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I’m an AEMT, Advanced EMT.This job reminds me a little of the description of a military job, hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror.In the morning, my partner and I get the coffee going and do our rig checks. Everything on the ambulance has to be checked. We check that everything is present and stocked, that everything works, and that the vehicle itself is ready to go. After that, it’s any office work that needs to be done and waiting for a call.Most calls are fairly routine, people just not feeling well, diabetics that have had their blood sugar drop faster than they expected, minor injuries, and transports between the nursing home and the hospital. We get our share of people who game the system to get what are essentially taxi rides to the hospital.A smaller number of calls are true life or limb emergencies. Workplace injuries, overdoses, heart attacks, broken bones and other emergencies. Car crashes are a little more rare now and with fewer injuries than in the past. The calls that challenge your abilities are the ones I like. When you’re faced with an unresponsive person, and nobody knows why he might be unconscious, you have to know what to check, and be a bit of a detective, looking at surroundings, etc. My wife, also an AEMT, likes trauma calls the best. Performing procedures such as starting IVs on a patient in a moving ambulance is always a challenge, especially on poorly maintained, frost heaved roads.Patients run from children to little old ladies, cooperative to belligerent, to outright violent. If you work in EMS long enough, you will be assaulted, sometimes by a patient who can’t help it because of illness or dementia, sometimes by someone who is just drunk, drugged or just naturally violent.After every call, there is cleaning, restocking, and of course the dozen pages of drop down menus, fill in the blanks, and essay that is the patient care report. The PCR is a medical record, legal document and is what your company uses for billing, so there is a lot of emphasis on getting them filled out properly.Every three years, we have to re-license. During the three years we attend training for continuing education hours. If you have enough hours, you can re-license without attending a refresher course.As for pay, a mechanic can make more money working under an ambulance than an EMT or medic can make working in one.

This answer may contain sensitive images. Click on an image to unblur it.I've been awfully close to death quite a few times actually. For one particular catastrophe in which I was involved, however, I'm still occasionally dumbfounded that I made it out alive.This is the first time I escaped death by the skin of my teeth. I was six. My elementary school was hit by a tornado.The Setting: Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15th, 1989, at about 4:35 PM.An F4 tornado rampaged through the city just as rush hour began. 21 people died, 463 were injured, and it caused about $250 million in damages. It also demolished Jones Valley Elementary School.A few pictures of Jones Valley in the following days.I was stil inside Jones Valley Elementary when the tornado hit...... along with about 36 other kids, 5 teachers and 9 workmen.It was a nightmarish catastrophe. The meteorological early warning systems in the late 80s were not nearly as efficient as they are now. I remember harsh storms had been predicted and there was a severe thunderstorm warning in effect for our area, Madison County. The reality was much, much worse.The events of that evening are the clearest early memories I have.This is the story of what I remember -In 1989 I was living in the Jones Valley area of Huntsville, AL, an only child of an only parent.I grew up with just my dad from age 4 on through high school. At this particular point in time, he had been taking a few refresher courses at local UAH to brush up for the MCAT (medical school entrance exam). In addition he held a full time day job. For these reasons I attended the Extended Day Program at Jones Valley from the time school ended to around 5:30 or 6 PM when he would come to pick me up.Within the elementary building with about 30 other kids and a handful of teachers overseeing the Extended Day Program - that's where I was when the tornado began its demolishing jaunt across the city.Side Note -FYI my dad passed the MCAT in the 99th percentile the following year. He started medical school at UAB in Birmingham when I started 3rd grade. He didn't finish as a fully fledged specialized surgeon until I finished my junior year of high school. That took some serious dedication as the single parent of a little girl.And he needn't have done it, save that he really wanted to be a doctor. His job before the advent of medical school was with Cray Research, Inc, selling and aiding in the installation and early operation of the most massive and powerful multi-million dollar supercomputers of that day and age.He's a smart guy, I'm proud of him:)The day the tornado struck I remember almost nothing that happened before the end of the school day. My recollections begin from when I began attending Extended Day.I remember the really eerie feeling in the air. The atmosphere felt electric and ominous, an eerie omen of the terrible devastation to come. It felt thick, heavy, and was abnormally still. The sky above was permeated with a strange purplish