Corey Conrady: The Rural Firefighter - First Responder Violence
Drummond FD
This article is dedicated to all fire departments, not just rural, and the kinds of things we deal with as firefighters who live and serve in the communities we have grown up in. Headlines read: “CO Firefighter Punched in Face During Call” ... “AZ Paramedics, Firefighter Shot in Fatal Attacks” ... “Two Fire Fighters, One Civilian Taken to Hospital Following Fire, Assault Reported.” Alarming, to say the least.
“According to the department, the firefighters were assaulted while responding to a reported fire on Eastern Avenue in southeast Baltimore Sunday night. Officials say a man threw glass bottles at the crew as they attempted to enter the home.” -- WBFF Baltimore
“Soon after the fire was reported, a gunman walked up to two emergency medical technicians parked nearby at Quincy Douglas Center and opened fire through the driver’s side window of the AMR ambulance company rig. The paramedic behind the wheel, a 20-year-old man, was shot in the head. He was in critical condition Sunday night. The paramedic in the passenger seat, 21, was shot in the chest and arm. However, she was able to call for help. One neighbor was shot in the head and died, Magnus said. A Tucson firefighter was shot in the arm, and a bullet grazed another neighbor’s head.” -- 2021 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.)
“In October 2015, emergency medical technicians Kelly Adams and Al Royas were dispatched just after midnight to a gritty section of midtown Detroit to help a woman with an injured ankle. When they arrived, the woman’s boyfriend insisted that he ride along in the ambulance to the hospital. When the EMTs refused, the man punched Royas in the head, then drew a box cutter and slashed Royas in the hand and under the eye. In an attempt to save her partner, Adams grabbed a stool from the ambulance and struck the attacker twice; unfazed, he punched Adams, then used the box cutter to slash a deep gash the length of Adams’s left cheek, from her ear to the corner of her mouth. Battered and bloodied, the EMTs were eventually able to barricade themselves in the ambulance and drive to the emergency room.” -- NFPA Journal published on Jan. 2, 2019 According to the ems1.com report Research Analysis: Preventing downstream consequences of EMS assaults, 91 percent of respondents reported having been verbally harassed, while two-thirds reported being physically assaulted while practicing EMS, mirroring rates previously published. There was no difference across genders, however, women were slightly less likely to feel safe on duty versus their male counterparts (57% vs. 64%). As we saw, most of these reports were from EMS, and in my research, that is where most of the assaults are reported. However, a lot of them go unreported, because of responder bias, i.e. the unintentional violence due to altered mental status of the patient, and they didn’t know what they are doing. The reality is that no matter where it comes from, violence is not acceptable and can have unintended consequences on others in our lives in unimaginable ways. Ways that can affect us, our families, our friends, and the patients we treat.
In our rural communities that rely on volunteers to serve the community, this could be devastating. Violence likely has downstream consequences What are some of the ways a violent encounter, or even the threat of violence, can negatively impact the future? The following things come to mind: • The impact on the quality of care received by that patient • The impact on the quality of care received by the next patient • The recruitment of the next generation of providers • The retention of today’s providers • The long-term mental wellbeing of the care team • The above average rate of suicide by first responders
We live in a world where it is taboo to speak of your faults and shortcomings, more so for men. Then add on top of it that we are firefighters and public servants and the reality is that we store it all inside. But remember, there is hope and help. There are a number of programs out there to help, where anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. One of my favorites is Celebrate Recovery, where I can share and know that my “junk” will not be shared. Also there are a number of mental health professionals who share this same ethos. If you need immediate support: • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255 (or go to the web site for chat) • National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) • Crisis Text Line is available by texting HOME to 741741 • OSFA will respond with help within 48 hours. Call the OSFA office at 405-424-1452 or Executive Director Tippy Pierce at 405-924-1104 • Or call or text me anytime: Corey Conrady, 580-540-0970 Oklahoma FirefighterNovember/December 2021/January 2022 25
