Medics Involved in Virginia Tech Shootings.

[tniuqs]

Well lets look on the positive side for "just a second", the link shows a picture of the Professionals that Rid and myself related to.

Matt Green and Matt Lewis, Tech Rescue Squad members and Virginia Tech students

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/2007..._the_shock.html

BLOOD WAS POURING out of her body from three gunshot wounds.Yet the female student was surprisingly calm and alert as paramedics worked to keep her alive."She knew what had happened to her, but her injuries were very serious," said Steve Shelor, captain of Long Shop-McCoy Rescue Squad. "She was probably calmer than I would have been in her situation." In a makeshift triage clinic outside Norris Hall, Shelor and dozens of other emergency medical workers on Monday had tended to the wounded as best they could. In some cases, no doubt, their doctoring meant the difference between life and death. The young woman, whom Shelor declined to identify, would make it. But there were moments when Shelor wasn't so sure. She had lost so much blood that paramedics feared she'd go into shock. They ran intravenous lines into both her arms. They pumped her body full of saline. As they gingerly lifted her into the back of the ambulance, she looked into Shelor's eyes and asked for comfort."She asked me to tell her a story," Shelor said. "That kind of worried me. That kind of made me think that she was going to go downhill kind of quick. It seemed like a weird thing to ask."Shelor said he wanted to fulfill her request, but there was too little time and too much to do. During the three-minute ride to the hospital, Shelor worked at a frenetic pace, checking her blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels."I wish I could tell you that I told her some big, long tale, but time passes quickly," Shelor said. "I told her to hang in there. I told her she was going to be OK."Once at Montgomery County (Md.) Regional Hospital, the young woman was rushed into surgery. She is now recovering.

Like so many other EMS workers on the scene that day, Shelor said he tried not to think about the unspeakable carnage before him."Obviously you think about your own child when you are working on someone pretty close to their age," said Shelor, 52, the father of a 14-year-old son. Dozens of EMS workers gathered last night at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Blacksburg to comfort one another. The private assembly allowed EMS workers to reflect and grieve.None could remember an event so singularly tragic."There are some things you never forget," said Buford Belcher, captain of the Newport Volunteer Rescue Squad, one of a dozen squads called to Virginia Tech. "You learn to live with it and you learn to tolerate it, but you never forget. You never forget."Belcher, 63, who did not attend last night's gathering, said the campus shootings brought back memories of when he responded to the murders of two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in the 1980s. Other EMS workers recalled when 16 people were hurt in a 1996 balcony collapse at a Blacksburg apartment complex. And a 2001 natural-gas explosion in Radford City, 20 miles from Blacksburg, that killed three people. But Blacksburg is not a place associated with killings. In its 2005-2006 annual report, the Blacksburg Police Department reported zero murders for the third straight year.

Virginia Tech Rescue Squad members Matthew Lewis and Matthew Green, both 21, said they're typically called to respond to alcohol-related accidents and illnesses on campus. "It just didn't seem real," Lewis said. On Monday afternoon, Belcher and two other Newport volunteers waited inside Norris Hall with a stretcher as police officers brought bodies down from classrooms. Their ambulance served as a hearse. They transported two of the 33 dead, including shooter Cho Seung-Hui, to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke, Belcher said."You do the job you're trained to do," Belcher said. "Then after it's over with, you sit down and reflect on everything and that's when it starts to get to you. It gets to you - I reckon I have to say it that way." *

[emtpsaveu911]

Got you to notice the newspaper and watch CNN, respectively, didn't it? Why do they resort to such tactics? Because it works, and it gets people to read the paper and watch TV. Now stop complaining, watch the news, and pay attention to the commericals when the TV tells you to.

I turned into the news on the radio when it first broke. I wanted to hear if it was an isolated incident or not and how many people were killed. After that, I haven't read any news articles or watched the news at all on it. What more do I need to know? Until the American public stops confusing entertainment with information, it will be round the clock bloodbath coverage with big flashing graphics and talking head 'experts'. You only have yourself to blame.

By the way... I hear they found new Jon Benet Ramsey evidence.... Or maybe it was something about Scott Peterson...no, wait it was definitely something about the girl who disappeared in the Bahamas. Definitely. Or maybe it was OJ. I'm not sure now. Whatever it was it was an exclusive, shocking, provocative, piece of expert journalism.

I think maybe i should edit my comment i didn't find out about this terrible thing until around early afternoon that day. I happened to turn on the TV ( idiot box) and it was plastered on almost every channel i turned to sooooo. I watched in horror long enough to find out the gist of the situation and then moved on but like i said before the whole time i did watch (maybe 15 minutes tops) it was plastered as stated above. I am not complaining i was just agreeing with StickEm's view of how it was handled/portrayed in the media. That is why i hate to watch CNN or FOX or any big news outlet. And much like you Asys I have not watched anymore news on it either. So i'm not sure if you were directing that at me but if you were back away from the kool aid i wasn't blaming anyone for anything just making an observation along with someone elses comment. :? Also i realize you don't know me from adam but i have been in this business for a long enough time not to be caught up in the oh-my god-squad mentality. And I certainly hope that no one in their right mind would confuse all those people being killed and injured as entertainment.

