD, even wrote out a suicide letter once, til I remembered my kids, then I drank til I didnt have to think, but I made it thru to the other side of the tunnel of hell, to other responders I pray for you
Just remember your kids will ALWAYS need you, and im sure you've helped countless people and now is the time to let others help you. Reach out for help if you need it, the bottles only gonna make things way worse in the long run! Trust me i learned that the hard way! Prayers!
You've helped so many people in your years, now it's time to help yourself. Keep fighting, keep staying and take it day by day. Thank you for all your sacrifices.
PTSD in first responders is a real issue that needs to be talked about more. My dad had to stop first responding for a couple years after some hard calls. I just wanted to say to all the emergency responders we are here for you and if you need help just reach out and we will help you in any way we can ❤️stay safe everyone
it is refreshing and inspiring to see that, in the UK, they truly value the mental health of their first responders, and allow them time & space to regroup. Seeing both male and female paramedics freely say that they aren't okay, and give each other acceptance & support is wonderful. I suspect the USA isn't as accommodating, but I certainly hope that there are many paramedics who do receive the mental healthcare they so richly deserve.
We have the NHS in the UK, we look after everyone and anyone. In the USA their health "care" should really be called health business. As long as the company (hospital) is making money for their donors/investors/owners, I doubt very much whether they give a damn about anyone else. My auntie had breast cancer, unfortunately she passed away, but my family over in the US forked out $500 thousand for her treatments. If they weren't wealthy then she would have died much earlier and in massive amount of pain. On the other hand my best mate also had breast cancer, in the UK, and she paid nothing for the A+ treatment, the hospice care, and her work paid sick pay. Different ends if the spectrum in what care actually means.
They give us help in the US for mental health with certain calls, well at least in my state of NY. I’ve never needed it personally but they offer it. They even tell you to take the rest of the day off or as much as you need, even payed as well, but that’s the other issue, pay is really bad. They recently had a call someone burning to death followed by a hanging within an hour, told everyone to go home and offered mental health assistance via county EMS and State run programs.
@@ComradeTomatoTurtle But not free unconditional healthcare and mental health care for all, which I think is the main point :( if I were American, I'd be dead many times over for both physical health issues, and the result of mental health issues untreated - the things my American friends have dealt with that could easily have been avoided living here tears me apart, some of which have resulted in what could have been treated becoming terminal due to both greed and incompetence on a level passing individuals screw ups to a systematic fatal flaw amongst the many well known fatal systematic features (features rather than mistakes/flaws since they're deliberate recognised choices made to prioritize wealth of the Rick over health of the poor - or anyone else tbh) It sickens me and saddens me :( I'm sorry
@@VoidDragon82 I work in healthcare in the USA and while I work in a clinic now I used to work in a big hospital and you got no clue. My father had pancreatic cancer and he didn't have a dime to his name (he owned his own business and was in debt at the time) and didn't have health insurance and they treated him with A+ service all the same. It's actually illegal to refuse medical services to someone due to the inability to pay here in the USA despite what tv shows and movies try to portray. I've also been hospitalized from an accident back when I didn't have insurance or money to pay and they treated me very well and treated my wounds just the same. And just so you know, at least in my state if someone is diagnosed with cancer and they don't have enough to pay themselves they are automatically qualified for medicaid which is government assistance to pay for the medical bills. All they have to do is fill out the paperwork and often times the hospital has social workers there to help them with that. And while I worked in the hospital, the outpatient side constantly got people flying in from other countries, even those with universal healthcare like Canada, to pay out of pocket just to have surgeries done there instead because back home where it's "free" they would have to wait months for the surgery because what they were suffering from wasn't life-threatening, while at our hospital they could literally schedule the surgery for the next day. I've seen inpatients in the early morning who got a visit from a surgeon telling the patient that they could probably squeeze them in for surgery LATER THAT SAME DAY. But anyway, what do I know, I only work in the field... 🤷♂🤷♂
@@beththegreen Uh, it's actually illegal here in the USA to refuse service to anyone due to the inability to pay... I worked in several large hospitals before my current job in a clinic and I saw patients all of the time that had no money to their name. And even have personal and family members that received amazing care at hospitals here despite not being able to pay... But ok...
My father is a paramedic and has been for 15-20 years. Usually my father is quite stoic throughout day to day life but whenever he gets calls similar to this one, especially if it involves kids or a family losing their lives, it leaves a traumatic impact that usually lasts a few days. And to think of how little they earn for how much effort, care and trauma that comes with the job will forever baffle me.
My mom used to work as a paramedic and she’s told me many, many stories.. I can’t imagine the pain of seeing small children die and there’s nothing you can do. Then going back home to your own small kids. She’s always been my hero. ❤️
@@Killthefatguy well all of it probably stsys for life but I think their point is that he’s visibly shooken and down beat for a few days until he can process it
When my dad was a paramedic, his first emergency, he ended up removing a head with body still attached impaled by a branch in a tree from a high speed accident. His last job as a paramedic, he helped clean brain matter off the wall from a kid who committed suicide. he knew the kid because he went to preschool with by older bro years ago. He is an E.R nurse now and pretty numb to this stuff. It has to be traumatizing to him idk how he does it
As a retired firefighter I know this bothered some guys it didn’t bother others and it has nothing to do with being manly or masculine or cold for that matter I think some people‘s brains are just wired different it never really bothered me I always did the best I could do with the knowledge and tools I had at hand I never second-guessed myself even when it was a child that doesn’t mean you’re not dissatisfied with the outcome but I never felt bad about it I feel sorry for people but I am very thankful that I didn’t have to deal with the emotions some of the guys did I don’t think I could’ve done it had a it bothered me the way I bother some other people. I want to reiterate I’m not cold nor lacked compassion towards The victim and their loved ones.
Anyone that does this type of work is an absolute hero in my eyes. I was cut out of a car when I was 7 years old , after a drunk driver hit us. The crash killed my grandmother. I'm 40 years old now and still think about it daily.
I feel that one... I was not present with her, but my identical twin was killed by a reckless driver in July 2020. Both vehicles totaled. Death on impact. I never saw the cars. Never saw the bodies. And yet for 2 weeks I could not get into my own car. I miss my twin every day and it's almost physically painful.
@@kim___ I pray this never happens to you. I ended up with suicidal ideology for several weeks, didn't eat for 3 days, and was thoroughly traumatized. I am not the same person I was before the loss. Part of you does go with them
I was a medic with the 23rd Inf. Div. 198th LIB , Vietnam, and I still harbor troubling memories of being back in the field working on boys who’s bodies were so severely ripped up. I can appreciate what todays paramedic go thru.
@mikemurray1047 first of all, thank you for your service. Second, please ask a mental health provider about trying a treatment called EMDR. It's really helpful for PTSD. I've just started it with my therapist and it's been life changing. I hope you can find healing from the traumatic memories. ❤
My life was saved in 2007. Thank you to all those physicians and paramedics that endure tremendous challenges to continue doing what you do. The true heroes and angels of this world, thank you
I'm a retired London police officer who suffers PTSD after my career was cut short. I also now live just outside Brum and remember this RTC very well. This film is very well made and put together. I am not ashamed to say that I was in tears watching this. We are Human, we are just people like the rest.... It hurts us and we cannot shake it off. It sticks with us forever. Any old sweat who says that you "just get used to it..." is lying.... bravado, a brave face. You NEVER get used to it. No amount of training can prepare you for it either. Much love and respects to my brothers and sisters in the Treble Nines. I love you all.
You put a wall up that comes down as soon as all is said and done. That's what "getting used to it" really looks like. I lost my twin in 2020 to a stupid driver. almost 2 years later and each day still feels raw at times.
Not often do i watch a video with tears in my eyes and holding my breath throughout, i was a nurse for over forty years, I have been only too well aware of the effect car accidents have on ambulance officers, but today they are dealing with much more than forty years ago and that is on top if other call outs. To watch the crash scene, professionalism of the highest standard with a control person overseeing the whole op with what appeared observers also overlooking the whole scene ensuring each person knew what to do etc. of course once the situation has been dealt with the shock sets in, these rescuers are human beings, it was good to hear the two at the end both youngsters in my eyes being checked on and stood down. To all those involved Ambulance, medical possibly nurses, firemen and women you showed the best of the best. Proud to be a Pom.
This is something younger kids should see before it’s too late and they grow up into racing around. A couple years back I lost 4 of my closest friends all in same car in a car accident because of a drunk driver, my friends went off the bridge into sea, the impact had already killed them all before going off the bridge. I’ve always wanted to bring awareness to younger people and people around my age this means so much to me. To all the services thank you, you’ll hear this everyday from everyone but we all truly mean it with all our hearts
I don’t know how far reaching it is in the UK but when I was in Y11 and Y13 we had talks called Safe Drive Stay Alive. Really harrowing stories from survivors, victim’s family, emergency responders etc with body cam footage n a dramatised clip of students getting into a crash which is v heavy and people often went out to have a breather but it was so important. If memory serves correct I was told wiltshire has one of the highest rates of young men drag racing/speeding deaths so maybe that’s why we had talks. It’s stuck with me ever since so it did the job. I’m sorry you lost your friends the way you did. I hope it gets easier
@@lucieirl UK doesn’t have the best education in some places they don’t teach about the safety or that, here in Scotland there’s a lot of street racers and they’re incredibly dangerous there’s crashes and that in the news nearly everyday because of it. Luckily when I was younger my grandad taught me a lot about cars and safety even signs too.
My friend and her friends were driving and had a head on collision with a van in a rural area, so not many people were around. They negotiated with the other person and the police didn't get involved. All of them were fine, my friend had bruises all over her and inured her collarbone? Idk which bone was it and the driver injured his knee.
People don’t realize the emotional toll being a first responder puts on you. I was an EMT for a few years. While on calls you push the carnage out of your mind and do what must be done. It catches up to you though. I had to give up that job because of the stress, it wasn’t the visual that broke me. It was a car crash and the driver was pinned in the wreckage. The car was on fire and I was helpless to do anything. I had to listen to her screams for what seemed like hours and the smell of a human burning is unforgettable. For quite awhile those screams haunted me. I would be lying in bed and the smells and screams would be as vivid and real as they were that night. I’m not ashamed to admit I had to see a therapist and work through that. While I know I was powerless to do anything. I was wracked with this extreme guilt. Like I was weak or a complete failure.
Can't even imagine. Hope you see a therapist for as long as you want or need to. Mental health is still swept under the carpet many times. To me it's a sign of strength, we all need help in our lives at some point. Should be something to be proud of and encouraged. Hang tight and know that there are people out here that do care. Hugs.
Seriously man , god bless you . You did what you could and you did you’re very best . If you haven’t seeked help for this I truly recommend it and also let your loved ones be there for you . Also it’s ok to cry and feel down sometimes . Everyday is a new day .
Thank you for the service you did and I am happy you’re taking care of your mental health. You are a strong person- please never doubt that. Breaks my heart knowing you had to go through that. Even describing it is hard for people to imagine let alone go through it first hand. Sending you lots of light, love & peace. {{{hugs}}} ❤️
I EMTs we’re there, where the hell was the fire department? Idk where you’re from but in the US the fire truck is typically first on scene so I don’t get why they weren’t there to extinguish the fire before you were. Either way that sounds absolutely terrible to experience for obviously her, that poor lady , but just as much you cause you have to live with witnessing it
My grandpa was a paramedic before he retired a while ago, and my mom told me a story about a time where he responded to a massive car accident. She told me that he saw bodies torn into pieces laying on the road, apparently he didn’t sleep for a long while after that happened. He’s never told me directly but I notice when he drives on that road that he doesn’t look the same like he usually does. Mad respect for him
It takes a special kind of person to be a paramedic, someone who can control their emotions in high stress, emotionally charged situations like this car crash for example. I feel bad for her having to be filmed crying for everyone to see, but I'm also glad that we can see an insight to how they handle these sorts of things. Mad respect to everyone out there for willing to do such a difficult job in their respective emergency service.
Used to be that some of your co workers would make fun of you breaking down after an incident but we have learned how normal it is. Unfortunately some hold it in and then stress builds until they snap. We need to keep moving forward.
It’s incredibly stressful for the police too, as they are often the ones who turn up at incidents first. Waiting for other emergency services to arrive when people are often trapped, screaming in agony, is pretty alarming. Respect to all Emergency workers worldwide. .
