Chapter 3-Hank's First Defense of the Paramedic Engine
Summary Hank starts defending the need for paramedic engines at his first battalion chief meeting
KMG 365
Four days after taking his new role, Hank walked into the station with a purpose in his step. It was just after 0900. The chief stopped by his office to pick up some notes in favor of the paramedic engine.
The heavy, determined sound of his footsteps brought Mike out of his office. After many years of working together, the Captain knew his friend was on a mission with those footsteps. Mike jogged down to Hank's office and poked his head inside.
Mike asked, "Chief, is everything okay?"
Hank looked up and smiled tightly. "Yes, Mike. I have my first BC meeting today, and they told us to bring any ideas we have to the table today."
"Are you taking the paramedic engine to them?"
"That I am. I know this is only a baby step toward the final goal, but you have to crawl before you can walk."
"Very true."
Mike moved so Hank could leave his office. He had the needed folder of information in his left hand.
"I won't hold you. Good luck, and let me know what they say."
"Will do. Can I get anything for dinner while I'm out?"
Mike smiled at Hank's willingness to contribute. "No thanks. Dominic asked, and we all agreed, we are going to have breakfast for dinner tonight."
"That sounds good. Kim has had some interesting cravings the last couple of days. I would enjoy a bit of normality in terms of breakfast."
Mike chuckled, "I'll pass on the message."
"Thanks."
The duo split as Hank headed out the door. He had to be at headquarters by 0945, but he wanted to get there early.
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Even though it was a workday, traffic wasn't any worse than expected for the chief headed towards headquarters. It was 0930 when he pulled into the parking lot and found his spot. He grabbed the needed folder and headed inside.
A quick check of his first note let Hank know where to meet his fellow chiefs and Division Chief Eric Moore, who was overseeing the meeting.
It only took a few minutes to find the room where Hank discovered he wasn't the only one who had decided to get there early. Most of the chiefs in Division One arrived at the same time. They were each greeted by Chief Moore.
Once everybody arrived, Moore spoke. "Good morning gentlemen, please get your coffee and gather around the table. I am going to try and keep this meeting as short as possible today."
The men did as they were asked. Each one found a copy of the meeting minutes at their seat. There was a slot for each battalion chief to speak built into the meeting. Using the printed program, the meeting was smooth. Hank felt his pulse quicken as they worked through the list toward his time to speak. He also took notes of a few things that his counterparts brought up. Some of the ideas were meant for training, while others were things he could use every shift.
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Finally, forty-five minutes into the meeting, it was Hank's turn to speak.
Chief Moore turned to Hank. "Chief Stanley, what is on your mind this morning? How are your new officers settling into their new positions?"
Hank smiled, "Everyone is settling in well, thank you for asking, Sir."
"Good to hear. What's on your mind?"
Hank surveyed the table before he spoke again. "Honestly, Sir, I only have one item this morning. The idea of cross-training some of our crews."
"For what?" Battalion 18 Chief Gord asked.
"Paramedicine," Hank answered.
"Wait, you want to put a medical man on the truck?"
Hank took a quick breath and kept his voice calm and professional. "Trust me, Chief Gord, paramedics, are firefighters first and foremost. They happen to have advanced medical knowledge that goes beyond the first aid training we all get
"Like what?" The smoky, old-school chief asked.
"They learn to deliver kids, establish medicines that can mean the difference between life and death. They know how to take care of the minor and the major stuff. Yet if the red starts getting the best of a scene, they will grab a line and fight with the rest of the crews."
Chief Moore spoke before Gord could open his mouth again. "Hank?"
"Sir?"
"How do you think the cross-training will help us as a department?"
"It will cut down on the response time for a medical emergency, Sir. It can also help us get medical coverage in areas that our current squads have to hustle to get to."
The idea of cutting down response times seemed to intrigue all of the men, including Chief Gord.
"Do you have any idea on the cost of the training? I know the cost of adding a paramedic squad crosses into five digits when you include the equipment and training."
Hank pulled his prepared notes out of the folder and handed over the requested information. The quick response surprised his superior. "You've been working on this for a while."
Hank took a drink before he responded honestly. "This has been a side project of mine for the past six months, Sir."
"I can tell. Well, as you can imagine, I am not the one who makes the final decision on this. However, I will bring this to my superiors."
"Thank you, Sir. Please, if they have any questions, let me know."
"I will."
Chief Nelson of Battalion 7 asked, "Hank, can I ask you something?"
"Anything Sir."
"Why now? The paramedic program isn't even ten years old yet."
"Because it's long overdue, Sir. I can tell you from my experience at 51s, if we didn't have a paramedic with us on some of our calls, the outcomes would have been extremely different."
"One more question out of curiosity."
"Yes?"
"If we have a medic on the engine and they need to transport a patient. What would happen if there is no ambulance in the area?"
"They can transport on the engine as their engineer is speeding toward whichever hospital they are heading for. I know my former engineer drove at least five patients to the hospital while our paramedics worked feverishly on the back of the engine."
"How did the calls turn out?"
"Four civilian saves and one crew save."
"Crew save?" Gord sat up straighter in his chair.
"Yes, Sir. My Junior Paramedic at the time, now Captain at 127s, John Gage, was bit by a rattlesnake after they had finished the main rescue. His partner, Roy Desoto, who is now at 95s, was at Rampart with their patient. The engine crew and I loaded Johnny on the back of the engine and took off like a bat of hell. In the meantime, Johnny had to establish his own IV while Chet Kelly helped keep him upright and awake as the venom started running through his body."
"Damn."
"That was one of the many words that ran through my mouth, Gord. If the engine hadn't been there…."
Hank stopped mid-sentence and let his thought hang as he took a drink of coffee.
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As Hank started drinking his coffee, the rest of the meeting continued. The gathering was finally done ninety minutes after it started.
Gord and Nelson left the meeting in a hurry as they were called out. Hank headed back to 10s, relieved that he had been able to lay the plan's foundation.
Hank arrived back at the station just as the engine crew returned. He quickly parked but stayed inside until Dominic was parked. The two vehicles emptied at the same time.
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Hank asked, "All good guys?"
Mike grumbled, "Yeah, Chief, stupid kids and fire hydrants."
Hank shook his head as the engine crew headed for the dayroom. Hank followed Mike back to his office for the quick round of paperwork.
Mike asked, "How did your meeting go?"
Hank smiled tightly. "Well, Chief Moore didn't completely shut the idea down, so that's a plus. Chief Gord from battalion 18 was a bit of a problem child, but I think I convinced him by the end of things."
"Good deal."
"How were things here?"
"Par for the course. Nice weather and dumb people."
Hank shook his head. "Twits."
Mike laughed, "Exactly."
Hank and Mike split to do their paperwork and get ready for the rest of the day. The county kept everybody jumping because of the nice weather.