Signal 22

Signal 22 is one of the four codes that the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid uses. This particular code is used to signal a death. Early this morning, approximately 15 minutes into my shift, I arrived with the rest of D shift to an unknown medical call. In the 3 to 4 minutes it took us to get there, the patient that had made the EMS phone call, had died. When we arrived on scene, the house was cluttered, much like something you might see on the TV show Hoarders. It was clear upon arrival that the patient was deceased, and that resuscitation would be of no use. At first, I shook it off as we began to inspect the rest of the house for medications in order to help the Police Department who arrived on scene shortly after us. The mood was lightened with a few jokes. These jokes become essential in order to handle the stress of the job. The jokes are never offensive, or critical of those who are involved, but rather about issues that are separate from the current situation. It is a brief escape from the severity of what just occurred. After this, our job was done, and we were back to the station.

As we pulled into the station, I couldn't help but think, "That's it?" The people in that patients life will have their lives irreparably changed because of that death, but even though we were the ones to assess the situation, and determine that the patient was deceased, that hour we spent at the house was all there was to it. It was time to move on. Before I knew it, we were going on with our day, testing hoses, and inspecting the trucks. It was an eye open experience that I'll never forget. Most EMS workers never forget their first fatality, and I certainly won't either. I think that I handled one of the most difficult parts of the job today pretty well. Perhaps I might have a future in the medical line of work after all...