CORONADO EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS

If you should be unlucky enough to have a medical emergency, you must hope and pray that it happens when there are competent medical professionals at the nearest possible location.

Those of us who are fortunate to live in the City of Coronado are twice blessed. Firstly because help is at the door within a few minutes.  Yes, I said a few minutes.  But I should have said a very few minutes because our tiny island is only about ten blocks square, and you can hear the sirens go off almost as soon as you hang up.

Secondly, because the EMTs are highly trained, highly professional, and utterly compassionate.

Today my friend and I were editing the next edition of the Clarion when he turned to me and said, “I need a glass of water.”  He looked a little green around the gills so I went to get the water. When I returned, his face looked like the color of putty.  He had fallen against a cabinet and was in a state of seizure. Lately, he had just undergone heart surgery, and it looked like he was having another heart attack.

Within minutes, he was surrounded by a crew who knew what they were doing, and in short order he was being monitored as they attempted to ascertain the level of injuries. While my friend and  I panicked in unison adding only more stress to the situation, the EMTs remained cool and collected.

My friend had already exhausted all of his savings and was still in debt from the previous heart attack and was reluctant to accrue any more debt, so he kept asking them to let him go see his own doctor.  However, his condition was potentially life threatening because he had hit his head when he fell, and he is taking blood thinning medication.  So it was like playing Russian roulette with his own life.

Fortunately for him, the the crew was able to convince both of us that he should be transported to the hospital. I called to check on him, and he is in stable condition, and he will be admitted for observations.

I would like to thank the Coronado Emergency Medical Team for their superb bedside manners and coolness under fire.  Coronado residents are indeed lucky to have such dedicated and professional public servants.

God Bless America and God Bless the Coronado Fire Department.