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Why Firefighters are Some of the Best Preppers, by Shawn
I started prepping a few years back when I was in paramedic school. I had no educated goal when prepping initially. Then I met a good friend of mine that changed the way I look at prepping, and helped me make my prepping intentional. I read Patriots and I started prepping all the more; now with motivation and intelligence. When my friend reads this he will probably view this is as some form of Narcissism even though he falls into this category. But I digress.
I have been a full time firefighter for 5-1/2 years I am currently a Paramedic, and have been so for 2.5 years, before that I was an EMT-I. Most of you had no idea there was a difference, but after reading this you may look further into it. Prior to my time with the fire department I spent time in the Marine Corps as a non-grunt, working on aircraft.
Firefighters are also some of the best preppers for several reasons and the first is because of our medical experience. Our medical training is some of the most critical that will be required no matter the disaster scenario. Paramedics deal with disasters and high stress, high stakes environments daily, and operate at a high level of reasoning (there are exceptions)-often more so than Nurses. After I just pissed off every nurse that is reading this, let me explain.
Paramedics have a unique advantage over Nurses, even some Doctors, for one major reason. We have to think on our feet with no one of higher authority or knowledge base in the Medical field is around. Nurses look to doctors, doctors look to specialists and so on. Paramedics often have to make split second decisions that can mean life or death. We may have to call on a doctor for orders, but the major recognition and decisions have already been made. Our reasoning skills, in high stress environments, operates at a high level; if you are in high stress environments on a regular basis. To achieve this as a Paramedic you need to be working full time at a high volume department. Not saying those boys and girls in the rural areas don’t know what they are doing, they are usually some of the best, but an inner city or busy suburban paramedic/firefighter is worth their weight in gold.
Unfortunately when TEOTWAWKI comes to fruition I will have already seen death, major trauma, and gunshot wounds. With this gruesome experience I can come into situations that for most will be unnatural, and will not have previous experience to draw on. We have a tendency as humans to stare at disastrous circumstances and just watch. Experience gets people from inaction-watching a disaster unfold, to action, to move or help out where you can. In same way it will help your brain more quickly realize when and how to escape or run the other way from a disaster.
I know from my little Marine Corps experience and my firefighting experience that knowing how you are going to perform under high stress, high stakes environments, is only achieved through doing it every day.
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