hue.Also, the weather itself was unusually warm for November, even for our little overly hot and humid corner of the south. It was close to 70 degrees Farenheit and muggy.That afternoon the school principal, Ms, Dawson, and one of our Extended Day coordinators, a young woman named Penny, had both been listening to a weather radio. I remember hearing the sounds of the crackling radio voices and the sharp, disjointed alert sounds. The weather alert sound makes me jumpy to this day.After a severe storm alert was issued, the teachers took all the students down to an area of the first floor that was deemed safest in case of a crisis. It was away from the bigger windows and sort of under a stairwell.That's when the rain started.It pounded the school in sheets and gusts. I was sitting and playing with something or other along with the other children, all of us scattered across the linoleum floor. From where I was seated, I had the vantage point of one lone rectangular window. I was staring at it for maybe 5 minutes prior to the tornado crashing through.About 4:30 the lights flickered out. A bunch of the kids around me screamed. I didn't. I remember being sort of proud of myself for being stoic (I was 6, gimme a break). Penny told us not to scream.The lights came back on. A few minutes later they went off again. Everyone screamed again (not me). Then came a roaring, rushing sound. It sounded like a thousand freight trains. The window glass imploded.We ran. The teachers rushed most of us into a supply closet used for the school traffic guards. Some of the kids were still in the hallway. There were maintenance men in the building as well. I remember seeing them running towards us and they helped shield as many of us as they could.The wind was deafening, the sky was night dark now. The school alarm sounded as the tornado hit (very helpful). My memories of those moments are more like a stop motion video filled with noise and screaming and destruction. The ceiling caved, shelves fell, and bits of concrete and stone and dust flew everywhere. I saw a water fountain ripped from the wall. And the whole time, that howling wind. It was over in seconds. It felt like a lot longer.I was a part of the group in the supply closet. We huddled down, hands on our heads, as close to each other as we could be. I was near the door, as was a friend of mine, a boy in my grade named Charles. He was holding an action figure. He must of let go of it, I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that he reached for it and his feet left the ground. One of the maintenance guys near the door grabbed him by the leg and held him down.And then it was over.The only part of the school that was remotely structurally intact was the part in which we were. No one inside the school died. It really was a miracle.There was a woman in the parking lot of the school in a car. I think it was someone's mother coming to pick them up. Her car was picked up and hurled into a large field, a part of the huge Jones' farm that lay across the street from our school. She died.The tornado was an F4 (the Fujita scale runs from a F0 - F5), with winds reaching up to 260 MPH. It cut a ten mile long swath through Huntsville that night, ending in the Jones Valley Area. Three minutes. That's all it took to maim a city.I'm very, very lucky to be alive.A few of us kids were injured. I was okay apart from a few scratches and tar in my hair. The foresight and heroics of the teachers and workers in the school very likely saved all of our lives.The aftermath was absolutely surreal. It was dark, and I was soaking wet. But, apart from some lingering rain, the night was now spooky quiet.The detritus of the destroyed building was everywhere. In most places the roof was gone. There were no windows left unbroken that I could see.We were herded by the teachers towards what used to be the front wall of the school. In places it was missing and I stood looking out across a muddy wasteland of upturned cars and buses. Beams and chunks of concrete stuck out at odd angles. It was utterly unrecognizable. And I was looking out at all that terrible mess through a hole in the wall, standing next to other shocked, bedraggled kids, and all of us getting drenched.One thing I can say for sure is that I've never experienced anything remotely close to what happened that day.The men worked to carry us one by one through the torn entry area (it was treacherous), and across the street into the muddy field beyond. We huddled in a group on the ground. Evidently this is proper tornado etiquette, in case another one were to come by.Exciting times in elementary school. That's me on the left.Shortly thereafter firetrucks, ambulances and police cars began to arrive in a bustle of sirens and flashing colored lights. Anyone injured was placed in an ambulance. All of use were checked over by paramedics, but most of us were just wet and scared. I was given a blanket and sat in the back of a firetruck until eventually we were all taken to the gym of a private school a mile or two away. Here we waited to be collected by our relatives as they could arrive.My dad eventually made it to get me, traffic was obviously an issue. He was frantic. I can't even begin to imagine the terror he must have felt in that moment, trying to drive up to the school in a swarm of emergency vehicles only to be told that the building had been annihilated. My little girl is six. I know I