I'm fascinated by the woman who seems to be pacing back and forth rather than do anything productive to help people or get to safety. I wonder if I would have the clarity of mind in that moment or if I would melt down also. It's moments like this that make me wish I had followed some of my early career options and became an EMT or similar. Then, I would know how I would actually react rather than just being an armchair commentator.
You can always take a class from an org like Stop the Bleed or NOLS that trains regular people. We can’t predict how we’ll react in emergencies we haven’t drilled, but I bet even a little bit of training goes a long way.
this is very, very true. I found out long ago that I have a favorable reaction of calm clarity and default to logic instead of freezing or overreacting, and I also found out that without training I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I would much rather be hyperventilating and shaking but have a clear training-based plan of action than to calmly realize I'm useless at the moment. I still do my best, but I think people overvalue clear thinking in the moment.
Just know what you’re getting into. A friend of mine was an EMT and studied and tested to become a Paramedic.
He did that for two years and left the field completely, and won’t talk about it.
Paramedics are the real frontline of trauma and human tragedy, and it can take a special kind of person to work and cope with that kind of environment.
