BOISE, Idaho — Driving through Boise neighborhoods this morning we saw paramedics making their rounds and wondered what their day is like in this type of weather. When dispatch gets that 9-1-1 call, they want paramedics to arrive as quickly as possible. In any kind of weather, seconds can literally mean life or death.
Field Captain Chris Wyatt has been there, and tells us they have to be ready regardless of severe weather. “If there’s a bunch of snow piled up in front of somebody’s house we may not be able to get the gurney close to the patients so that can sometimes cause some problems. One of the first challenges is getting to work. Once you get to work the challenges still exist as far as driving the ambulance in the weather with the roads and the traffic.”
Watching these teams practice and how they handle themselves is as important as navigating roads, driveways and sidewalks. Keeping a calm demeanor is essential to getting their patients on the quick road to recovery.
