Art Campaign for Paramedics

[Virgil Showlion]

The young lady featured in this article is a longtime family friend of ours.

calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/injured-paramedic-painting-100-portraits-in-100-days-to-raise-awareness-about-job-fatigue

Injured paramedic painting 100 portraits in 100 days to raise awareness about job fatigue

Calgary paramedic Naomi Fox has spent the last six months recovering from hip surgery, one of the many injuries she’s sustained working the high-stakes job over the last nine years, and is set to undergo surgery on her left wrist on Monday.

But as the 31-year-old single mom contemplates her future in a profession she remains passionate about, she also wants to raise awareness about the day-to-day pressures faced by those who are often the first to administer life-saving medical intervention while enduring long hours as well as a heavy physical and mental toll.

“We show up to help people on the worst day of their lives and it takes a special type of person to show up in another’s time of need,” Fox said.

“In order to keep paramedics in people’s minds, I decided to flood social media with faces of paramedics. I’m hoping to start a conversation.”

Fox said paramedics are often working non-stop anywhere from 12 to 14 hours per shift, and having to quickly adjust their sleep cycles from day to night with little chance to recover.

She said she’s seen fellow paramedics leave the profession early, while others have suffered from addiction or PTSD due to the stresses of the job.

By painting their pictures — 5 x 7 portraits of paramedics from across North America who’ve sent photos for her to use — Fox hopes those ultimately served by the first responders will get a better idea of the heavy burden they carry.

She's regaled us with tales of being an EMT for years, but I just discovered she's running an awareness campaign through art, hoping to get people talking about the unique stresses and challenges faced by paramedics.

What better place to talk about it than here?

Are there any EMTs, relatives, friends, people who've received emergency care out there who can share some tales to enlighten us?

[Tennesseer]

I was too young to remember the details (hit by a car around age 6?  Went to hospital in ambulance).  

Good for her in attracting attention to EMTs and others in the professions who put their lives on the line each and every day for us.

[zibazinski]

Good. Start by paying them better too.

[wyouser]

Hats off to them for all they do

[toomuchreality]

My dad was a firefighter and EMT. But he never talked about either one.

It must be a very stressful job.

[Virgil Showlion]

Nov 3, 2017 10:15:50 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

My dad was a firefighter and EMT. But he never talked about either one.

You're kidding.

It's a stressful job, but it has its good moments as well as its bad.

I'm surprised because Naomi always has interesting tales to tell. EMT is one of those jobs where you're never worried about boring your friends while discussing your work.

[toomuchreality]

Nov 3, 2017 10:21:30 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Nov 3, 2017 10:15:50 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

My dad was a firefighter and EMT. But he never talked about either one.

You're kidding.

It's a stressful job, but it has its good moments as well as its bad.

I'm surprised because Naomi always has interesting tales to tell. EMT is one of those jobs where you're never worried about boring your friends while discussing your work.

Maybe because my dad worked at the fire station at our international airport?
I don't remember him ever discussing things that happened at work, even before he got stationed at the airport. Or even his other part-time jobs.
He would talk to you about things like airplanes etc (he was a pilot in the airforce during WWII), but NEVER about a call. Heck, he even had a small part in the movie Airport, but he didn't talk about it. 

[toomuchreality]

It's funny, there were several firefighters in my family. Grandfather, great uncle, uncle, father, in-laws. Never once did I even hear the subject, or anything to do with it, brought up. Not at home or any family functions. It never occurred to me until just now, that it might not be normal. I always thought of it as just being ethical.

[Opti]

Nov 6, 2017 22:16:40 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Nov 3, 2017 10:21:30 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

You're kidding.

It's a stressful job, but it has its good moments as well as its bad.

I'm surprised because Naomi always has interesting tales to tell. EMT is one of those jobs where you're never worried about boring your friends while discussing your work.

Maybe because my dad worked at the fire station at our international airport?
I don't remember him ever discussing things that happened at work, even before he got stationed at the airport. Or even his other part-time jobs.
He would talk to you about things like airplanes etc (he was a pilot in the airforce during WWII), but NEVER about a call. Heck, he even had a small part in the movie Airport, but he didn't talk about it. 

TMR, is he from that generation where men generally don't talk about things?

[toomuchreality]

She's a cute girl & a good artist.

[toomuchreality]

Nov 6, 2017 22:29:16 GMT -5 Opti said:

Nov 6, 2017 22:16:40 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Maybe because my dad worked at the fire station at our international airport?
I don't remember him ever discussing things that happened at work, even before he got stationed at the airport. Or even his other part-time jobs.
He would talk to you about things like airplanes etc (he was a pilot in the airforce during WWII), but NEVER about a call. Heck, he even had a small part in the movie Airport, but he didn't talk about it. 

TMR, is he from that generation where men generally don't talk about things? 

For sure. In my family, if it isn't good, we don't talk about it, at all. My sister had breast cancer for yrs, even had a double mastectomy and didn't tell any of us until the day my mom died. It was never discussed after that. It finally killed her.  I never heard my parents argue. Ever. So it was a shock to me when I got married and my husband and I had a disagreement.

[Virgil Showlion]

Nov 6, 2017 22:16:40 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Nov 3, 2017 10:21:30 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

You're kidding.

It's a stressful job, but it has its good moments as well as its bad.

