OddJobs: Rural EMT *Graphic Image Advisory*

** A viewer advisory should be used before showing due to possibly disturbing medical images ** The wail of sirens, the rush to respond—every second counts. When emergencies strike anywhere in Montana, paramedics and EMTs are the first to arrive, providing life-saving care on the scene. For this edition of OddJobs, I spent two days riding with an ambulance crew, watching as they navigated through both the city and rural environments, answering call after call. One call takes us deep into the Dearborne where even aerial medical responders couldn’t get to immediately. We traded the Ambulance for a volunteers Subaru and then again for a firedept SUV. After an hour of snowy driving we met the Mercy Flight crew to help transport the patient to the helicopter. Montana’s EMS workers respond to tens of thousands of emergency calls every year, ranging from heart attacks and strokes to car crashes and drug overdoses. Across the state, paramedics and EMTs are in high demand, with many rural areas relying on volunteers to provide these life-saving services. On the way back from the rural ambulance response we received a call for an unresponsive patient. Sirens on… gas pedal down. When we arrived it was evident that things were not good. Luckily the Fire Fighter crew arrived on scene at the same time and provided critical muscle to move the patient and additional medical support. It’s a team effort—fire, EMS, police, and even air medical services all working together to give people the best chance of survival. From the streets of Great Falls to the frozen backwoods of Montana , to the skies with Mercy Flight, EMS teams are always ready, prepared to answer the call. And with an ever-growing need for emergency medical responders, local agencies encourage those interested to look into training and certification. Without even enough time to stop for lunch, the medics once again responded to an emergency call as I departed them for the night.