Special breed of people

But I was not alone.

I was not in the office working on the next scoop, instead I decided to accompany ER24 intermediate life-support paramedic, Glen Orritt, in his response vehicle for the evening.

What a thrill.

There were no real macabre scenes, which I was quite ambivalent to.

I have never before seen a dead body or experienced real trauma in my life – something I should be grateful for.

But I wanted to see exactly what a day in the shoes of a paramedic was all about.

However, although there was no loss of life on New Year’s Eve, Glen and I were still running around for most of the night, and I got to see more than enough for my first time out in a paramedic response vehicle.

I witnessed paramedics working on a man who was shot in the leg (the wound was believed to have come from a shotgun) for allegedly attempting to steal a sheep.

Several vehicles rolled, a woman was knocked down by a car, and several other smaller incidents took place.

I had a fantastic time.

I set out cones at accident scenes, drove at high speeds (sirens blaring) and travelled to all corners of Benoni in a very short space of time.

I ended the night high on adrenaline, tired, but most importantly, with a stronger understanding and respect for the emergency medical services.

I realised how selfless Glen’s job is.

It requiring nerves of steel and a cool head.

As Glen said, the job does take its toll on you as a person, and can cause psychological trauma, regardless of who you are or how tough you think you are.

The hours are long; very long, all so that you can live another day.

The evening also gave me better insight into how much ordinary community members do in assisting in the fight against crime and helping ordinary citizens, working hand-in-hand with the police and medical services.

Several members of the Benoni Community Police Forum (CPF) also offered up their time on New Year’s Eve.

They responded to calls Glen and I went to, consoled accident victims and assisted at the accident scenes.

Why would anyone offer up so much of their time and money, as it is a voluntary service with no compensation offered, let alone on New Year’s Eve?

These are remarkable people who deserve their right to complain about crime and the problems this country is facing.

Why?

Because they are making a difference and assisting in the problems they are complaining about.

Whether you are a paramedic or a member of the CPF, you are putting others’ needs above yours.

You are changing lives and making a difference to your community.

It is great knowing there are selfless people working tirelessly for the benefit of others.