would fight through hell and high water to get to her. My dad had to for me, almost literally.I was incredibly relieved to see my dad, and we were lucky enough to still have a home. My friend Charles actually came home with us that night (the only route to his house was blocked). The power was out and I remember sitting on the couch at home laughing with him. Six year olds are pretty resilient.We didn't have to go to school for a week or two (this was the best part to my 6 year old self). Eventually all of the students from Jones Valley were grouped in at Challenger Elementary, a school on the other side of town. Luckily it was brand new and quite big, so I don't remember it being all that crowded.The rebuilding of Jones Valley wasn't finished until I was in 5th grade.Oh yeah, and I met Vice President Dan Quayle's wife, Marilyn Quayle, sometime later. She came in an official capacity to assess the damages (for federal aid I think) and spoke to the students. Being one of the 37 kids actually in the school at the time, I got a handshake.It was a terrifying thing to live through, but I was amazingly fortunate. Aside from tar in my very long blonde hair and a permanent fear of heavy winds, I got through it unscathed. I was also lucky I was so young when it happened. I understood that I had been in danger and that a horrible tragedy had occurred... but I don't think any first grader really has a true sense of their own mortality.I've actually come quite close to death in several situations throughout my life, including, but not limited to unfortunately, these times-When I was a child, an attic fire right above my bedroom was started by a faulty electrical connection after lightening struck in our backyard. A policeman riding by our house noticed the smoke and pounded on the door to wake us up. The firemen later told me that had I been asleep in the room even ten more minutes, the ceiling would have caved in above me. My room was destroyed. Actually, the whole house was unlivable (anyone who has experienced a home fire can tell you that a great deal of the damage done is actually due to the water used to douse the flames... also the smoke smell permeates everything and in fabrics or porous furniture almost impossible to get rid of). I was 13. My dad wrote a very nice letter to the local police station commending the officer that had taken the initiative to check on the house. That officer saved my life that night, no question.I overslept on September 11th, 2001; I was supposed to have woken up and taken the PATH train into NYC (I was in Newark, NJ) and I would have been traveling right through the World Trade Center Subway stop on my way to buy art supplies. I saw the second plane hit the towers from the architecture building at New Jersey Institute of Technology, which was situated on a rise in central Newark and had a clear view of the NYC skyline. I was 18. In all likelihood I would have been come out unscathed even if I hadn't overslept. I never would have actually entered the building, only traveled through the subway station beneath it. However, knowing I could have (should have really) been so close to the events of that terrible day struck a chord with me that has never really subsided.The Jones Valley Tornado incident is by far the most entertaining story. I'm still here though, more or less in one piece. So, so far, so good :). Apparently I have an affinity for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully I'm through with that for a good long time. Like Forever.I found this video of some of the footage from the day after the tornado struck Huntsville. If you skip to about 2-4 minutes in, there's footage of the school, and you can really see the damage. There's more footage of the school and a talk with the superintendent at about the 7:30 minute mark. It's entertaining just to see the 1989 news cast, with the 80s style outfits and ancient technology... not to mention the cheesy horror film musical overly for this event! Very dramatic stuff;)

SWAT medics are usually paramedics who have received specialized training in tactical medicine. Police officers may choose to obtain emergency medical training to become SWAT medics as well, but this article will only address the steps required for the paramedic route. In the midst of hostile situations, law enforcement officers, civilians, and even suspects may require emergency medical attention. Special weapons and tactics (SWAT) medics provide tactical medical care in situations that are often too dangerous for regular paramedics or ambulance workers. For example, if a SWAT team is under fire and one member gets wounded, a SWAT medic would stabilize the wounded team member while the rest of the SWAT team pursues the shooters.SWAT medics, like other members of a SWAT team, are exposed to more risks of personal injury and death than most careers. Work environments include much time in training, some office work, and, while in the field, any and all environments and weather conditions. As SWAT teams are employed by local and state governments, benefits are often good and there is a measure of job stability associated with this position.Degree Level. Vocational certificate or associate degree.Degree Field Emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic training.Licensure and/or Certification State paramedic's license and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification.Experience