Table Of ContentPRIMUM NON
NOCERE
Copyright © 2017, David C. Stone
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher.
P
REFACE
The stories presented throughout this book outline a ten year period
of my journey in emergency medical services from volunteering to
working as a paramedic. The events are real, although some details
have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.
The purpose of this book is not to glorify myself through high-
intensity, adrenalin packed war stories. It is to expose the reader to
the harsh reality of managing a dynamic, fast-paced emergency
scene and how these encounters have a lasting impact on the
responder.
The stories I chose to present had the largest emotional impact in my
life. They changed me from the person I used to be and shaped me
into who I am today. These are the experiences that will stay with me
forever.
There is no intention to discredit the emergency services field. A
book detailing the thousands of patients I attended where everything
went right would not be a compelling read. The experiences in this
book provided the framework that made me a good medic.
DAVID C. STONE
AUTHOR
I am husband and father of four young children. I had
been involved in emergency services since I was eighteen. I
ended my service as a Paramedic to spend more time with
my family and live a more meaningful life. I am not an
author. I initially wrote about my calls as a coping
mechanism to deal with the stress I was facing. Although I
did not like the path emergency services had taken my life,
what I learned throughout my career ultimately changed
me into who I am today. I wrote this book to share my
experience in hopes it could help others in ways I may not
yet understand.
S
TORIES
VOLUNTEER
A Perspective on Life
The White Paper
Peaceful Death
Standing in the Corner
Officer Down
Change of Heart
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
What’s The Worst Thing You’ve Ever Seen
Don’t Say Needles
Little Shits
Right of Way
Falling Off a Cliff
Your Call, Buddy
Reassurance
PARAMEDIC SCHOOL
No Crying on the Ambulance
Invisible Boy
Day of The Falls
An Angel’s Halo
The Most Stable Rhythm
Training Day
PARAMEDIC
Campfire Ghost Stories
Almost a Bad Day
You’ll Never Be the Last One
If She Dies, She Dies
Four Loco
When You Start Thinking About Your Kids
The Golden Hour
Monday Morning Quarterback
Nightmares
The Real World
Sixth Sense
Tough Guys
That’s Already Been Done
Careful What You Wish For
One Day Later
Possessed
Primum Non Nocere
The Closest Unit
Ambulance Drivers
Hands of an Angel
What’s The Best Call You’ve Ever Had?
Today Was a Good Day
VOLUNTEER
A PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE
The smell of airbag deployment that fills the passenger
compartment from a head on collision down a quiet country road.
The gurgle of vomiting when performing CPR on a dead stranger.
The screams from a young child who just saw the dead body of her
mother. All of these describe ugliness to me. These have been my
experiences since I decided to become an EMT.
When I was seventeen, I might have had a different definition of
ugliness. But now, I have a new perspective. I would define ugliness
as the utmost state of pain and misery people experience.
I have seen the lifeless body of a woman whose vehicle got split in
half on the interstate. I have seen the outline in grass which was
preserved from burning by its homeowner. I have seen a helicopter
fly away with a little girl who likely won’t survive her crushing dirt bike
accident. I have seen the result of drunk driving. I have heard a man
scream to God for forgiveness while he was pinned underneath his
rolled over vehicle. I have seen the heartbreak of those who lost a
friend to a drug deal gone wrong. I have seen the anger in family
members when we were unable to resuscitate their loved ones.
But, I have not seen it all.
I had no idea that much ugliness actually existed. It is real, and it is
my definition of ugly because I have witnessed it repeatedly. Anyone
who joins the field of emergency medicine for the excitement and
adrenalin rush is in for a rude awakening.
Life is ugly.
THE WHITE PAPER
I used to care what other people thought. I was once self-conscious
and nervous about the attention brought upon me. That really only
made me appear more awkward, attempting to hide in plain sight
surrounded by others. I hated being the center of attention. I talked
less, mainly because the less I spoke the less I was noticed. At least I
thought. I was nervous at the thought of having to speak in front of
others. During high school, I remained inside a shell counting down
the days until graduation. That would be my day of freedom. Free
from judgment and free from ridicule.
I held all my thoughts within. On the outside I looked hopeless and
destine to live a life playing video games alone in my parent’s
basement. On the inside, I had a vision and a plan for something
different. I wanted my life to be better than it was. After the terrorist
attacks on US soil, I finally understood where I wanted to take my life.
On September 11, 2001, I sat in a classroom with twenty-some other
students, all with our eyes glued to the television set. We were trying
to comprehend what had just happened. We were wondering if the
world we were used to was going to change forever. I watched as
the men and women of FDNY raced towards the burning towers in a
courageous attempt to save countless victims. I was infatuated with
the heroism demonstrated when suddenly my teacher turned off the
TV.
“That’s enough of that. We still have to have school today,” she told
the class.
I didn’t learn a thing that day from my educators. I was pissed at
them for shutting off what was surely history in the making. A desire
to help began fueling me. I finally knew what I wanted to do with my
life.
My father was a Lieutenant with the fire department in our rural
town. For years, he had been trying to convince my brother and me
to volunteer, but so far had been unsuccessful. The year after the
attacks, I enrolled in a cadet program offered through my high school
for fire suppression and emergency medical aid. My brother, who
must have felt the same desire I had, joined the department that year.
As soon as I was eligible, I began volunteering for the same
department my dad and brother were involved with. After passing
the regional training academy, I was placed on their shift.
The events written within ‘A Perspective on Life’ encompassed my
first two years in emergency services. As part of a college writing
course, I was assigned to discuss the topic of ugliness. With my
recent exposure to this side of life, I found the subject quite fitting.
I have no recollection of my first response. I can only recall the
excitement that circulated my body as the alarms in our station rang.
Someone needed me and I was equipped to handle their emergency.
I prepared mentally and physically for the title and knew I would not
let stress get in the way of my passion. I was not going to end up a
statistic of those who could not handle the pressure of an emergency.