I'm surprised because Naomi always has interesting tales to tell. EMT is one of those jobs where you're never worried about boring your friends while discussing your work.

Maybe because my dad worked at the fire station at our international airport?
I don't remember him ever discussing things that happened at work, even before he got stationed at the airport. Or even his other part-time jobs.
He would talk to you about things like airplanes etc (he was a pilot in the airforce during WWII), but NEVER about a call. Heck, he even had a small part in the movie Airport, but he didn't talk about it.

Sounds like a personality trait.

Some people just don't like to discuss their work.

[swamp]

Nov 2, 2017 11:07:41 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

The young lady featured in this article is a longtime family friend of ours.

calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/injured-paramedic-painting-100-portraits-in-100-days-to-raise-awareness-about-job-fatigue

Injured paramedic painting 100 portraits in 100 days to raise awareness about job fatigue

Calgary paramedic Naomi Fox has spent the last six months recovering from hip surgery, one of the many injuries she’s sustained working the high-stakes job over the last nine years, and is set to undergo surgery on her left wrist on Monday.

But as the 31-year-old single mom contemplates her future in a profession she remains passionate about, she also wants to raise awareness about the day-to-day pressures faced by those who are often the first to administer life-saving medical intervention while enduring long hours as well as a heavy physical and mental toll.

“We show up to help people on the worst day of their lives and it takes a special type of person to show up in another’s time of need,” Fox said.

“In order to keep paramedics in people’s minds, I decided to flood social media with faces of paramedics. I’m hoping to start a conversation.”

Fox said paramedics are often working non-stop anywhere from 12 to 14 hours per shift, and having to quickly adjust their sleep cycles from day to night with little chance to recover.

She said she’s seen fellow paramedics leave the profession early, while others have suffered from addiction or PTSD due to the stresses of the job.

By painting their pictures — 5 x 7 portraits of paramedics from across North America who’ve sent photos for her to use — Fox hopes those ultimately served by the first responders will get a better idea of the heavy burden they carry.

She's regaled us with tales of being an EMT for years, but I just discovered she's running an awareness campaign through art, hoping to get people talking about the unique stresses and challenges faced by paramedics.

What better place to talk about it than here?

Are there any EMTs, relatives, friends, people who've received emergency care out there who can share some tales to enlighten us?

My dad was a firefighter for over 30 years. 

He still tears up when he talks about pulling dead kids out of burnt buildings. 

[swamp]

Nov 3, 2017 10:21:30 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Nov 3, 2017 10:15:50 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

My dad was a firefighter and EMT. But he never talked about either one.

You're kidding.

It's a stressful job, but it has its good moments as well as its bad.

I'm surprised because Naomi always has interesting tales to tell. EMT is one of those jobs where you're never worried about boring your friends while discussing your work.

My dad went to a fire call.   He was officer in charge. 

Guy was pacing outside his house, muttering to himself, "shit, shit, shit."   The guys go in, fire started in basement.   The guys come out, giggling, and tell my dad, "you better get the cops here."  There are multiple 5 gallon buckets of weed, various plants growing, drying, etc.    The fire was started by a short in his grow lights.  

[toomuchreality]

Nov 7, 2017 12:31:37 GMT -5 swamp said:

Nov 2, 2017 11:07:41 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

The young lady featured in this article is a longtime family friend of ours.

calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/injured-paramedic-painting-100-portraits-in-100-days-to-raise-awareness-about-job-fatigue

Injured paramedic painting 100 portraits in 100 days to raise awareness about job fatigue

Calgary paramedic Naomi Fox has spent the last six months recovering from hip surgery, one of the many injuries she’s sustained working the high-stakes job over the last nine years, and is set to undergo surgery on her left wrist on Monday.

But as the 31-year-old single mom contemplates her future in a profession she remains passionate about, she also wants to raise awareness about the day-to-day pressures faced by those who are often the first to administer life-saving medical intervention while enduring long hours as well as a heavy physical and mental toll.

“We show up to help people on the worst day of their lives and it takes a special type of person to show up in another’s time of need,” Fox said.

“In order to keep paramedics in people’s minds, I decided to flood social media with faces of paramedics. I’m hoping to start a conversation.”

Fox said paramedics are often working non-stop anywhere from 12 to 14 hours per shift, and having to quickly adjust their sleep cycles from day to night with little chance to recover.

She said she’s seen fellow paramedics leave the profession early, while others have suffered from addiction or PTSD due to the stresses of the job.

By painting their pictures — 5 x 7 portraits of paramedics from across North America who’ve sent photos for her to use — Fox hopes those ultimately served by the first responders will get a better idea of the heavy burden they carry.

She's regaled us with tales of being an EMT for years, but I just discovered she's running an awareness campaign through art, hoping to get people talking about the unique stresses and challenges faced by paramedics.

What better place to talk about it than here?

Are there any EMTs, relatives, friends, people who've received emergency care out there who can share some tales to enlighten us?

My dad was a firefighter for over 30 years. 

He still tears up when he talks about pulling dead kids out of burnt buildings. 

The one and only story I ever heard about was when my dad carried a 3 yr old little girl out of a burning house. The Christmas lights caught the tree on fire. It really shook him up. We always had an artificial tree after that.  
But I heard that story from my sisters, not my dad.