Proven experience as a regular paramedic and some experience working with law enforcement as a first responder.Key Skills Sympathy, communication, using medical equipment, handling weapons, remaining calm.Salary The salaries of Swat Medics in the US range from $18,488 to $495,590, with a median salary of $89,639.The middle 57% of Swat Medics makes between $89,639 and $224,911, with the top 86% making $495,590.Step 1: Complete Emergency Medical and/or Paramedic TrainingThere are two basic paths that an aspiring SWAT medic can complete in order to be trained as a paramedic. One path is for an individual to first enroll in an EMT-Basic program, which covers fundamental topics such as anatomy and physiology, medical law, allergic reactions, childbirth, patient assessment, basic pharmacology, vital signs, wound care, and patient immobilization.After completing this short program, the student would enroll in successively more advanced programs, including EMT-Intermediate and an advanced EMT or paramedic program. These programs would cover more complex concepts, such as diabetic problems, intravenous medications, advanced airway clearing procedures, electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring, and patient health management.When completing a series of programs, each program must be completed before the next can be enrolled in, and licensure at a lower level, such as EMT-Basic, would commonly be required before entering an EMT-Intermediate program.Another option for students is to enroll in an associate degree program in paramedicine or paramedic technology, which would combine the topics covered in the multiple certificate programs and prepare an individual for paramedic licensure.Success Tip:Gain EMT licensure when necessary. If a student is completing multiple EMT and paramedic certificate programs in order to train as a paramedic, relevant licensure at the different EMT levels will typically be required for entry into the next program. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) regulates EMT and paramedic certification. At either the basic or advanced levels, EMTs can become certified if they complete the necessary training programs, hold valid CPR cards and pass the required certification exams. NREMT exams include two parts: knowledge-based (cognitive) questions and skills (psychomotor) questions.Step 2: Become a Certified and Licensed ParamedicState licensure is mandatory in all states for paramedics, and requirements for licensure can typically satisfied by earning NREMT certification. Certification typically requires the completion of an exam and a demonstration of the aspiring paramedic's skills and knowledge in the field.Step 3: Gain Paramedic ExperienceIn order to be eligible to join a law enforcement tactical team, an individual may need to meet a minimum experience requirement. This could include up to two years of field experience, which would include work such as monitoring heart functions, distributing medicine, performing CPR, and transporting patients.Success TipKeep paramedic certification active. The recertification process for paramedics includes meeting continuing education requirements. Information from the NREMT website shows that paramedics must acquire 72 hours of continuing education every two years and that 48 of those hours include paramedic training refresher courses.Other recertification requirements include showing evidence of current employment, maintaining CPR cards, and passing background checks.Step 4: Join a Law Enforcement Tactical TeamAfter working as certified and licensed paramedics, professionals must become affiliated with law enforcement tactical teams prior to starting SWAT medic training programs. Law enforcement agencies already work with emergency medical services providers, so paramedics may have opportunities early on to network with law enforcement agents. Law enforcement agencies may advertise when they have openings for SWAT medics, but paramedics can also talk with SWAT team leaders about joining the task force.Step 5: Complete Tactical Emergency Medical Services TrainingMost tactical medicine or tactical emergency medical services (TEMS) training programs require applicants to show proof of law-enforcement affiliation. Individuals must also verify that they are certified and licensed emergency medical services providers. TEMS training programs all vary in length since each state has different training requirements.The majority of programs provide students with weapons and self-defense training, although SWAT medics are not usually required to carry weapons into emergency situations. Nevertheless, if they need to use weapons or restrain suspects, they need to know how to accomplish these tasks. Other training topics may address issues like biological threats, hostage survival, team wellness, ballistic wound patterns, environmental injuries, pediatric trauma, tactical gear, spinal injuries, and forensic evidence.Step 6: Continue Training and EducationAfter initial training, SWAT medics participate in routine re-training with SWAT team members. Medics may also train and work with sheriff departments, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies. Some SWAT teams may require team members to take continuing education courses as well, but this varies by unit.***I can actually say it is one of the most rewarding, challenging, and high stress jobs you will ever hold.