Bernhard Posted May 31, 2012 Posted May 31, 2012 We have a kind of funeral code in EMS/fire/police/disaster response: a black band attached to all vehicle's antenna for a few weeks. If the person was member of a volly department (EMS/FD), they usually have their local banner with at least three uniformed guards present at the funeral. Unfortunately I had to stand there as such recently when a member died at age 36 from an unknown heart disease. There is no special funeral code for other members than the banner guard, they simply attend the funeral - most EMS staff doesn't have formal uniforms unless they're a fire based service. The volly department banner guard is present on some other festivities as well, if applicable (church processions, anniversaries of local or befriended clubs and so on). Organizational marching bands are known but rare, unfortunately. Other more happy "traditions" include a yearly barbecue. In former years the night shift on christmas and newyear's eve usually found some present from management in the station (usually something to eat, sometimes other useful stuff, I still have the mini-maglite with an imprinted star of life from 1999/2000). Don't know if that's still the case, since I have family I avoid those shifts and having on-call chief/supervisor duty seems not to count. BTW: checking stuff at shift start I wouldn't name a tradition but self-evident... Hah! Just read the original posting and realized, this thread got in another direction somewhere between... traditions one brings to the workplace and traditions one brings home from the workplace. Hm... traditions transferred between home and (EMS) workplace? No. Eating meals too fast, having gloves in every pocket, a ritualized system of stuffing things into trousers/jackets, constantly checking if a pen is with me, asking "Request: Loation?" on the phone instead of "Hi dear, where are you now?" and such things? Yes.
Richard B the EMT Posted May 31, 2012 Posted May 31, 2012 Also mentioning, on the EMS station, the firehouse, or the police station, of the deceased personnel, they also put up those mourning fans, and the flag lowered to half staff. The staff with two snakes belonged to Hermes if I'm not mistaken.As I keep mixing up the Greek with the Roman Gods, we could both be correct. They had different names for the same gods.
BAYAMedic Posted May 31, 2012 Posted May 31, 2012 In regards to the snake and staff, it is as likely to be the snake and rod referenced in Numbers 21:6-9. "And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us. And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal-staff; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal-staff: and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived."
Eydawn Posted May 31, 2012 Posted May 31, 2012 The caduceus was the staff associated with Hermes. It is traditionally the symbol of money and banking. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus The staff of Asclepius is the staff with the single snake, associated with healing (and also with the Moses story). See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius There y'go... Wendy CO RN-ADN Student
Bernhard Posted June 3, 2012 Posted June 3, 2012 (edited) Just me being trechnical, but the staff Mr Asclepius uses has 2 snakes, the SoL has only one. Check me on the legend: Asclepius threw his staff between 2 snakes that were fighting, and they both crawled around it in the pattern which we now are so familier? Sorry, nope. The staff with snake(s) is a concept that seems to be mis-interpreted mostly by US citizens...: The staff of Asclepius is the one which represents medical knowledge - it has only one snake...see http://en.wikipedia....od_of_Asclepius. The Hermes or Mercury staff represents mainly governmental/military authority and trade business (associated to Hermes' messaging style) - with two snakes. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus. Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia....bol_of_medicine even states that "the traditional symbol of Hermes featuring two snakes around an often winged staff, is often mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine instead of the Rod of Asclepius, especially in the United States of America". On the other hand, the statement "two-snake caduceus design has ancient and consistent associations with commerce, eloquence, trickery and negotiation [...] sometimes associated with alchemy and wisdom" sounds a bit if it fits rather perfect to nowadays EMS business. And there is noone saying you can't start your own tradition: "The modern use of the caduceus as a symbol of medicine became established in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century as a result of documented mistakes, misunderstandings and confusion". Seems a perfect rational base for introducing that symbol in emergency medicine. Just my 0.2 EUR (sic!), EDIT: Sorry for double answering - somehow I had the reply editor open since a few days and didn't read the other answers. Edited June 3, 2012 by Bernhard
Eydawn Posted June 3, 2012 Posted June 3, 2012 I was about to say, wth mate I used the same links and everything! Lol... Wendy CO RN-ADN Student
Bernhard Posted June 3, 2012 Posted June 3, 2012 Yeah, could have saved me some time. But, it's a nice answer, so I let it there.
Recommended Posts