I never realized myself that I internalized some of the calls I’ve ran until one day in a therapy session I was using EMDR to assist with thought invocation and blurted out that I saw (in my semi-altered state) a young boy (me) that was playing with a very little girl (a patient I had that unfortunately passed away while I was working on her in the ED) and she wanted me to know that she was thankful for what I did to try and help her and let me know that her mom was doing okay now (mom was literally pushing me from behind to try and get to her daughter, screaming/whaling - a sound I’ll never forget - while I was giving one-handed compressions on this precious little girl). I immediately went from the trauma bay to a bullshit patient that was combative about bee stings he received while tree-trimming and had no time to process what had just happened. I haven’t sobbed like that, the way I did in that room with my therapist ever in my life before, but that session alone and talking about it has helped me SOOO much more to unburden myself in that way. The point in why I’m writing this is to reach out as you said. I can’t stress how important that is for all of us (not just the ones that work in the EMS/First Response communities).
@@ajhc18 Hope a lot of people read your comment. And I hope that more and more Public Safety Personnel seek therapy even if you think you may not need it. Sometimes you don't know. Glad you had help. From a FF/EMT, good job! Stay safe.
The first time I learned about how rescues eventually turned into "recoveries", I gained even more respect for first responders and the mental stress they deal with.
I was a 21 year old paramedic in the seventies. I worked in a large city and I made 3500 calls in about 3 1/2 years. It was too much working 48 hour on/off shifts sometimes with sleep deprivation. We had no support system for dealing with the kind of stresses encountered in such a job. It fried me. I was burned out and couldn't do it another day. It all happened so fast and we hardly had time to think about and deal with bad calls because as we finished one call we were on to the next one immediately. It's only been in subsequent years that a lot of the details began to haunt me and they still do. The sights, the smells, the sounds. I'm 70 now.
I cried hard at this one. My son, my only surviving child, was killed in an accident just a few days before Thanksgiving 2007. The horrible white noise, as the EMT described it, was nearly overwhelming, and it was impossible to think of anything but my son. That's a job I could never take or do myself, knowing how terrible some things can end up being.
I trained to be a dispatcher a few years ago. Got through training and the first call I had to handle was a suicide attempt by the person on the phone. I left the job as soon as the call ended because I knew there was no way I could do that again. It takes a very special person to be on either side of that radio, and neither position gets the respect it deserves.
@@nycytc8055 Imagine them responding to a call without the willpower to handle it. Improperly responding on the other end of the line could result in worse circumstances than leaving the coworkers down a man. If this person cant handle the call, they could have given poor advice leading to losses of lives.
My husband used to respond to accidents as an on call tow service and finally had to stop doing it because the fatalities he witnessed started taking a heavy toll on him mentally. I believe the last call he went on was the one that involved an infant. It was just way too much for him to bear anymore. He used to have nightmares from the some of the scenes he got called to. Any responder, whether it be fire, police, ems, wrecker drivers, who have to attend to assist at accident scenes deserve far more than they get paid for their work. There should also always be free access to mental health care as needed. I couldn't imagine doing a job in any of those fields. These people deserve the utmost of respect. Right along with 911 dispatchers who also don't get paid enough for what they do.
I am a tow truck driver and have done some fatality calls including one a few weeks ago which I actually came upon the collision a few minutes after it happened. I saw him take his final breaths. I then had to go back 5 or 6 hours later and tow both vehicles. It was shitty, but not the first time I have came upon a fatality. Another one was a rollover with an ejected female, others who happened on it were doing CPR on her, but you could see she was gone. My employer is very supportive and has told me if I need help dealing with something I have seen they will find help. I towed one in which a man was murdered by being ran over and dragged all over town. That one did bother me for a few days until some random started walking like a robot at a crosswalk in front of me and it made me laugh. That was really the only one that bothered me for any length of time. I hope I never have to do one a child was involved in. I cannot imagine.
@Amanda Taylor we are not usually seeing the same things the first responders see. Back in the day they used to help extricate people. Most of what I see is just aftermath, the deceased or seriously injured are usually gone by the time we are called. It hasn't really bothered me too much except for the one, but I am lucky to work for an employer who cares enough to offer help if needed. I had a bad night just now. Had to tow a semi and a call that should have taken 5 hours took ten. Nothing went right and I actually damaged the truck because I didn't check that a brake was properly released and I destroyed two tires. My boss was not happy but didn't get angry despite the fact my error cost him probably $1500 or more. Silly thing was it had hit a moose (actually two moose supposedly) but insurance is not going to be responsible for my error. Shit happens. I learned a lesson
Yeah that’s crazy...my uncle was a tow truck driver in Southern California and he told me the things he saw which I was surprised I thought the corner removed the bodies or at least covered them up...he told one he would never forget is a guy who was dead but had a surprised look on his face because he seen what was coming his way right before he perished.
@@juliogonzo2718 you're lucky if that's all you've seen. I've heard horrific stories from tow truck drivers here in Australia, one guy was trained up to run the tow truck while his mate went overseas. Within days he was called to an accident where he saw someone who had been beheaded. It was a multi tow truck accident and he was sent over to check on that vehicle. They felt bad, he should never have had to see that, but that's the reality of crashes. I think people assume a dead person looks nice and neat, trauma is not pretty. A guy told me about a cop friend of his who he randomly saw one day, waited for him to finish laying down the law for a mother who had an unrestrained child in the car. After she left, the two friends chatted, then a call came through for an accident not far away. It was the same woman, crashed, screaming hysterically, her son had been ejected but stuck in the windscreen, dead. That is the most horrific thing I think I've heard. That same cop was the first on the scene. I bet he had nightmares about that, poor guy
as a firefighter in America i feel their pain. no matter how much training and on the job experience you have, calls like these never get easier. im proud to see the supervisors and dispatchers looking out for their people!
My husband is also a firefighter and he has been and seen many horrible things but the one that hit hard was a mom who caught her house on fire with her two kids and fiancé inside and they found the little boy laying over his sister trying to protect her. They still go to therapy about that one. My husband said that all are hard but the ones involving kids are the hardest
Cried right along with them.... Our first responders deserve so much respect because they literally see the best and worst, absolute worst, of what human beings will do/are capable of doing, to each other..... RIP to the victims, and my sympathies to their families, friends and community for their loss.....
My mom was a paramedic for 35 yrs and I cannot begin to describe how much she changed over the yrs. She saw and lived so many things that would have broke any human mind. Its a hard job and I really thank all of EMS people out there, without you, so many of ours family members would not be here today. Thank you🙇♀️
This is awe inspiring for me. I’ve been a paramedic in rural areas for over 15 years and have never seen team work like this. The resources that are available and the post call interaction is really magnificent. I truly wish we had a system like that. Most of the time there is one ambulance crew and one fire crew on any fatal car wreck. Once we go back in to service we are expected to “shake it off” and run the next call.
That lady is so lucky she could call her mum for support. I wish I could talk to mine every day. She was my rock. Cherish the ones you love while you have them here with you. ❤
I am interning as an EMT student, and I remember my first trauma patient. It was pretty stressful. I remember her saying while en route to the ER room "I'm not going to make it" I wish I had done more for her and I hope she's ok now
Ems from Germany here, had same thoughts too, i remember a call, cpr in progress, we were first on scene, couldn't give respiration to the patient because the airway wasn't clear. Long story short, doctor arrived and called the cpr off, patient is gone. After the call finished it struck me why i couldn't get the airway clear, the family placed a pillow under his head, that didn't allow me to move the head back. Talked about it with the comrade that responded with me about it, felt good, like letting something off my chest, either way, i couldn't change the outcome of what happened, even if i cleared the airway, but i learned from it. Cheers mate and good luck at emt 💪
I had an emt with me when I hand a seizure that came out of no where . I will never ever forget his face and name why? Because he held my hand and was there when I didn’t know who I was . In those moments all it takes is someone just being there to feel that safety and peace . She went in peace because you were there . She knew you did everything . Thank you , emts are the true heroes !
The care, professionalism and outstanding effort of the men and women who were on that scene is just incredible. Thank you for what you do everyday! The support they are given afterwards to deal with these events is also wonderful and I imagine it helps tremendously with being able to cope afterwards.
8:52 this is the best support system we all as humans have. Nothing can ever beat a hug from a trusted colleague, someone that understands exactly the thoughts you're having, and is still there to support you
OMG i never cry but im sitting watching this in tears. What a horrific experience. These emergency service people are just angels and they deserve far more than they get but thats another story. Respect always and forever.
I'll never forget my first death. It sticks with you. Luckily, I didn't see him. He had passed before we even arrived, I don't actually know what's worse, giving it your all to no avail,or not even getting the chance to do anything in the first place. Certainly makes you feel incredibly powerless...
Kudos to all of these folks for reaching out for support, rather than trying to bottle it up under false bravado. I can't even imagine the horrors you guys see on a daily basis, and your mental well-being is paramount to doing your jobs and living a happy life.
I remember when this happened. The audi had four men in, none wearing seatbelts, going 90mph. The taxi had the driver and a couple in their 40s. Only one person survived, one of the passengers in the speeding audi. All of them were ejected from the vehicle, through the sunroof and the back window - no clue how he survived. He has to live with this, I guess. Absolutely horrific and props to all the first responders.
I actually knew the survivors cousin, He was my classmate back in year 11. He told me his cousin barely survived and had severe Brain injuries. Not sure if his cousin survived or not, but even if he did. Doubt he’d be a normal functioning human again.
@@nadz4549 that's awful. He was well enough to be interviewed about it, there's quotes from him in newspaper articles explaining what happened, so hopefully he made a good recovery. Clearly an idiot who got in a car with other idiots, but he doesn't deserve to have his life ruined.
Yeah I remember it too. The roads were shit, they’d been icy, and I don’t think they’d been salted / had been salted too early, and they were speeding going into the tunnel
I work in a children hospital. During high stress moments when we are losing a patient or have a critical patient, every department works seamlessly together to stay focused and try everything we can to save a child. If a case doesn't end the way we hope, you start to see people hugging and trying to comfort one another. I tell my coworkers in my department that I need a few minutes and go find somewhere quiet to break down. After I collect myself, I get back to work to try to help other children but I call my family for support if I'm having a hard time after work ends. Being in the healthcare field is difficult emotionally and it's best to have a support system in place for when you have bad days, but it's rewarding when you save a life and can send someone home to their loved ones...
This video really just opened my eyes to how mentally and emotionally taxing the job of emergency responders is. I have so much appreciation for those that spend their lives helping and saving others. I wish there was more I could do to help. Makes me just want to give every one of them a hug.
I was the first on scene to a fatal car accident in 2015. Two lived, one passed in my arms. I still have ptsd, and I can't imagine going through this again and again. Thank you to all the folks out there who are doing this work.
Being a proud mom of a beautiful girl who is a nurse I have had many calls like that. It still made me cry to see that Paramedic breakdown and say the same words I hear all the time "sorry mom to wake you and it was really terrible". My heart goes out to ALL OF YOU THANK YOU ALL ❤❤
Some people adapt and get used to it and others it’s really just not right for. No judgment either way but it’s definitely a job where you need to know yourself before you go ahead and pursue it as a career.
@@Gigachad-mc5qz I think what Pluto means isn't that you get used to it -- the horror never goes away -- but over time, you slowly learn how to process it. It's an arduous, ugly process, and each time it happens it doesn't get any easier -- but you grow from it each time.
"When you experience something traumatic, your brain is just stunned, and it doesn't know quite how to process it. Its just an absolute blast of white noise and energy, just utter mayhem. Then it's just stillness. That's when you start to think about it, and that's when it begins to set in." Absolutely true. I hope they get through this experience even relatively okay.
I'm a funeral director from germany, we get called to scenes like these fairly regular to pick up the victims after all the important work has been done. I've seen heavy scenes in my years, sat down an rainy streets with police and paramedics to try and comfort them with what little we can still provide even though we too are deeply touched by those things. I have nothing but the biggest respect for paramedics police officers, they work wonders a lot of the time and they deserve help when they need it.
Having one patient die is bad enough, but having 5 of them die despite the fact you try as hard as you can to save them, is just horrific.
Doing this job can be terrible. I've never been to a 5 count fatal, but a three-count at one time. I've lost track of all the fatals I've seen in 38yr Vol. Fire service. I'm glad now we have professional help to assist members now. All we use to do was drink.
