When I talk about some of my funniest memories that I have in EMS, more often than not, Randy's name would appear. He had such a dry sense of humor that kept everyone in the room interested. For me, as a young student in high school, it was Randy's stories and comments about EMS that help shape my views and perspective on emergency services.

With summer around the corner and Canadians set to flock to public events across the country, lifesaving Automated External Defibrillators (AED) should be a mainstay. Sadly, they are not. Venues such as public swimming pools, churches and malls - in addition to work sites and countless other gathering points - would benefit from these units, which are the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. The defibrillator depolarizes an important mass of the heart muscle, terminates the arrhythmia, and helps the heart return to its natural pace. That is the technological description. More importantly, if you have a heart attack and both a defibrillator and someone trained in its use are there to help, your chances of seeing the next day are doubled.

During your night shift your ambulance is dispatched to a reported of a “Man Wondering” the roadway. It’s a cold, windy, and rainy night in March. As you respond to the call the dispatcher informs you that a by standard has stopped and has the man in his car. On your arrival you’re meet by police whom stats that the man isn’t answering many questions. But he thinks that the patient is from the local seniors home, which is just down the road. The officer has sent someone down to talk to staff in the hopes of identifying the man and getting more information.

When it comes to pain control, the first thing many emergency response personnel reach for is the drug bag. Now after a randomized, double-blind study acupressure may be the first technique used to comfort the patient in the prehospital setting.