8/25/03
My Day

I had quite a day today. I was minding my own business, massaging my data
when we had a fire alarm. I was thinking, "Ok, it's another drill, go to
my room, grab my survival stuff and the jump kit and head to the lounge."
But instead of the usual thing where the EMT hangs out in the muster
station with everyone else, I had to take a radio and go wait in the
hospital for further instructions. Then I had to participate in a fire
drill with the bosuns. We all headed to the bosun's locker where 2 guys
were down due to smoke inhalation from a chemical fire. I was tasked with
showing the guys how to work the 02 and how to load someone onto a back
board. Demitri was the victim, poor guy. I don't think he minded it when
I was rolling him onto the board or when I was showing the guys how to move
someone to the right position on the board but I know he minded being
strapped to the back board and carried up the stairs. The guys almost took
him up feet first which, would be awful. Like being upside down on a
roller coaster but scarier. You have to put your trust in your fellow man
not to drop you. It's a lot to ask. We were just sitting on the ice so no
waves and it wasn't easy but I can only imagine how tough it would be to
negotiate the narrow halls and steep staircases in heavy seas.

In order to give you the full picture I need to explain how to position
someone properly on a back board. The care giver must straddle the patient
(the only time one is allowed to do so) and pull them around by the hips
and then under the pits, basically parallel parking them. I was kind of
wishing Mike was there pulling Demitri around instead of me because when I
pulled on his hips/pants, I thought his pants were going to come
off. Fortunately, they didn't and I quickly moved on to pushing him under
the pits the get him back in the proper position. You can only imagine the
joy the guys felt when I was doing this. In fact, I heard some
giggling. I'm not sure that was entirely appropriate. It's very serious
stuff. Well, I'm hoping that next time I have to participate in a drill,
I'll have Andy there to show the guys what to do. Then I can stand back
and watch them, giggling the whole time.