To those paramedics who were there, you tried. What if people like you were not there , I have a lot of paramedic friends. This Christmas Eve my wife and I are doing the rounds of our fire halls and emergency responders including the hospital’s emergency. Dropping off lots of goodies and hot chocolate. .
My father was a paramedic and he always told me that it's hard, but you must always know that you never let anyone go - death had to fight tooth and nail to take them away.
@@edloeffler9769 My dad was a paramedic for 20 something years in germany and when i told stories about his job he always did it with pretty grim humor. He said its pretty common to have this kind of humor to cope with this stuff and he always tried to make jokes out of it but you could see in his eyes that this stuff weighed heavy on him.
It's not an easy job. Someone must do it and they don't get paid enough for what they do. Depending where you're from some of them don't get paid very well
This accident was the result of someone driving at 100mph in a 40mph zone. This happened around Christmas-time. The young girl who is crying was only 21 when she responded to this scene. We owe our emergency service staff so much for all that they do
Just horrific to think this was all caused because somebody probably showing off to his friends was driving way over the speed limit. So tragic. I hope the lady (and all affected) got the support they needed.
@@tomg6889 i dispise men like that
@@ALPHADARKFANG I love how you presume it’s a male bit judgemental much
@@pcskeng3607 Well I looked it up and it is a guy so.
@@pcskeng3607 That's because of the simple facts that A. A man did cause this crash and B. it is almost always men that cause these kinds of accidents.
I love how the dispatchers made sure they were okay and insisted they take some downtime, awesome support.
I was a SECAMB call taker for 4 years and a dispatcher for another 4 years and our crews welfare was always paramount...
Dispatch never gets enough credit either. They have to be therapists, investigators (particularly if crime may have been committed) & still relay all this information. Dispatch is the first point of contact for so many having the worst days of their lives.
@@ponkor You're joking right? SECAmb must have changed since you left
@@Cherubrmy maybe they are just not that way with you
@@debramoss2267 I work a variety of roles in the trust including in EOC and frontline, with a plethora of crews, I’m never named on the running sheet so the RD is not aware of me by name. Explain how it would be directed at me.
'Are you ok?' .. 'No.' - Real. These heroes are human. You deserve more than claps.
Retired ER nurse here. The worst part is driving home to your family knowing that other families have been shattered. Many nights I would just sit in the car and sob before going iny house.
@@sarahtamura4993 My stepmother is a retired paramedic. My father tells me that when they were dating, he learned really quick not to ask her how her day was.
we just want a comfortable living, good Healthcare and not to be messed with tbh
@@thac0twenty377 And our government are trying so damn hard to take that away from us. Leaves me feeling frustrated that we have been like this for nearly a decade or so. It is ridiculous
"I just want my mum." A true show of how car accident scenes can mess you up. That was so heart breaking.
It’s a natural reaction for people in extreme distress to call for their mother, it’s haunting
When the going gets tough, the tough call mommy. I am a strong woman, but when I need a rest from being strong, my mom is always a soft, safe place to land.
@@rachelbrinkley3020 interestingly enough..my mother is not the person I would call. Not the most comforting. It's her only fault...just quite cold in that department.
@@Goose9313 I guess it would be the person you emotionally would rely on. Mom, dad, another relative, your partner. Having someone that you can rely on when you are at your weakest, most distraught point is what carries humans through very tough situations
Because you come in through this world through mom and leave out without. You said hello to life through her but you leave life without her. That comfort and that warm welcome and someone holding you into your transition is not there
When she calls her Mum and she's crying, explaining what's happened and says, 'I'm sorry for waking you up.' and you just know her Mum doesn't care about that and is glad her daughter called her..
😓😓😓😔😔
Yea... my girl every time could call me if she needs me...
And ma boy too...
i mean its dramatacised and rehearsed so. She knew there was a camera on her it's not like the cameraman and crew are invisible
@@joshua4185 how can u stage a car accident 💀💀 do you really think that the family members of the deceased would allow that to be broadcasted if it was rehearsed??
"I just want me mum" no matter how old you are there will always be times when a loving guardian is needed. It's actually heart warming to see the 911 operators and 1st responders break down with emotion (and be given the space to do so). Usually first responders are quite cold because they can't allow there feelings to get in the way of there job.
Btw this is the UK so its 999, not 911
I still want my mum. I'm 66 and she passed 3.5 years ago. As much as I can, I am grandma to my students when they need one. We all need someone to help us bear up sometimes.
Not cold, reserved. And we are still humans, not androids, no matter how long we have worked in the field, it touches our hearts, but we keep going for the next person.
Then go to break and let it out, if lucky enough to have one.
And also. In the moment you are just a robot. You have your procedures and protocols. It is hitting you after the fact. Not while in the thick of it.
Too bad they aren't nice or caring like that in America.
My daughter and son in law are both paramedics and have seen some gruesome things..... My son in law had a breakdown after one very bad job. He tried to go back to the job but couldn't do it, it ended his paramedic career..... These people, paramedics, fire and police deserve our respect and thanks ❤❤
My sincere respect and gratitude to both your daughter and son in law for the amazing Job they chose to do….💖 I can’t begin to imagine some of these scenes they have had to face. 😢 it’s something that not everyone can do. It must also be very frustrating as well as heartbreaking for paramedics to arrive on scene to an accident like this one knowing the carnage was caused by an inconsiderate person driving at deathly speeds…as it could of been avoided.
I am also sorry for your son in law having to stop doing the Job he loved..must of been a difficult decision. But his mental health and well being is Important, and yet MP’s and powers that be refused them help and support 😡 should be ashamed of themselves….hope your son in law is doing alright now. Regards to both of them.
Take care 🥰
@@marieparrott7944 thank you so very much for your heartfelt reply. Thankfully yes, he's doing well now but it did take a while.....
@@lynnmace7171 Something that I will always remember, was the evening when a newly qualified paramedic went out to what had been assumed to be a non malicious timewaster call, where a mother was concerned about her 17 year old daughter.
He spent more than 2 hours performing ECG, blood pressure, oxygen and sugar level tests, but nothing appeared abnormal. She was not in a relationship that could have caused any personality changes and had never been involved in drugs or alcohol. Over a cup of tea, he was trying to explain to to her mother, that changes occur during teenage years, she was still not convinced. He asked the daughter to help reassure her mother, but she did not reply. She was flatline dead.
An autopsy showed a tumour covering more than 60% of her brain, that would have been inoperable long before symptoms showed.
After more than 6 months of support and counselling, the paramedic refused to set foot in an ambulance ever again.
He took up a successful career in IT.
Please give my regards to your daughter and son in law, from LAS.
I did the same. I had a patient I could do absolutely nothing for. Thankfully he didn't die, but he had a sinal injury, head injury and disloc knee and possible internal injuries. I had to wait for an icp or ecp (intensive care paramedic or extended care paramedic) to arrive to administer pain relief yo him that didn't have any contraindications to his injuries. I felt so useless and that night I had a break down as nobody understood why I couldn't give him the pain relief I did have, why I wouldn't let them give him anything to drink (he was really thirsty). I was called a fat useless b*tch (I was 5 months pregnant at the time). I do basic low risk medical still but I refuse to go any higher than pleb as I call it. My partner who uses this acct too is an advanced life support paramedic, so I will often back him up with the big jobs, do any paperwork, fetch anything he needs and I will often wrap, strap or slap after he assesses or administers etc.
We have encountered a fatality once and that was while we were travelling (not working) and it was a road crash rescue car Vs Truck and another car. The deceased had injuries incompatible with life, but we still performed cpr on her until she was formally pronounced. It was more for the other victims of the crash so they knew that everything possible was done to try and save her. They didn't see the end result of the deceased, but they saw us doing compressions. The crash was the deceaseds fault, as she pulled out infront of a truck she thought was turning, the truck hit her and pushed her in front of another car who then hit her car before they went down a small gully and the deceaseds car came to rest in the middle of the highway. The intersection where the crash was has now been completely changed, so another crash like that can never happen again. But that night my partner had a break down too, where i made him call one of his seniors, and they told him that it's good that he has this reaction, and when he doesn't feel that way after something so traumatic, it's time to get out of the game.
I'd like you say thank you to those who posted replies.... I've passed them onto my daughter and son in law and they both said thank you too and that they know there are people out there who understand... Again thank you. ❤️❤️
The public doesn’t give paramedics, fire crews and police enough credit for what jobs they do and what they have to go through in their jobs! Thank you guys and gals for all your services!
Lewis I agree with you I can't imagine some of the stuff they see throughout their Career. Like you said their not given enough credit for all they do. I thank each of you for your service to our communities.
Most of us do though, saying the public is a massive statement. I would say it is the minority that do not.
@@Jessebella1 I would say that this is even more correct as we do just not all of us as you have stated.
I think this is a bit...or a lot over exaggerated, most of the public give these people massive amounts of credit for what they do, rightfully so. Instead of focussing on the positive (the credit they DO get) we tend to look at the negative, and instead of saying you respect them a lot it becomes others don't give them enough credit, without actually being able to measure ''credit''. I know what you're trying to do but it actually has the opposite effect.
I feel heartbroken for the emergency service crew on that job. 💔
As a paramedic in America I can not describe how happy it makes me to see emergency service workers in other parts of the world have a support system that places emphasis on their mental health. One of the hardest of this job is going on that traumatic call and having to quickly reset and go on the next one before you’ve fully processed it. Good on the NHS for caring for their paramedics
Exactly… it seems much better in the UK than in the states… at least the county I was in you had to argue with a supervisor to be put off for a call like that. Just curious as to your experience if you don’t mind sharing
We have a great mental health support system here in the States and if your department doesn't you all need to raise your voices.
After 15 in England during the 80’s up to the year 2001, I have only admiration and respect for the NHS, a great British Institution.
@@Irishjay1025 the mental health in my area in the states rather take you out of the job. So I feel like here people never speak up I know I just push it down 😂.
Thank You For Your Service💝💝My Husband Is A FireFighter/EMT, EVERYONE OF Y'ALL ARE AMAZING!!!!MAY GOD BLESS ALL, MANY PRAYERSNLUV, WWG1WGA 👼👼✝️✝️💝💝
Dang, this hits deep. People always ask me things like "what's the worst thing you've seen" or "how many car crashes have you been to"; they always want to know the adrenal-pumping stories. The next thing they ask is "how do you do it"? Truth is the dead have never really bothered me, even the ones we lose. It's the family and friends...the screams from a mother losing her child, a son begging his father to wake up, a desperate husband asking us why we're stopping efforts. You never forget the moment you see their hope leave their eyes.
@Zack Thanks for sharing, your words left me in tears. Your Guardian angel is with you on every mission. Be Safe brother!!!
Thank you so much for doing what you do. Few people have the mindset. We love all our first responders 💙
Reading this is so true i remember being on a cpr call and using a defib and tge wife saying oh its going to shock him awake like the tv show she watched that broke me inside knowing she was about to find out her husband was dead
i didn’t realize that i was affected until after covid ended when family was allowed to come to the hospital and thats when i started struggling with the dead
Thank you 💙💙💙
I cried when the lady called her mum :( that feeling of just wanting your mum's comfort is a feeling like no other... All paramedics are doing an incredible job!
Me too. I'm almost 50 and sadly lost my mam two years ago. Some days I really just wish to have her. You are never too old to want the safety and security of your mother, and father....
That hurt. Nearly 30, lost my mum a few years back and that feeling never goes away unfortunately. Cherish those relationships if you're lucky enough to have them while you do. 💜
@@MadiganinPeach oh bless you :( 100% - even on the days where they may be annoying you 😂 so important xx
As a daughter, I completely related and just wanted to cry along with her while she was on the phone. As a mother, I just wanted to hold her and remind her of how important she is in this bold line of duty. ❤️🩹
Yh they were racing I believe and they hit a taxi it’s horrible but could’ve been avoided
Mad respect to ALL first responders. Many people do not know, care or appreciate what they do.
I APPRECIATE what they do,for I wouldn't be here if not for them!
Thank you
Ur very right
As a retired paramed, I thank you.