Well except for maybe the news outlets... :? :x

[mrmeaner]

Ok, maybe you guys are just better people than I am, but forgiving the shooter is something that I'm about 257 years away from (give or take). People are willing to forgive him for his actions, but in the same breath, are condeming the news channels for covering the information (choking the ca ca out of someone). Don't think for a minute that I like the media any better than filling my taxes, but what about responsibility for your actions. You watch the channel, don't watch it if you don't like it. He shot 32 people and then killed himself. He knew what he was doing was wrong and took the easy way out.

I hope they didn't bury him in a sweater.

[Asysin2leads]

EMTP. sorry if you took offense, I was just offering my comments on why the news media is the way it is. Its always been that way, and it will always be that way, ever since someone chiseled on a tablet an in depth look at the mind of the invading Goths.

If you ever really want good, semi-non biased news, the BBC does it pretty well. You can also listen to NPR, but be forewarned, you might end up eating tofu and wearing birkenstocks.

[StickEm]

Ok, maybe you guys are just better people than I am, but forgiving the shooter is something that I'm about 257 years away from (give or take). People are willing to forgive him for his actions, but in the same breath, are condeming the news channels for covering the information (choking the ca ca out of someone). Don't think for a minute that I like the media any better than filling my taxes, but what about responsibility for your actions. You watch the channel, don't watch it if you don't like it. He shot 32 people and then killed himself. He knew what he was doing was wrong and took the easy way out.

I hope they didn't bury him in a sweater.

I wasn't condoning shooting sprees by ripping on the news media. Of course I forgive them for being crass, I just didn't like seeing that headline -it was disrespectful.

I didn't ever say the guy was just fine, or I would EASILY forgive him, but being a Christian, I feel like some pity is in order. He IS pitiful, after all. He was mantally disturbed.

The editor in chief of the AJC is not.

[Scaramedic]

I hope they didn't bury him in a sweater.

:scratch: :dontknow:

Peace,

Marty

[emtpsaveu911]

Asys--

2 words:

Menstrual cramps no J/k... i guess just read into your post to much on an off day.? Just an excuse for being an ass i know but anyway i am sorry. :oops:

Thanks for the tip on the BBC. :wink:

[mrmeaner]

StickEm,

Sorry, I shouldn't have singled you out because you surely aren't the only one. I just don't understand the tennancy to forgive due to the bad things that happen in people's lives. I don't know the details of his life, but unless he had been previously beaten, abused or otherwise attacked by the 50+ people he murdered or injured, I don't see how he's deserving of pity, however generous you may be.

It's gets aggrivating to hear people sympathize with a murderer because at some point in his life somebody wasn't nice to him or because his life wasn't just rosey like he expected it to be (not meaning you). A flight nurse recently took his two childrens' lives and then his own apparently due to the stress of a nasty divorce. Do I feel bad that his family was being torn apart due to divorce? Yes. Can I forgive him for what he did? No. Not even close. There is NO reason to take eight and four year old children out of this world no matter how rough your life is.

But, like I said, maybe you guys are just better people than I am and I am wrong.

Oh, yeah.

:scratch: :dontknow:

I was just implying that it's going to be hot where he's going. :evil: Very hot.

[mrmeaner]

Sorry guys,

I just looked at the title again as I was scrolling through the forum and realized that I pulled this thread off the origional topic which is way more important than my opinions. :oops:

It's about time EMS gets good press, especially for a job well done. I live in an area where that hasn't been the case. Great job to all who responded to the Virginia Tech shootings and to all who took care of patients, families and friends.

My condolences to anyone who lost anyone or had a loved one hurt in this tragedy. Hopefully all recoveries are quick and lasting.

Hopefully no one else has to respond to a scene like that again.

[Dustdevil]

One thing that has made the bile churn for me has been the way the news media can hardly contain it's joy at such a good news day. If they think by blandly stating in robotic monotone that "this is such a tragic incident." somehow covers up their secret glee, they are indeed mistaken.

They are maggots who don't even wait for the corpses to rot a little before feasting copiously on them. THIS is the worst dishonor to the victims, IMO.

Oh puhleeeze. :roll:

Having spent a decade as a news journalist myself, in addition to three decades as a medic, I can honestly say that I see this attitude a LOT more among EMS providers than I do among professional journalists. If you haven't noticed that, then you are either wearing blinders or simply have very little experience.

EMS has no room to cast proverbial stones at those they accuse of profiting off of the suffering of others.