The most horrible car accident. Very GRAPHIC

[onearmedbandit]

Seeing as these are some of the things you may have to face in real life, dealing with the imagery now rather than in the heat of the moment would be considered beneficary to most people would it not?

Pointless to have the skills and know-how but unable to get past the injuries you're trying to treat.

[Quasievil]

Oh How cool, I turned your green bling to red bling.

[spudchucka]

How in hell do you guys deal with that? I mean I've seen plenty of pics of dead bodies (thanks rotten.com and ogrish.com) but combine that with the smell, the effects of actually having to deal with it, man I'd lose my lunch every fucking time. I have heard that some paramedics award style points to people ejected from vehicles, sounds horrible but it allows themselves to distance thenmselves from the reality of the body actually being a real person, someones daughter/son/brother/sister/mother/father. Do you guys eventually get used to it or is it something you carry with you? If so how many people eventually collapse under the weight of all those memories?

Nothing really prepares you for it, when it happens you either cope with it or you don't. The only ones that really break me up are kiddies, especially if they are all smashed to pieces, you just want to be able to put them all back together again and give them a hug. (That'll probably make a few people puke)

Black humour exists in all emergency services all around the world. Its a great coping mechanism. Especially over quite a few beers.

Mostly it never stays with me too long, except the kids, I have issues with dead kids. A few times when I've come home after dealing with something like that I just sit and watch my daughter doing whatever she is doing, it helps for some reason.

The worst part of what we have to do isn't always at the scene its in the mortuary, stripping the dead, cleaning them and preparing them for the pathologist. It so cold and so final, not a nice place.

[spudchucka]

Thanks Krusti. Do you guys get offered counselling etc? Or are you mostly forgotten about. Like the undercover cop who had to 'partake' in drug taking who ends up a mess?

I don't know about the other services but for the police it is mandatory that they offer counselling to staff involved in traumatic incidents. Its really just an arse covering exercise by the cops as they have been sued in the past by staff who have broken down after years of attending shit like that without any kind of support from the organisation.

Well, I guess partly its because they care about us too but mostly I think its an arse covering mission.

[Crazy Steve]

THATS...FCKED...UP...

CRA Z Y..STEVE

[Krusti]

I don't know about the other services but for the police it is mandatory that they offer counselling to staff involved in traumatic incidents. Its really just an arse covering exercise by the cops as they have been sued in the past by staff who have broken down after years of attending shit like that without any kind of support from the organisation.

Well, I guess partly its because they care about us too but mostly I think its an arse covering mission.

I found personally that yes you do cope amazingly well while in the job but it's not till some time after leaving that it can resurface and hit you like a brick!

Have seen some nasty shit over the years but to give an example...Spent a lengthy time with an undertaker preping a suicide body, was so rotten you could taste it for days after. Saw councillor etc all well and good. Many years latter while farming I had to calve a cow with a not too fresh calf.

The smell and taste bought it all back and I was a complete wreck.

I watch doco's about those WW2 vets and think you poor buggers.

Have seen some tough cops who have crashed after retiring, it sneaks up on ya.

[Limb]

not very nice...

[RT527]

The only ones that really break me up are kiddies I watch my daughter doing whatever she is doing, it helps for some reason.

Yup I kinda agree with you I too have a problem with seeing children hurt , but for some reason its my own children that affect me the most , be it a small cut or worse.
Now dont get me wrong but kids are often the best patients, Ive seen some rather burly men with cuts and abrasions who are blubbering like an 18 month old( usually 3 times over the limit), and Ive also seen some kids who are in quite a lot of pain but are co-operating with you to the fullest.
Also we dont need medals thats not why i volunteer we just need yous all to stop giving us a reason to be here in the first place.
We were 2nd arriving appliance( first NZFS rescue truck) at the gull tanker that was taken out by a car with horse float on S/hwy 2 at maramarua, all survived. we were turned out at midnight thursday night and i got home at 10 15 am friday morning we had to wait for them to drill through into the 6 compartments holding a total of 39,000 litres of petrol. once that was done we then had to wait till the crane lifted the truck from a paddock.
all and all a good outcome....luck was on the side of everyone that night.the horse had the most injurys but was eventually checked by a vet and is fine.

[spudchucka]

I found personally that yes you do cope amazingly well while in the job but it's not till some time after leaving that it can resurface and hit you like a brick!

Have seen some nasty shit over the years but to give an example...Spent a lengthy time with an undertaker preping a suicide body, was so rotten you could taste it for days after. Saw councillor etc all well and good. Many years latter while farming I had to calve a cow with a not too fresh calf.

The smell and taste bought it all back and I was a complete wreck.

I watch doco's about those WW2 vets and think you poor buggers.

Have seen some tough cops who have crashed after retiring, it sneaks up on ya.

Its a real shame when that happens. I guess we just can't predict how trauma will effect us long term. I often think of war vets as well, coping with dead bodies is one thing but when your mates are being blown to bits all around you it must be horrific.

[SPman]

..I often think of war vets as well, coping with dead bodies is one thing but when your mates are being blown to bits all around you it must be horrific.

For many, their method of coping - go to the RSA and obliterate it with alcohol, amongst people of their own, who had an understanding of what they went through!
Didnt go down too well in the wider community though, but, then, they didnt really have a clue.

[spudchucka]

For many, their method of coping - go to the RSA and obliterate it with alcohol,

That isn't entirely unique to veterans.

[Darkmoon]

Whoah! Makes ya really think about stayin' frosty alertness-wise. Be cool peoples.

[KATWYN]

I guess it was just another bozo that thought he could drive ).

So I did look.....hubby looked first and gave his thoughts if he
reakoned I could handle it.

That driver looks like a stunned mullet - no doubt he will be stunned
for a few more years yet.....maybe till the day he dies.

[Streetwise]

when i said you deserve madals it was a figure of speech, I ment you guys and gals need to be better looked after by the powers at be,

[scumdog]

How in hell do you guys deal with that? I mean I've seen plenty of pics of dead bodies (thanks rotten.com and ogrish.com) but combine that with the smell, the effects of actually having to deal with it, man I'd lose my lunch every fucking time. I have heard that some paramedics award style points to people ejected from vehicles, sounds horrible but it allows themselves to distance thenmselves from the reality of the body actually being a real person, someones daughter/son/brother/sister/mother/father. Do you guys eventually get used to it or is it something you carry with you? If so how many people eventually collapse under the weight of all those memories?

To cope? Go to motorbike rallies, get pissed and talk all manner of shit with people I know and feel comfortable with about anything but work (as long as others let me!)

Sometimes I come home, get pissed and rant on K.B (you may have seen one of 'those' sessions.

A good woman helps

Then sometimes I wonder if I AM coping.

Time will tell.