Especially the police tbh. They're typically the first on the scene as well. I remember 1 video of a car that went straight through someones house, an old woman was trapped under rubble. Police where first on scene, arrested the drunk driver(of course) and where around the site assessing the situation and trying to make it safe for when fire fighters got there.. Comments were flooded calling them useless and how it was the police's fault that she ended up passing. Like, no? They went above what they are trained to do, stayed with her so she knew she wasn't alone. they don't have equipment to safety remove her from the rubble and they don't have the equipment to give her air, however what they did have was a group of people pestering them making it harder for them to do their jobs because "the media told me I should hate copes because of a MINORITY of cops and the cops who arrest violent career criminal that we should for some reason feel sorry for and burn down towns".
I have major respect for the police, now with all the "defund police" crap people complain they dont do anything, because YOU took away the funding and made their jobs even harder than it was before. Congratulation backwards mindset society.
Absolutely, Whole Heartedly Agree
My dad was a local cop for many years and I myself want to pursue a similar career so I asked him about the trauma side of things on the job and all he could tell me without breaking down was “I’ve seen too many people look at me and take their last breath” and personally that crushed me seeing the pain in his eyes when he said that. I’m truly thankful for every first responder no matter what you do. You guys and girls are the reason people get another chance at life.
Your dad was their Comfort I hope he knows that x
If you want to give it a try, you might be able to handle it. If you cannot, don’t attempt it. It is very rough dealing with it every day. I believe that God gave me and most of my family the ability to do it. I see an awful lot in the hospital. My brother has seen it all being a doctor and on the front line of it all. My nephew has a rough job. RN and a coroner. This is not for everyone. All of us carry a large amount of supplies in our vehicles. After 40 years in the business, if we don’t know what we are doing by now, we wouldn’t be out there helping.
It is normal knowing how easy police shoot you in América
@@ghafu4464You're highly misinformed.. no they don't 😒
@@tornandfrail I have been a fire fighter for 18 years, your comment really hit home
I’m a paramedic and I’ve been on some horrific traffic injuries and more than once have I had to pull a dead body out of a car. And I too have called my wife to tell her about what I had just seen. But with a passion, I love what I do. I look forward to every shift and consider it an honor to be one of the guys at the fire station responding to calls for help. God bless my fellow first responders.
May i ask , were seatbelts a factor in their deaths ? Did not wearing them contribute to their death? Could it have saved them . I ask because usually that’s the case .
@@raquelpk2 great question. I have seen traffic fatalities when we have had to cut them out of their seatbelts and conversely I have been on fatalities when they weren’t wearing them. But seatbelts will always offer better protection than when not wearing them.
@@raquelpk2 I'm not a professional or anything but i was in a wreck like 3 weeks ago because of ice conditions on the road,and one thing is sure the seatbelt not only saved my life but saved me from any serious injury, the car went into a ditch and fliped, stopped on it's side, i had to jump out of it to get out,so yeah I'm sure as hell that even if i have to go 20m by car im putting my seatbelt on
Thank you for dedicating your career to helping others.
@@raquelpk2 the driver of taxi and his passengers were wearing seat belts.
Thr many fatalities were down to the driver in the Audi doing 100mph in a 40 zone. He lost control whilst going round a bend and hit the taxi head on which was going the other way. The driver had cannabis in his system.
To all first responders out there.. Thank you for doing the job most people can't... You guys are the real heroes..
Can we get some recognition at the ER of a trauma centre as well? There are so much more specialized nurses involved with horrific trauma;s.
@@monicacarolina6480 its not a popularity contest, this video is about first responders. Go beg for praise somewhere else
@@James-rc6qq dude, seriously?
@@angrygromit93 what? All those who serve others every day and help people are without doubt great people, but this video is about first responders and without thanking first responders, someone is demanding praise for themselves. Its just weird.
@@James-rc6qq it was just a statement, absolutely no need for such a response
I totally feel this girl's pain about what stood in front of her. She and her team did everything they possibly could to save those people involved in the crash. Knowing that five of them died straight away, is a very big hit in the heart. I salute this brave and super-professional lady.
Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
When was this episode shown plz.
When was this episode shown plz thnx Jimmy Shelton
@@jimmyshelton6558 I have no idea...it just came on my recomendations.
@@jimmyshelton6558 it was shown in the UK on Ambulance 31 May 2018 on BBC1. The accident happened 17th December 2017. The driver of the Audi caused the crash doing 100mph in a 40 zone. He clipped the curb. He was also high on cannabis.
You can watch it if you Google Ambulance series 3 episode 6. It will come up in Daily Motion website.
@@Bigears1978 cannabis wouldn't make you drive like that
These people are angels and deserve our praise and appreciation.They work calmly and selflessly and see many terrible things. But they still continue to serve. ANGELS.
Yes bur also getting attacked and abused more and more
@Bees1970 they contribute more to society than you ever will.
And thank God for elderly mums & dads who still take late nights calls from their adult children to comfort them.
@@Sonnenanbeterin1991 One of the main reasons they are attacked and abused especially by the people they are trying to help has to do with our biology when under threat. All those flight or fight hormones start surging whenever the body is injured and so gives the impression anyone helping is a predator. So the injured will struggle to refuse help if they are capable of struggling and some have become violent against the first responders.
Whatever they are paid, it isn't enough.
I worked EMS in Houston, Texas USA for 8 years until a drunk driver hit our rig head on while on an accident scene. I was standing in the back with the doors open. The only thing that kept me from flying out the back was my hand finally found the IV bar. I had no warning, I didn’t know what happened until the rest of my crew got to me. I have had back trouble since then, 35 years ago, and have been in a wheelchair for the past 18 months. Many nights both crews sat I n the station and cried with one another. I feel your pain, I have been there. Good job guys, you did all you could. I salute you all!
And a salute to youcathlyn205 👃
Thank you for your service and glimpse into your story.
I'm so so sorry for how you have suffered. I will not forget you. 🙏 Jean in California
I'm glad ur alive brother
Thank you all for your kind words. Even with the injury, I wouldn’t trade my time in EMS for anything in the world.it was a pleasure to help people in their time of need. God bless you all.
One thing that really strikes me watching this is how deeply and genuinely everyone working that night cared. Whether at the scene or at the communications centre nobody saw it as just a job. They cared for the victims as one human to another. What a great impression this gives of England.
Yes , they are truly remarkable people !!!!!!
@davet2825 What the hell you on about? 🤣🤣🤣
@@davet2825most people are good. The bad are just loud.
I applied to be a paramedic in the UK, Scotland specifically. Went through the training and onboard if processes, and 6 months in I left. It was after a car crash where two people died at a crossing and seeing a scene like it for the first time was just too much for me. It was always cases of home visits and victim transportation but this one just did it for me. I knew then I didn’t have the will or the guts that these guys have to perform the job. I do feel undeniably ashamed that I left but it takes a certain mindset and willpower. I salute all the of paramedics and the NHS themselves for all that they do for us.
there is no shame in your choice. you can help many more people than if you allowed yourself to be broken by such a difficult job.
Never feel ashamed its just some people can cope with and others can't but you gave everything
It’s definitely not for everyone & I have a lot of respect for you & commend you for your honesty, & for knowing & admitting that & for moving on to find something that you do enjoy!! You shouldn’t feel bad about that decision either, it’s not a bad thing , it’s an incredibly difficult job, traumatizing & intense, it takes a very particular person to be able to cope with what they see & do for a living!✌️😬
And it takes a strong person to admit when they are not suitable for something and get out rather than crumbling at a scene and putting people in danger
Please do not feel ashamed, admiting that something isn't the best option for you is a hard thing, however a very strong thing to do so. You tried, with the best you could and that takes courage aswell. I hope that the career you end up in will be a great one for you!
To any paramedics out there, you do fantastic, essential work and we should all be incredibly grateful.
You saved my life many years ago when i was 6, hit by a car and hospitalised for 3 months. I'm now 40 with 3 beautiful children, thank you.
❤
@adamk2895Don’t call for help when you need them then…
@Adamk -trump supporter
@@7XHARDER lol you still mad bro
Half these look like students at their first accident.
Being a first responder takes a toll unimaginable to most. What we’ll see in a single incident, the majority of the public will never see in a lifetime. The only reassurance is that we’ve done what we could to give our patients the best chance possible, and that’s no small feat. Thank you for doing what you all do. Sending love from across the pond.- One Utah Fireman.
Probably won’t mean much but thank you for what you do. I wanted to see about possibly becoming a paramedic once I’m out of the military but I’m hearing (just like the military) that it’s not for everyone.
Thank you for all that you do 🙏
Got to have the right psychological makeup- isn't for everyone that's for sure. I've dealt with multiple deaths and accidents +20- during, you just get on with it, it's the reflection later, when it's quiet and you have time to think about it that people find tough. I was fine about it (I think growing up in the country with livestock helped- death is just something that happens) and was always called to deal because colleagues couldn't cope. I still remember some of them, but to be honest it's the families and friends I remember more as those are the ones I could actually help. Dealing with them was often tougher than dealing with the death if I'm being honest.
So very true. More profound words were never spoken. Thank you for what you do.
I know it’s different to the military, because for us, it’s people we know. But it never happens anywhere near the frequency of first responders. It must be absolutely fucking brutal to go through this day in day out. I can’t even begin to imagine the strength of your fucking guts to stomach this every day. 🤢
Over 100 emergency personnel at the scene? I have never even HEARD of any crash scene here in America that had that many personnel on duty, let alone responding to a single crash scene! And thank God for all the debriefing that those responders go through so that they can process what they have just dealt with before heading out to the next call! God Bless All of them for their unwavering help!
Strange you should say that as I am always amazed when I watch DUI videos from America how many cars turn up to deal with one driver, it doesn't seem uncommon to have 5 or 6 cars turn up.
I live in America and I say the same thing, I was surprised to see all those people show up for that car accident and here in America there's a car accident there's only a few people show up to take care of the problem. I'm not saying they don't do a good, because we have police officers paramedics and fire department all working to help out with most bad accidents but I don't think they're as organized as what I just saw.
@@sheenacarroll3337 Those 100 who attended would have included a police forensic team to check the vehicles and the road for possible mechanical causes, along with crews to replace any any damaged barriers and resurface any torn areas of the road. Their are also recovery vehicles and a crane when commercial vehicles are involved. Our tight geographical layout makes this much easier than in the US.
I recently watched a video of well over 100 cop cars in miami, the police said their response was due to a bunch of teens fighting each other. 4 teens were arrested. I was amazed at the scale of the police presence. It was a huge number of cops so much so that people think something else happened(aliens is one theory).. In my country it would have been 1 or 2 cop cars.
i was near scene for a crash that went out as a MCI (Mass Casualty Incident) on a 10 car pile up involving a horse trailer and a 18 wheeler. no deaths as a result of the incident BUT there was 10 ambulances, 20+ highway patrol, 2+ firefighter units and 3+ heavy duty tow trucks that arrived on scene.
when shit gets REALLY BAD, they roll in deep.
I was an EMT in Los Angeles County for just about 5 years before an injury took me out. It’s great to see how much mental health is now taken into consideration for first responders. I started in the late 90’s and I honestly can’t remember EMS mental health ever really being discussed. We were certainly never pulled out of rotation after a horrific call. More often than not you would meet up with another ambulance or fire apparatus, joke about things in a morbid way most people wouldn’t understand and wait for the next tone sending you to whatever call was next.
Some of the strangest most fed conversations to outsiders and Humor to make your day possible. In some ways you miss those chats as they where so brutal and raw most others seem false or beet around the bush
Nowadays people are soft, saddly even medics.
As a LE Chaplain I totally understand. ER is about the same, we all need to deal with death and injury together, and move on to the next event. That's one of the things that make LEOs, EMTs and ER workers unique. It's only for the very few.
Used to think the jokes was super inapropriate but after a few years on the job realized it was the only way to prosess the trauma
@@mordeath83 I’m sure from a clinical psychology point of view there is a better way long term to deal it, but until your next set of days off and definitely for the rest of that shift, it’s a necessary evil.
sorry for my bad English . I am a firefighter myself from Germany. Experienced such situations very often. It is often very difficult to forget such pictures. Luckily you have friends, colleagues and family. I wish every firefighter, policeman or paramedic only the best. Without you, the world would not be safe. Always come home safe. Best wishes
Well said my friend.
P.S: I am a german as well, and it is such a common thing for us to say, that our english sucks! ;-) It doesn't mate!
Great English actually!
Your English is fine!
