“And now we’re heading back to the nursing home,” says paramedic Jakob Simharl casually. The woman looks at him, confused. No, she just wants to go home, she explains to him. Not to the nursing home. “We’re taking you back to where we picked you up,” says Tobias Senzenberger, a civil service worker, trying to defuse the situation. The elderly woman is satisfied with that explanation. The two paramedics escort the somewhat confused-looking woman to the ambulance and drive her home—to the nursing home.
Situations like these—and others like them—come up quite often. Although I only spent one day at the emergency department in the Ried im Innkreis district, I was at least able to get a small glimpse of what it’s like. Of people who devote all their energy to helping others. Of emergency responders who work 12-hour shifts and then have to justify themselves because of the noise when they turn on the siren.
My shift—if you want to call it that—started just before seven in the morning. I was advised to arrive a little earlier so I could change clothes. Because even though I’m just a “tag-along,” I still have to wear the uniform. Unfortunately, I ended up with pants that were two sizes too big (which wasn’t necessarily because of the early start time). After a brief briefing on the procedure , I was given my own pager. Less than five minutes later, the device was already beeping. My first assignment was coming up. Changing clothes would have to wait. Spoiler: I was going to spend the whole day in clothes that were way too big. But I didn’t know that yet.
" ... then run to the car!"
Jakob*, a trained emergency medical technician, briefly explained the ambulance’s impressive equipment to me, and then we were off. We had a transport call to respond to. “When your pager shows [transport] and beeps, we’ll meet at the ambulance,” I can still hear him say as we drive toward the Ried nursing home. “If it makes a different sound and‘Emergency’appears on the display, then you RUN to the ambulance. That means we have an emergency call. It could be a matter of life and death.” Jakob knew how to grab my attention.
For serious cases, there is also an emergency physician who accompanies the ambulance. Whether one is called depends on the report submitted to the dispatch center. At the dispatch center, trained paramedics are on the phone coordinating everything. They assign emergencies to available ambulances, notify the hospital if necessary, and keep track of everything from start to finish. It’s a stressful and high-responsibility job.
There are also some more aggressive patients
Just like the ambulance service. After we’ve taken patients to the dentist, to the hospital for checkups, and to the eye doctor, we can chat a little. I can’t stop thinking about the situation with the elderly woman. I feel sorry for her. “That one turned out okay,” Jakob tells me. “We’ve had way worse cases, with scratching and biting.” Even though the two paramedics know it wasn’t intentional—it still hurts to be attacked like that.
Just before eleven, we get our first short break. A few other staff members are hanging out in the break room. As it turns out, I’m not the only one “checking it out.” A shy-looking, black-haired girl is also here for the first time today. If you’re thinking about getting involved with the Red Cross, you should definitely check it out. It doesn’t matter whether you want to help people as a community service worker, a volunteer, or maybe even as a full-time employee. This is the best way to get a little taste of what it’s like beforehand.
My eighth (if I've counted correctly) ride in an ambulance was in the late afternoon. We were called to a woman who was having trouble breathing. Paramedic Jakob asked detailed questions about the course of her illness and what medications she was taking. He passed on all this information, along with the readings from the ambulance, to the hospital when he checked the patient in. After we had handed the woman over to the care of the doctors and nurses, we headed back “home.”
End of the Workday
As it turned out, this trip was my last one of that 12-hour shift. At 7:00 p.m., the cars were checked over one last time, headquarters was notified, and finally, the radios were plugged into their charging stations. The day shift was over.
During my shift on ambulance 04/0815, there were no dramatic emergencies. No high-speed chases with screeching tires or wailing sirens. Still, it was an incredibly fascinating glimpse into a world that was completely new to me. And finally, at almost 7:30 p.m., I slipped back into my comfortable civilian clothes.
*As I was told, the Red Cross doesn't use the formal "Sie."
Of course, I had a lot of questions, which the staff patiently answered. Click here for the insightful interview…
Want to spend a day with the rescue team, too?
Image credits: All photos were taken by Ingrid Müller, courtesy of the Ried im Innkreis Rescue Station (Red Cross).
This is an account of my experiences at the open house on October 21, 2024.
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