I want to become a uk firefighter got any tips
@@alisharehman8798 He's a German firefighter so probably not
It is so good that the ambulance staff had people they could call to talk about what they were dealing with.
The problem is if you can’t talk to someone who has done the job they can’t relate to you or it . So we refuse to talk to them most are not qualified anyway!! So now their is a huge amount of drug and alcohol use !!! Then the end result is a suicide!!
@@JS-zb1vv that's why we have therapists and support. You don't need to relate to have empathy.
@@paladinoestetica wrong if you haven’t had dealt with similar experiences you can’t have relatable empathy.
@@JS-zb1vv i feel same way, I have past trauma and for me I need someone who can relate.
@@JS-zb1vv qualified therapists help people with conditions they haven't had all the time. It's very , very negative & quite egotistical to say 'you wouldn't understand because you haven't been through it'.
These people should make more money than professional athletes and no one will ever convince me otherwise.
Agreed.
I agree, last evening there was a football ( we are British) match on TV and God's honest truth I thought of all the thousands of pounds they get paid for kicking a flipping ball up and down a field compared to the work our doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen and police do!!!!!! It's all wrong 🙁. Respect to them all ❤️❤️
Yeah it's obviously an agenda to make the richer rich and the lower end poor, it's obvious, bankers and politicians always feast on money
So right. If only 1/10 of the money spent on "professional" sports (i. e. subsidized violence for entertainment) could be spent instead on health care, hospitals, and health workers, our society would see an instant improvement. From what I read, this is true world-wide. Sports madness harms all citizens.
Professional athletes and politicians should make no more than minimum wage.
Bless that woman’s heart crying on the phone to her mom. I don’t even know her and the mother in me just wants to hug her and tell her it’s going to be ok. Try to remember that you are a hero to a ton of people that you do help in the future. It takes a special person to be able to handle that job. God bless you and all your coworkers!!
I cried with her while she spoke to her mom
my sister did the same thing, phoned my mum up at 2am in the morning (it was her first major RTC) 2 months in on the job and she ended up leaving year and half or so later, due to mental health problems, it messed her. she said it wasn't the heart attacks, strokes and whatnot...but the car accidents, I think road accidents/RTC's put a major toll on ones mental health over time and it just happened to make my sister give in after she went to one where multiple children were involved. I truly respect the work they do and that goes for all fire, paramedics, police etc
@@stefp5771 Me too
My god. I cried all the way through this. Respect to you all. Thankyou for everything you all do. Xx. ❤ 😍 💖 ❣ 💕 💘 ❤ 😍
❤
I can’t even imagine how heartbreaking and terrifying this job is.
As a paramedic in germany myself, you definitley have to be made for this job.
In equal measure we have fantastic patients and share beautiful moments from the beginning to end of people’s lives. This video made me cry because it’s so so accurate but in the same way we’re all so lucky to have what we’d all agree is the best job in the world..
@@TB-md1uj Amen to that
I m a paramedic in Italy. Hugs
You can either do this or you can’t there’s no in between! The burn out rate is extremely high
Things like this need to be shown in secondary schools almost daily to proactively stop potentially dangerous driving and stupidity on the roads from occurring. This shows just how many people are affected by incidents such as this.
In the 70's when I took driver's education there was a movie called "Red Asphalt" shown in the classroom.
It worked for me.
But yes I agree. Or shadow a Trauma Nurse. I'm retired now, but that will convince anyone.
You need to start actually teaching young adults how to drive even in schools
@@katiesimpson4514 About 2 months ago I willingly watched some of the Red Asphalt videos. They were all harrowing but the 2000s one hit me the worst. I will never forget the sight of a family dead in their seats with the young son, maybe all of about 6-7, laying on the ground on his head with his whole body slumped over the top of him like a contortionist's pose. That picture sticks in my mind whenever I see people driving like idiots (or just driving at all). I think they should still show it in schools. When I was in school, we watched the real dashcam footage of someone who had died on one of our local roads from about a month or two ago. In the footage, you can hear him spluttering on his own blood before dying. You just hear his struggled breaths and then nothing. Parents complained about THAT and said it was too traumatic for kids so I doubt they would ever be able to re-show Red Asphalt but I DO think that anyone and everyone should seek it out for themselves to inform themselves of the dangers of the road.
Amen. I have taught my kids to be safe and defensive drivers, to try and anticipate what other drivers might do and to try and allow them room to do their dumb things. I've even taught them that, when approaching a green light, to pick a point along the side of the road that should serve as the point of no return, should the light turn yellow.
But you can't anticipate people driving like complete a-holes.
I'm not saying this doesn't work. But I was in high school mid 2010s, and we had assemblies where affected family members spoke, we had assemblies of how to handle situations of being with reckless drivers, and our drama department put an entire car accident scene together showing a dramatization of the aftermath of a drunk driving incident (with cars in our football field, fake blood, and kids in different areas.)
Then in driver's ed, they showed us videos of people recklessly driving, not wearing seatbelts, bodies flying in accidents.
It was honestly a bit traumatizing for me. It raised my anxiety immensely towards driving. But it never stopped reckless driving that happens. In my early 20s, it wasn't on my mind. I know people from my 2014 class that also still drove recklessly*. They also did it a few years after too. I know people who have died in horrific accidents. It works for some, causes fear in others, or it prevents nothing.
Now, my school may have gone overboard. If I'm not mistaken, they cracked down on car safety (specifically the dramatization before prom) because a few students passed in an accident. But they did do that. Some people just find it irrelevant to them, or they think it will never happen to them.
*The program was called Distracted Drivers Destroy Dreams
As someone who lost their 18 year old sibling in a horrific car accident, I can’t thank the first responders enough for all they do. I know so many of you bring your work home with you and live with that trauma on a daily basis. Please know what you mean to those of us who have loved ones lost or ones who barely made it. You are beautiful souls.
She is EXACTLY the right person for the job. Keep doing what you do ma’am you’re a credit to your station.
no she is not. She will break at this job.
I'm not a paramedic, but an emergency photographer. I have seen a lot of things in my carreer, from bodyparts on the train tracks to huge traffic accidents. You will never forget what you saw or heard, even though you want it. You have to deal with this straight away, in the Netherlands all the emergency workers meet after the incident to talk it through. I heard good things about that from them. It helped and it also shows who needs extra care. I work for myself and had to figure out by myself how to deal with this. I once went to an accident where a father crushed his 2-year-old between his van and a wall. When I came home I cried, I also wrote about how difficult my job is mentally and that also helped some emergency workers. The most terrible things happen in the world, most people don't see it but these people see it all. Always remember this before you become angry for getting a fine for not wearing your seatbelt or when someone is not responding polite.
You're doing a job that I can never imagine doing. I wish you the best of luck and hope you can find a way to mentally strengthen yourself for difficult calls. If you can, talk to a therapist. Not many first responders are mentally prepared for calls just like the one with the 2 year old you were talking about. But again I wish you best of luck and have a good day.
@@tj4391 It can be a hard job. People don't always know this, but I also help victims. Shooting footage of one of the worst days in their life will help them processing it. The families of someone who died often contact me because they want a visual of what the scene looked like. Sometimes victims contact me because it's a black hole in their memory and showing the footage makes them understand more what happened in the time they don't remember. I earn my money with selling footage to the news, but that gives me the space to help them out for free. Also knowing the footage can help the victims, gives me the motivation to keep going. I know how to deal with everything and who I can count on. If I need help, first thing I will do is contact firefighters or policemen. They are always there for me and I am here for them.
@@ThePicturesGuy That's good. Bless you for what you do for people.
Damn i'd hate to have your job
God bless you 💙
A hard part of this job is separating yourself from the scene. Emergency responders have come to help. You must remember that you didn’t create the problem, you came to mitigate the incident. When you first start your career in emergency services, you think you can save the world but the longer you’re in it, you realize that isn’t the case. At least these folks are using Critical Incident Stress Debrief services that are available to them to decompress after a traumatic event. That wasn’t available when I started years ago. I found that focusing on loving the ones closest to me after an incident like this and talking with coworkers really helped me a lot. God bless these brave men and women. Keep moving forward.
Mostly only large departments have these things. You won’t find this in a rural setting. They say you signed up for it deal with it !!
@@JS-zb1vv That depends on where you work. In Australia the ambulance services are state run, so you get the same ambulance service in a town of 2,000 as you do in a major city. Critical incident debriefs are just SOP here no matter where you work.
@@coover65 not in the USA but kudos to y’all !! That’s a good thing !!!
@@JS-zb1vv Yes, I've done station visits and ride alongs to a few large and small US EMS and FD stations over the years. One I visited in a town in Montana seemed so archaic compared to Australia. It all made sense when I found out they don't have the funding to afford extensive training and the latest equipment to bring them into the 21st century. They had something like 8 full time professional staff and 24 volunteers, 10-20 year old ambulances and only offered what they call BLS.
@@coover65 yes it’s insane!!! 70% of fire departments are still volunteers!! I would support a National fire and EMS service here !!
"Are you guys alright?" - "No."
This exchange crushed me, because it was honest, and in most professions in the US, people would probably just say, "yeah," and move on because any other answer feels wrong to say out loud.
Thank you so much for saying this! The US needs to advocate more on mental health with professionals. It will make their work and home lives so much stronger as well. Showing emotions needs to be embraced, not stifled.
Any other answer doesn’t matter. So saying what you feel makes it hurt more. Better to lie out loud and move on because in health care (in the US) they don’t care about the health or care for the healthcare workers.
My relative is an er nurse in the u.s. people can be so mean to each other. After trying to save someone for 45 minutes your not supposed to be emotional? Her answer to someone was f you I have real emotions, cry's and then resets until the next trauma.
I could literally feel their trauma just by the look in their faces. Wow. I just wanna hug them. Keep strong and remember you can’t save them all. Folks do appreciate you. Much love and respect from Texas.
People don't realize how motor vehicles are incredibly dangerous! Don't drink and drive, use your seatbelt, respect the speed limit and take care of your car. It's quite simple to improve your safety and the ones around you.
And ofc congrats to the paramedics and fire service! You are the best :)
Unfortunately there are too many people who don’t have respect for others or the rules.
Police too. All emergency service employees have to not only see with this shit, but deal with it and continue working through it
@@johnb8956 police are often first on scene and are pretty limited at what they could do at something like this, that would be the worst bit.
@@jamiew.2718 Agreed. Pulling up first due on a nasty scene and not being able to help is probably one of the worst feelings.
I agree! Btw I'm your 400th like lol 🙂
How very moving to see the human side of emergency professionals doing their job so well and the painful aftermath of a tragedy for them. Thank you for doing this vital and very hard job on a daily basis. We really do appreciate all of our amazing emergency services…
After finishing school in Germany, I also trained as a paramedic. During my training, I realized how challenging it was. Unfortunately, I struggled with the aspect of seeing and treating severely injured people, so I ended my training and never worked in emergency services. I have immense respect for all those out there saving lives and carrying such a heavy responsibility
You both made most difficult decisions for your own welfare and others. I admire that.
It’s so good and brave of her to give permission to the tv makers to actually air the footage of her calling her mom. It made my eyes water and I just wished I could give her and her colleagues a tap on the shoulder and say ‘thank you for your service.’ Much respect for all emergency personnel all over the globe.
When she spoke to her mum I could feel my chest tighten and the tears roll down my cheeks. When you become a mum you are the best medicine for your children so never underestimate the power of a simple hug and a chat to make the world a better place to live in.
Some moms* 😞 my own was so emotionally unavailable, I sadly can't bond with anyone...
@@peaches44 She may be the product of her own upbringing. I hope you have found someone you can rely on to listen to your concerns and reassures you you will be OK. We sometimes have to reinvent our own family from friends and friends mother’s and father’s as our own are to hard to cope with.
@@tinasteer2507 Thank you, and yes I am in therapy and see that her own mother was emotionally unavailable as well. Sadly I do not have any friends and the rest of my family wants nothing to do with me. (like I said, emotionally unavailable lol) I am just coasting through life trying to socialize with other humans and hoping to make friends one day. But I hope you are doing much better in life and have a chance at having people who love you. :) All the best!
My uncle is an ex-firefighter and he has told me a few things about what he saw and dealt with when attending RTC's, so I have some idea of the trauma and horror that the emergency services witness in such situations. I cannot thank them highly enough for the work they do, and for what they endure mentally & emotionally after seeing such devastating scenes. Your families must be so proud of you all.
Yeah, I do some volunteer firefighting during "let's burn this province to the ground season". I found the training itself interesting and even fun sometimes. But the amount of shit you see... The worst is entirely preventable things that didn't need to happen and shouldn't have happened if people could use their brain for once. We had, top idiot of the year, one guy decide to take his 8m preggers wife to their cabin in the woods, somehow bypassing the roadblocks. Which wouldn't have been so bad if the entire area hadn't been evacuated weeks ago and despite our best efforts the fire just wouldn't stay contained. This special snowflake waits until his shoes are literally melting to the ground before trying to drive away. by this point they're surrounded, we finally were called to do an air rescue but I think we all know how well smoke and choppers go together. We couldn't get close enough to do a pickup in the normal recommended ways without risking a crash. Thankfully I carry things in my ready bag that I'm not supposed to and I have really good pilots who care more about people then rules and regs. I grabbed my clippy line (I don't remember what they're actually supposed to be called. I was told years ago but I had a 2lt who got all twitchy whenever I came up with my own names for things so it just stuck. Besides, the guy was the prime example of "nothing more dangerous then an officer with a map".) You basically wear a harness, and you clip into the line while walking and dangle like the world's most disturbing set of berries the entire way back. It's fun when it's not life and death. Problem was by this point the couple were starting to blister and choke as their airway burned just from the heat alone. Tried to get the harness on and the skin would start to just slough off. And just ask your uncle how wonderfully manoeuvrable full kit is when you're also carrying extra rescue gear. And if it wasn't that then they would be screaming and pulling away. Managed a dirty rig, radio buddies in to toss the line down since they had taken off a little bit to stay clear of the smoke. Thankfully, they were able to get a line down. Even with gear and whatnot I was starting to get bad. Clipped one in and then the other and I was riding tail. Halfway back the lady starts screaming in a different way. Turns out the stress sent her into labor. Both made it to hospital but died shortly after. One due to his burnt as fuck airway and the other from infection due to burns on top of exhaustion delivering a baby.
That being said, I also came across a guy who was clearly not all there mentally and was convinced the reports of fires were a conspiracy to keep him from his naked morning hikes...I could have gone my entire life without seeing that image.
We've also rescued tons of animals that were trapped by the fires when their owners were forced to leave. Had one scary as fuck ride when the fire suddenly decided to change directions and attempted to give me a hug. Was getting horses out of stalls and opening gates to at least give them a chance. Saw a tree crash to the ground on fire an grabbed one of the horses that were just starting to run off in a panic. Wildest ride of my life. I've ridden bareback tons of times and tackless enough to know it's probably not a good idea on the kinds of horses I prefer. But full tilt gallop on someone else's horse with no tack and just enough ability to steer to avoid running in circles... I love my jobs...most days.
@@Kitsune1989 nothing more then respect collegue.
Have seen a lot of sh*t volunteering, but never heared a story like this.
My heart aches not only for the families of those who lost their lives, but for the paramedics. A friend of mine is a fire fighter and saw a guy burn alive whilst he was trapped inside a vehicle after an accident. I can't imagine how this would scar a person. They have my absolute respect for doing the job they do.
@@jjr1728 ...Hot? I hope that's a joke- 😶
When that poor woman was breaking down, I cried along with her. Being a former volunteer firefighter, it is very hard to deal with the things you've seen. I live in a rural area so we never really had multicar pile ups. But I've seen some bad stuff... public safety officials don't get enough credit for their work.
"Women" as if gender mattered. Smh. Get a grip
@@PolishMechanik I could understand your point in any other context but I believe here Winter was just using a descriptive term, so cut them some slack because it just makes you sound like the world's #1 SJW looking for things to jump on.
@@PolishMechanik look dude. I’m a feminist and I 100 percent fight against shit like that but this person was not being rude at all lmao. It was a description to narrow down the person they’re taking to
@@nancyvandermeer4480 and why would you assume men are better than women?
@@PolishMechanik would you prefer: "the blond meat sack with the green jacket with the face with make-up on it and no beard?" I hope I didn't offend you by using the 'B' word... You are what is wrong with society today and have tainted this comment sections meaningful, heartfelt, friendly, compassionate and emotional original intention with your garbage. Have a nice day 😊
Can see it in their eyes even before the tears. Bless their hearts and every emergency team across the globe. Real heroes
When they say “injuries incompatible with life”, you know they’ve just witnessed something horrible. 5 at one scene even more so. I have a strong stomach but I doubt I’d be able to handle this and keep going. First responders deserve so much respect for what they do.
I've just got my course passed and become a CFR going to apply for frec 4 the apprenticeship ECA with provisional c1 licence then full ECA emergency care assistant.
Then EMT FREC 5 then paramedic frec 6
I'm exposing myself to these and even then I know it won't be enough
"It's normal and okay to feel awful." That line hit home. Also, after a scene like that, if you did not feel awful it would be dangerous.
a very true line, but there also needs to be the backup and support for these guys. Sadly this is something that has been missing and we then see the consequences later down the line.
Several of my cousins are paramedics/firemen in the town I live in. My mom died January 1, 2011 and they just happened to be on call that morning and were the first responders. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it must have been for them to get the call and realize that it was our house and it was my mom/their aunt that died and had to keep it together so they could do their job.
@@christophermc2 wtf
I’m so sorry for your loss and that you had to go through that.. I hope things are going okay for you now :( 🖤
@@christophermc2 bro tf
dam bro. hope you’re ok
I'm sooo sorry for ALL of yours loss!!!! Please thank them for their service?!! God bless you ALL 🙏 ❤️ & your families 👪 🙏 ❤️!!!! I will keep you ALL in my prayers 🙏 ❤️!!!
As a coastal lifeguard, I can’t tell you how important it is to get talking about the traumas you’ve experienced on the job in order to get it off the chest and mind. We are professionals, but even professionals need professional help in such occasions. Mad respect for the Ambulance people of this series.
You are the 4th emergency service and I think that you guys and gals deserve more recognition for what you do....Thank you for your service.
My nephew is an advanced EMT,RN and a Coroner. He has a lot to deal with. My brother is a doctor right on the front line of it all. 40 years of it now. I’m also a nurse. We believe that God gave us the skills to help people. I will say, it is a very rough line of work. My brother and his son won’t talk about anything that they see. I’m female and I handle it but I find myself crying,especially when it’s time for me to go home. I try hard not to let my children see it wear on me.
@@misshazel271 Hey mate I just want you to know I'm proud of you. We've never met but my own father is loosing his battle with PTSD, and because of people like you and him so many other get to see the ones they love. Please don't give up, but please don't drown as well, I don't think I could stand someone else going down.
As an advanced telemarketer, I have seen things that would make most people very bored. But you get used to it. Every day is a mild challenge. But you don't stop. You keep going.
@@billyjackbuzzard telemarketer? How does that relate to this thread? X
"Incompatible with life" is one term i never want to hear in person. I can't think of a more terrifying situation. Hard enough hearing that diagnosis about a living person on video. Those medics are absolute legends, the lot of them.
It actually pissed me off. "incompatible with Life". You mean dead. Save the dramatics and get the information out. Thats all fluff and needs to be removed from training. Quick, informative, and direct. You see this in many departments where fluff words are used to sound wordy and more technical. Example "Custodial engineer" is a dang Janitor.
@@kawaiguy9648 “Dead” is also a medical, legal term.
It basically means the 4 young men had their heads smashed to pieces and their internal organs exposed everywhere so this term means basically don't bother to try resuscitation
@@ryana3679 what is a dang janitor? Sorry I'm from the UK
@@ryana3679 Ah piss off you keyboard warrior. You wouldn't dare do this.
I saw a man get hit by a bus, mangled like spaghetti in the axel and then flung out into the road when I was 9. They put a white sheet over him as soon as they got there. The memory still haunts me over 10 years later. I imagine it’s an awful way to go. Thank you to all the paramedics who put their emotions aside for a time and try to save lives ❤️❤️
Thats terrifying, was it a complete accident
little late to be recalling this because i might end up with dreams about it but, when i was around that age i witnessed a car absolutely smush another car, driver flew out and skidded about 30ft on the pavement, two people in the other car immediately dead on impact. i can still see the blood in the road and the mangled cars in my head but i cant see any images of the bodies at all, just doesnt mentally exist at all, no matter how much i dig. probably for the best.
@@LivpestI think that’s a good thing you can’t remember the bodies
@@FusionTheVJ i agree. its the brains defense mechanism after all these years, theres been a few other situations ive seen where i can but they wernt visceral deaths.
@@Livpest I also have had childhood trauma, not witnessing an accident but something else. Every time I try to remember it, it just goes before the memory is clear and I get a pretty bad headache. What's forgotten is supposed to be so definitely for the best.
Ive got 31 years in as a fulltime medic so I get PTSD, even wrote out a suicide letter once, til I remembered my kids, then I drank til I didnt have to think, but I made it thru to the other side of the tunnel of hell, to other responders I pray for you
Just remember your kids will ALWAYS need you, and im sure you've helped countless people and now is the time to let others help you. Reach out for help if you need it, the bottles only gonna make things way worse in the long run! Trust me i learned that the hard way! Prayers!
You've helped so many people in your years, now it's time to help yourself. Keep fighting, keep staying and take it day by day. Thank you for all your sacrifices.
John from one human who understands to another....I'm so glad you found the other side of the tunnel
I hope u and ur family r very well John
20 years here. Just rey and remember we all get those nights. Watch Sirens UK, you'll laugh your ass off. Things we give eh?
PTSD in first responders is a real issue that needs to be talked about more. My dad had to stop first responding for a couple years after some hard calls. I just wanted to say to all the emergency responders we are here for you and if you need help just reach out and we will help you in any way we can ❤️stay safe everyone
it is refreshing and inspiring to see that, in the UK, they truly value the mental health of their first responders, and allow them time & space to regroup. Seeing both male and female paramedics freely say that they aren't okay, and give each other acceptance & support is wonderful. I suspect the USA isn't as accommodating, but I certainly hope that there are many paramedics who do receive the mental healthcare they so richly deserve.
We have the NHS in the UK, we look after everyone and anyone. In the USA their health "care" should really be called health business. As long as the company (hospital) is making money for their donors/investors/owners, I doubt very much whether they give a damn about anyone else. My auntie had breast cancer, unfortunately she passed away, but my family over in the US forked out $500 thousand for her treatments. If they weren't wealthy then she would have died much earlier and in massive amount of pain. On the other hand my best mate also had breast cancer, in the UK, and she paid nothing for the A+ treatment, the hospice care, and her work paid sick pay. Different ends if the spectrum in what care actually means.
They give us help in the US for mental health with certain calls, well at least in my state of NY. I’ve never needed it personally but they offer it. They even tell you to take the rest of the day off or as much as you need, even payed as well, but that’s the other issue, pay is really bad. They recently had a call someone burning to death followed by a hanging within an hour, told everyone to go home and offered mental health assistance via county EMS and State run programs.
@@ComradeTomatoTurtle But not free unconditional healthcare and mental health care for all, which I think is the main point :( if I were American, I'd be dead many times over for both physical health issues, and the result of mental health issues untreated - the things my American friends have dealt with that could easily have been avoided living here tears me apart, some of which have resulted in what could have been treated becoming terminal due to both greed and incompetence on a level passing individuals screw ups to a systematic fatal flaw amongst the many well known fatal systematic features (features rather than mistakes/flaws since they're deliberate recognised choices made to prioritize wealth of the Rick over health of the poor - or anyone else tbh)
It sickens me and saddens me :( I'm sorry
@@VoidDragon82 I work in healthcare in the USA and while I work in a clinic now I used to work in a big hospital and you got no clue. My father had pancreatic cancer and he didn't have a dime to his name (he owned his own business and was in debt at the time) and didn't have health insurance and they treated him with A+ service all the same. It's actually illegal to refuse medical services to someone due to the inability to pay here in the USA despite what tv shows and movies try to portray. I've also been hospitalized from an accident back when I didn't have insurance or money to pay and they treated me very well and treated my wounds just the same. And just so you know, at least in my state if someone is diagnosed with cancer and they don't have enough to pay themselves they are automatically qualified for medicaid which is government assistance to pay for the medical bills. All they have to do is fill out the paperwork and often times the hospital has social workers there to help them with that. And while I worked in the hospital, the outpatient side constantly got people flying in from other countries, even those with universal healthcare like Canada, to pay out of pocket just to have surgeries done there instead because back home where it's "free" they would have to wait months for the surgery because what they were suffering from wasn't life-threatening, while at our hospital they could literally schedule the surgery for the next day. I've seen inpatients in the early morning who got a visit from a surgeon telling the patient that they could probably squeeze them in for surgery LATER THAT SAME DAY. But anyway, what do I know, I only work in the field... 🤷♂🤷♂
@@beththegreen Uh, it's actually illegal here in the USA to refuse service to anyone due to the inability to pay... I worked in several large hospitals before my current job in a clinic and I saw patients all of the time that had no money to their name. And even have personal and family members that received amazing care at hospitals here despite not being able to pay... But ok...
Can we talk about tashas mum being such a good support and for being there for her daughter and raising such a caring sensitive lady. God bless you😊
❤
My father is a paramedic and has been for 15-20 years. Usually my father is quite stoic throughout day to day life but whenever he gets calls similar to this one, especially if it involves kids or a family losing their lives, it leaves a traumatic impact that usually lasts a few days. And to think of how little they earn for how much effort, care and trauma that comes with the job will forever baffle me.
Hey kid! If involve kids it doesn’t Stay for few days…it stays for life..
My mom used to work as a paramedic and she’s told me many, many stories.. I can’t imagine the pain of seeing small children die and there’s nothing you can do. Then going back home to your own small kids. She’s always been my hero. ❤️
@@Killthefatguy well all of it probably stsys for life but I think their point is that he’s visibly shooken and down beat for a few days until he can process it
When my dad was a paramedic, his first emergency, he ended up removing a head with body still attached impaled by a branch in a tree from a high speed accident. His last job as a paramedic, he helped clean brain matter off the wall from a kid who committed suicide. he knew the kid because he went to preschool with by older bro years ago.
He is an E.R nurse now and pretty numb to this stuff. It has to be traumatizing to him idk how he does it
Your dad is a brave brave man. That's for sure. I can't imagine. My gosh. I thank your dad for his service🧡🙏
My grandfather found a man's brain matter in his pocket after responding to a wreck.
As a retired firefighter I know this bothered some guys it didn’t bother others and it has nothing to do with being manly or masculine or cold for that matter I think some people‘s brains are just wired different it never really bothered me I always did the best I could do with the knowledge and tools I had at hand I never second-guessed myself even when it was a child that doesn’t mean you’re not dissatisfied with the outcome but I never felt bad about it I feel sorry for people but I am very thankful that I didn’t have to deal with the emotions some of the guys did I don’t think I could’ve done it had a it bothered me the way I bother some other people. I want to reiterate I’m not cold nor lacked compassion towards The victim and their loved ones.
Some ppl process trauma differently. You got to be able to keep your emotions stable in order to help the patient.
Compartmentalized emotions are useful in situations like this
Anyone that does this type of work is an absolute hero in my eyes. I was cut out of a car when I was 7 years old , after a drunk driver hit us. The crash killed my grandmother. I'm 40 years old now and still think about it daily.
I'm so incredibly sorry that you experienced this. I'm so so sorry that you lost your loved one
I feel that one... I was not present with her, but my identical twin was killed by a reckless driver in July 2020. Both vehicles totaled. Death on impact. I never saw the cars. Never saw the bodies. And yet for 2 weeks I could not get into my own car. I miss my twin every day and it's almost physically painful.
@@sydneyp3357 i’m so, so sorry for your loss! Losing your twin must be like losing part of yourself. (I have an identical twin sister)
@@kim___ I pray this never happens to you. I ended up with suicidal ideology for several weeks, didn't eat for 3 days, and was thoroughly traumatized. I am not the same person I was before the loss. Part of you does go with them
@@sydneyp3357 ❣️🙏
I was a medic with the 23rd Inf. Div. 198th LIB , Vietnam, and I still harbor troubling memories of being back in the field working on boys who’s bodies were so severely ripped up. I can appreciate what todays paramedic go thru.
Thank you Mike for your service!!
@mikemurray1047 first of all, thank you for your service. Second, please ask a mental health provider about trying a treatment called EMDR. It's really helpful for PTSD. I've just started it with my therapist and it's been life changing. I hope you can find healing from the traumatic memories. ❤
I sincerely thank you for your service. My dad was in the final evacuation in Vietnam.
Thank you for your service Mr Mike. You are a hero.
Thank you for your service.
Awww she called Mom. How precious and in moments like these we realise how important our loved ones are. Time to tell them.
My life was saved in 2007. Thank you to all those physicians and paramedics that endure tremendous challenges to continue doing what you do. The true heroes and angels of this world, thank you
What happened?
❤ bless you
@@Yumbutteredsausagetake your own advice. Why you being a weirdo crybaby insulting the hard workers? You would never know hard work.
I'm a retired London police officer who suffers PTSD after my career was cut short. I also now live just outside Brum and remember this RTC very well. This film is very well made and put together. I am not ashamed to say that I was in tears watching this.
We are Human, we are just people like the rest.... It hurts us and we cannot shake it off. It sticks with us forever. Any old sweat who says that you "just get used to it..." is lying.... bravado, a brave face. You NEVER get used to it. No amount of training can prepare you for it either.
Much love and respects to my brothers and sisters in the Treble Nines. I love you all.
Love you too, Keith. Thank you so much for your service. 🕯️
Anyone who 'gets used to it's is heartless and shouldn't be doing the job
You put a wall up that comes down as soon as all is said and done. That's what "getting used to it" really looks like. I lost my twin in 2020 to a stupid driver. almost 2 years later and each day still feels raw at times.
♥️
Well said sir, i was really torn up watching this as well.
Not often do i watch a video with tears in my eyes and holding my breath throughout, i was a nurse for over forty years, I have been only too well aware of the effect car accidents have on ambulance officers, but today they are dealing with much more than forty years ago and that is on top if other call outs. To watch the crash scene, professionalism of the highest standard with a control person overseeing the whole op with what appeared observers also overlooking the whole scene ensuring each person knew what to do etc. of course once the situation has been dealt with the shock sets in, these rescuers are human beings, it was good to hear the two at the end both youngsters in my eyes being checked on and stood down. To all those involved Ambulance, medical possibly nurses, firemen and women you showed the best of the best. Proud to be a Pom.
I'm in tears honestly. To think that its so easy to get PTSD from this job yet people still do it because they love it is just amazing.
This is something younger kids should see before it’s too late and they grow up into racing around. A couple years back I lost 4 of my closest friends all in same car in a car accident because of a drunk driver, my friends went off the bridge into sea, the impact had already killed them all before going off the bridge. I’ve always wanted to bring awareness to younger people and people around my age this means so much to me.
To all the services thank you, you’ll hear this everyday from everyone but we all truly mean it with all our hearts
I'm so sorry you lost your friends. May They Rest In Peace! 🙏❤ Sending healing vibes to you as well!
I don’t know how far reaching it is in the UK but when I was in Y11 and Y13 we had talks called Safe Drive Stay Alive. Really harrowing stories from survivors, victim’s family, emergency responders etc with body cam footage n a dramatised clip of students getting into a crash which is v heavy and people often went out to have a breather but it was so important. If memory serves correct I was told wiltshire has one of the highest rates of young men drag racing/speeding deaths so maybe that’s why we had talks. It’s stuck with me ever since so it did the job. I’m sorry you lost your friends the way you did. I hope it gets easier
@@lucieirl UK doesn’t have the best education in some places they don’t teach about the safety or that, here in Scotland there’s a lot of street racers and they’re incredibly dangerous there’s crashes and that in the news nearly everyday because of it. Luckily when I was younger my grandad taught me a lot about cars and safety even signs too.
My friend and her friends were driving and had a head on collision with a van in a rural area, so not many people were around. They negotiated with the other person and the police didn't get involved. All of them were fine, my friend had bruises all over her and inured her collarbone? Idk which bone was it and the driver injured his knee.
People don’t realize the emotional toll being a first responder puts on you. I was an EMT for a few years. While on calls you push the carnage out of your mind and do what must be done. It catches up to you though. I had to give up that job because of the stress, it wasn’t the visual that broke me. It was a car crash and the driver was pinned in the wreckage. The car was on fire and I was helpless to do anything. I had to listen to her screams for what seemed like hours and the smell of a human burning is unforgettable. For quite awhile those screams haunted me. I would be lying in bed and the smells and screams would be as vivid and real as they were that night. I’m not ashamed to admit I had to see a therapist and work through that. While I know I was powerless to do anything. I was wracked with this extreme guilt. Like I was weak or a complete failure.
Can't even imagine. Hope you see a therapist for as long as you want or need to. Mental health is still swept under the carpet many times. To me it's a sign of strength, we all need help in our lives at some point. Should be something to be proud of and encouraged. Hang tight and know that there are people out here that do care. Hugs.
I hope you feel a little bit better soon ,and i wish you a good recovery 🍀🍀🍀
Seriously man , god bless you . You did what you could and you did you’re very best . If you haven’t seeked help for this I truly recommend it and also let your loved ones be there for you . Also it’s ok to cry and feel down sometimes . Everyday is a new day .
Thank you for the service you did and I am happy you’re taking care of your mental health. You are a strong person- please never doubt that. Breaks my heart knowing you had to go through that. Even describing it is hard for people to imagine let alone go through it first hand. Sending you lots of light, love & peace. {{{hugs}}} ❤️
I EMTs we’re there, where the hell was the fire department? Idk where you’re from but in the US the fire truck is typically first on scene so I don’t get why they weren’t there to extinguish the fire before you were. Either way that sounds absolutely terrible to experience for obviously her, that poor lady , but just as much you cause you have to live with witnessing it
This is why these angels deserve a pay rise and to be recognised for the amazing job they do
My grandpa was a paramedic before he retired a while ago, and my mom told me a story about a time where he responded to a massive car accident. She told me that he saw bodies torn into pieces laying on the road, apparently he didn’t sleep for a long while after that happened. He’s never told me directly but I notice when he drives on that road that he doesn’t look the same like he usually does. Mad respect for him
How did it happen?
@@jocelynuy2922dude…. unnecessary…..
It takes a special kind of person to be a paramedic, someone who can control their emotions in high stress, emotionally charged situations like this car crash for example. I feel bad for her having to be filmed crying for everyone to see, but I'm also glad that we can see an insight to how they handle these sorts of things. Mad respect to everyone out there for willing to do such a difficult job in their respective emergency service.
Used to be that some of your co workers would make fun of you breaking down after an incident but we have learned how normal it is. Unfortunately some hold it in and then stress builds until they snap. We need to keep moving forward.
It’s incredibly stressful for the police too, as they are often the ones who turn up at incidents first. Waiting for other emergency services to arrive when people are often trapped, screaming in agony, is pretty alarming. Respect to all Emergency workers worldwide.
.
@@sirrichardpumpaloaf8154 Police definitely witness a lot of craziness. Too many suicides in the Public Safety field due to PTSD.
I never realized myself that I internalized some of the calls I’ve ran until one day in a therapy session I was using EMDR to assist with thought invocation and blurted out that I saw (in my semi-altered state) a young boy (me) that was playing with a very little girl (a patient I had that unfortunately passed away while I was working on her in the ED) and she wanted me to know that she was thankful for what I did to try and help her and let me know that her mom was doing okay now (mom was literally pushing me from behind to try and get to her daughter, screaming/whaling - a sound I’ll never forget - while I was giving one-handed compressions on this precious little girl). I immediately went from the trauma bay to a bullshit patient that was combative about bee stings he received while tree-trimming and had no time to process what had just happened. I haven’t sobbed like that, the way I did in that room with my therapist ever in my life before, but that session alone and talking about it has helped me SOOO much more to unburden myself in that way. The point in why I’m writing this is to reach out as you said. I can’t stress how important that is for all of us (not just the ones that work in the EMS/First Response communities).
@@ajhc18 Hope a lot of people read your comment. And I hope that more and more Public Safety Personnel seek therapy even if you think you may not need it. Sometimes you don't know. Glad you had help. From a FF/EMT, good job! Stay safe.
The first time I learned about how rescues eventually turned into "recoveries", I gained even more respect for first responders and the mental stress they deal with.
I was a 21 year old paramedic in the seventies. I worked in a large city and I made 3500 calls in about 3 1/2 years. It was too much working 48 hour on/off shifts sometimes with sleep deprivation. We had no support system for dealing with the kind of stresses encountered in such a job. It fried me. I was burned out and couldn't do it another day. It all happened so fast and we hardly had time to think about and deal with bad calls because as we finished one call we were on to the next one immediately. It's only been in subsequent years that a lot of the details began to haunt me and they still do. The sights, the smells, the sounds. I'm 70 now.
I cried hard at this one. My son, my only surviving child, was killed in an accident just a few days before Thanksgiving 2007. The horrible white noise, as the EMT described it, was nearly overwhelming, and it was impossible to think of anything but my son.
That's a job I could never take or do myself, knowing how terrible some things can end up being.
sorry for your loss.
Sorry man
❤
Never too old to need mom. These people are amazing and underpaid. Heros!
I agree with you 100%. They are grossly underpaid.
I trained to be a dispatcher a few years ago. Got through training and the first call I had to handle was a suicide attempt by the person on the phone. I left the job as soon as the call ended because I knew there was no way I could do that again. It takes a very special person to be on either side of that radio, and neither position gets the respect it deserves.
Thank you for the work you did and support you gave x
You should look into non emergency options! It helps the dispatchers a lot
So you walked out on the job after that call ended? You left your colleagues in a terrible position
@@nycytc8055 Imagine them responding to a call without the willpower to handle it. Improperly responding on the other end of the line could result in worse circumstances than leaving the coworkers down a man. If this person cant handle the call, they could have given poor advice leading to losses of lives.
My sister in law is a dispatcher the hours are long shifts are crap and the pay isn't enough for what they do .
How proud must the families of every single one of these responders and call room staff be... I am and I dont even know them!!!
My husband used to respond to accidents as an on call tow service and finally had to stop doing it because the fatalities he witnessed started taking a heavy toll on him mentally. I believe the last call he went on was the one that involved an infant. It was just way too much for him to bear anymore. He used to have nightmares from the some of the scenes he got called to. Any responder, whether it be fire, police, ems, wrecker drivers, who have to attend to assist at accident scenes deserve far more than they get paid for their work. There should also always be free access to mental health care as needed. I couldn't imagine doing a job in any of those fields. These people deserve the utmost of respect. Right along with 911 dispatchers who also don't get paid enough for what they do.
I am a tow truck driver and have done some fatality calls including one a few weeks ago which I actually came upon the collision a few minutes after it happened. I saw him take his final breaths. I then had to go back 5 or 6 hours later and tow both vehicles. It was shitty, but not the first time I have came upon a fatality. Another one was a rollover with an ejected female, others who happened on it were doing CPR on her, but you could see she was gone. My employer is very supportive and has told me if I need help dealing with something I have seen they will find help. I towed one in which a man was murdered by being ran over and dragged all over town. That one did bother me for a few days until some random started walking like a robot at a crosswalk in front of me and it made me laugh. That was really the only one that bothered me for any length of time. I hope I never have to do one a child was involved in. I cannot imagine.
@Amanda Taylor we are not usually seeing the same things the first responders see. Back in the day they used to help extricate people. Most of what I see is just aftermath, the deceased or seriously injured are usually gone by the time we are called. It hasn't really bothered me too much except for the one, but I am lucky to work for an employer who cares enough to offer help if needed. I had a bad night just now. Had to tow a semi and a call that should have taken 5 hours took ten. Nothing went right and I actually damaged the truck because I didn't check that a brake was properly released and I destroyed two tires. My boss was not happy but didn't get angry despite the fact my error cost him probably $1500 or more. Silly thing was it had hit a moose (actually two moose supposedly) but insurance is not going to be responsible for my error. Shit happens. I learned a lesson
Yeah that’s crazy...my uncle was a tow truck driver in Southern California and he told me the things he saw which I was surprised I thought the corner removed the bodies or at least covered them up...he told one he would never forget is a guy who was dead but had a surprised look on his face because he seen what was coming his way right before he perished.
@@juliogonzo2718 you're lucky if that's all you've seen. I've heard horrific stories from tow truck drivers here in Australia, one guy was trained up to run the tow truck while his mate went overseas. Within days he was called to an accident where he saw someone who had been beheaded. It was a multi tow truck accident and he was sent over to check on that vehicle. They felt bad, he should never have had to see that, but that's the reality of crashes. I think people assume a dead person looks nice and neat, trauma is not pretty. A guy told me about a cop friend of his who he randomly saw one day, waited for him to finish laying down the law for a mother who had an unrestrained child in the car. After she left, the two friends chatted, then a call came through for an accident not far away. It was the same woman, crashed, screaming hysterically, her son had been ejected but stuck in the windscreen, dead. That is the most horrific thing I think I've heard. That same cop was the first on the scene. I bet he had nightmares about that, poor guy
Sorry I didn't mean the woman called him, just meant it was the same woman he had talked to only minutes earier
as a firefighter in America i feel their pain. no matter how much training and on the job experience you have, calls like these never get easier. im proud to see the supervisors and dispatchers looking out for their people!
Thank you for helping others and God bless you ❤❤❤
My husband is also a firefighter and he has been and seen many horrible things but the one that hit hard was a mom who caught her house on fire with her two kids and fiancé inside and they found the little boy laying over his sister trying to protect her. They still go to therapy about that one. My husband said that all are hard but the ones involving kids are the hardest
Cried right along with them.... Our first responders deserve so much respect because they literally see the best and worst, absolute worst, of what human beings will do/are capable of doing, to each other..... RIP to the victims, and my sympathies to their families, friends and community for their loss.....
If I'm ever in a bad situation like that, I hope my paramedics have the skill AND compassion these two showed.
Hah.... guayyyyyyyy
As one who has been rescued, I send all my love to the paramedics who work to save us.
My mom was a paramedic for 35 yrs and I cannot begin to describe how much she changed over the yrs. She saw and lived so many things that would have broke any human mind. Its a hard job and I really thank all of EMS people out there, without you, so many of ours family members would not be here today. Thank you🙇♀️
Tell your mom that someone on the internet thinks she's an angel for her work!
This is awe inspiring for me. I’ve been a paramedic in rural areas for over 15 years and have never seen team work like this. The resources that are available and the post call interaction is really magnificent. I truly wish we had a system like that. Most of the time there is one ambulance crew and one fire crew on any fatal car wreck. Once we go back in to service we are expected to “shake it off” and run the next call.
10-4. somebody always needs to be the "strong guy" who works so others can be human.It gets old quick.
Same with a police department where I worked. If you were caught debriefing to a colleague you were written up.
@@AAAskeet 10-13
That lady is so lucky she could call her mum for support. I wish I could talk to mine every day. She was my rock. Cherish the ones you love while you have them here with you. ❤
I am interning as an EMT student, and I remember my first trauma patient. It was pretty stressful. I remember her saying while en route to the ER room "I'm not going to make it" I wish I had done more for her and I hope she's ok now
Ems from Germany here, had same thoughts too, i remember a call, cpr in progress, we were first on scene, couldn't give respiration to the patient because the airway wasn't clear. Long story short, doctor arrived and called the cpr off, patient is gone. After the call finished it struck me why i couldn't get the airway clear, the family placed a pillow under his head, that didn't allow me to move the head back. Talked about it with the comrade that responded with me about it, felt good, like letting something off my chest, either way, i couldn't change the outcome of what happened, even if i cleared the airway, but i learned from it. Cheers mate and good luck at emt 💪
@@stefankeller7176 you too
I had an emt with me when I hand a seizure that came out of no where . I will never ever forget his face and name why? Because he held my hand and was there when I didn’t know who I was . In those moments all it takes is someone just being there to feel that safety and peace . She went in peace because you were there . She knew you did everything . Thank you , emts are the true heroes !
@@raquelpk2 thank you so much!😭 I wish every emt could read this. And I hope you're ok now
Don’t beat yourself up
The care, professionalism and outstanding effort of the men and women who were on that scene is just incredible. Thank you for what you do everyday! The support they are given afterwards to deal with these events is also wonderful and I imagine it helps tremendously with being able to cope afterwards.
8:52 this is the best support system we all as humans have. Nothing can ever beat a hug from a trusted colleague, someone that understands exactly the thoughts you're having, and is still there to support you
OMG i never cry but im sitting watching this in tears. What a horrific experience. These emergency service people are just angels and they deserve far more than they get but thats another story. Respect always and forever.
I'll never forget my first death. It sticks with you. Luckily, I didn't see him. He had passed before we even arrived, I don't actually know what's worse, giving it your all to no avail,or not even getting the chance to do anything in the first place. Certainly makes you feel incredibly powerless...
Kudos to all of these folks for reaching out for support, rather than trying to bottle it up under false bravado. I can't even imagine the horrors you guys see on a daily basis, and your mental well-being is paramount to doing your jobs and living a happy life.
I remember when this happened. The audi had four men in, none wearing seatbelts, going 90mph. The taxi had the driver and a couple in their 40s. Only one person survived, one of the passengers in the speeding audi. All of them were ejected from the vehicle, through the sunroof and the back window - no clue how he survived. He has to live with this, I guess. Absolutely horrific and props to all the first responders.
I actually knew the survivors cousin, He was my classmate back in year 11. He told me his cousin barely survived and had severe Brain injuries. Not sure if his cousin survived or not, but even if he did. Doubt he’d be a normal functioning human again.
@@nadz4549 that's awful. He was well enough to be interviewed about it, there's quotes from him in newspaper articles explaining what happened, so hopefully he made a good recovery. Clearly an idiot who got in a car with other idiots, but he doesn't deserve to have his life ruined.
Yeah I remember it too. The roads were shit, they’d been icy, and I don’t think they’d been salted / had been salted too early, and they were speeding going into the tunnel
@@randombabe99which city was this in?
Birmingham @@DancingDeity
I work in a children hospital. During high stress moments when we are losing a patient or have a critical patient, every department works seamlessly together to stay focused and try everything we can to save a child. If a case doesn't end the way we hope, you start to see people hugging and trying to comfort one another. I tell my coworkers in my department that I need a few minutes and go find somewhere quiet to break down. After I collect myself, I get back to work to try to help other children but I call my family for support if I'm having a hard time after work ends. Being in the healthcare field is difficult emotionally and it's best to have a support system in place for when you have bad days, but it's rewarding when you save a life and can send someone home to their loved ones...
This video really just opened my eyes to how mentally and emotionally taxing the job of emergency responders is. I have so much appreciation for those that spend their lives helping and saving others. I wish there was more I could do to help. Makes me just want to give every one of them a hug.
I was the first on scene to a fatal car accident in 2015. Two lived, one passed in my arms. I still have ptsd, and I can't imagine going through this again and again. Thank you to all the folks out there who are doing this work.
Being a proud mom of a beautiful girl who is a nurse I have had many calls like that. It still made me cry to see that Paramedic breakdown and say the same words I hear all the time "sorry mom to wake you and it was really terrible". My heart goes out to ALL OF YOU THANK YOU ALL ❤❤
Braver people than me. Real hero’s.
My heart goes out to all the people working help support and save lives.
No way I could do what they do on a daily basis. Huge respect to them all.
Some people adapt and get used to it and others it’s really just not right for. No judgment either way but it’s definitely a job where you need to know yourself before you go ahead and pursue it as a career.
@@PlutoTheGod you really dont get used to it. PTSD isnt like that
@@Gigachad-mc5qz I think what Pluto means isn't that you get used to it -- the horror never goes away -- but over time, you slowly learn how to process it. It's an arduous, ugly process, and each time it happens it doesn't get any easier -- but you grow from it each time.
"When you experience something traumatic, your brain is just stunned, and it doesn't know quite how to process it. Its just an absolute blast of white noise and energy, just utter mayhem. Then it's just stillness. That's when you start to think about it, and that's when it begins to set in." Absolutely true. I hope they get through this experience even relatively okay.
I'm a funeral director from germany, we get called to scenes like these fairly regular to pick up the victims after all the important work has been done. I've seen heavy scenes in my years, sat down an rainy streets with police and paramedics to try and comfort them with what little we can still provide even though we too are deeply touched by those things. I have nothing but the biggest respect for paramedics police officers, they work wonders a lot of the time and they deserve help when they need it.