Ex-whackers: What's your story?

[kristo]

I believe, at one point or another, many of us were whackers. I'm curious as to when this was, how did it manifest itself, and how you got out.

I'll start. My roots are in volunteer search and rescue. When I first started, I liked patches from courses I had completed, like "Wilderness First Responder", and later "Wilderness EMT", and put them on my uniforms.

I had a 65 L Conterra "ALS Extreme" backpack in the trunk of my car, even though my level of training was only EMT basic. It contained fluids, IV sets, trauma stuff, some OTC pain killers and antihistamines, epi pens, corticosteroids (prednisone). I went looking for an accelerated EMT-I course (didn't find one, luckily). I whined about professional EMS and fire "invading" our turf by establishing dive teams, fast boat rescue, and wilderness EMS.

Gradually, I grew up, and decided I wanted to be a health professional, not a whacker, so I finished college in night school and am now a full-time medical student (just finished first year).

[Dustdevil]

I plead the Fifth.

Let's just say it's a good thing there was no such thing as Gall's in the 70's.

:oops:

[Yummymedic05]

Depends on who's definition of whacker you use. I graduated and was proud of myself, but never working in EMS before, and never being around it in my life, no one told me the rules of buying blue lights and stars of life. I do what I want and don't pay much attention to what others say, so I feel I skipped that chapter in life, but there's still hope for me.

[pyroknight]

I was a whacker in college. I had a Ford Escort GT with a Dash Laser and alternating brake / reverse lights. I carried my own big jump kit (no ALS equipment though, not even after I GOT my EMT-I, I wasn't THAT much of a whacker ). My next vehicle was a Ford Bronco II. It received a dual dash strobe, the Dash Laser lost the mirror and moved to the back. I hooked a headlight flasher up to the high beams and a pair of driving lights mounted to the bumper. We won't talk about the driving lights pointing out the back hooked to the reverse lights (or, for that matter, the fact that you could turn them on when NOT backing up - I would never have used that on tail-gaters, honest).

At some point I grew up a little and saw enough emergencies to realize that none of them was worth risking my life or the lives of others. I stopped trying to force my way through traffic and the lights became less important. My F-150 has a three-LED dashlight (that my wife bought for me) that I augment with my hazard flashers if necessary. I don't even use it THAT often. I am usually just "heading that way routine."

I FEEL like a whacker in the new EMS gear that I was issued, but it is more comfortable than having to throw on full fire turnout gear (damn it sure is bright red though - bright red with reflective yellow stripes).

[Cookie]

The only thing I have that identifies me as an EMT is my license in my billfold, and my uniform I wear on calls. I have a T shirt given to me as a joke, CO ED Naked EMT "Only the tuff work a code in the buff" I have that down deep in the dresser. I have also carried a first aid kit in my trunk since I have owned a car and been driving and I have been driving since 1964.

So for being a whacker, I definitely am not.

[spenac]

I was sadly once one of the evil but most didn't know it as I did not add lights and such. Now the joke in the area was if the ambulance doesn't have it spenac probably has one in his truck. So I guess I used to be a closet whacker.

Thank goodness I woke up and went for the big bucks.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I used to have a yugo that had 10 rotating red and blue lights, a fanny pack that was bigger than most trauma packs that the us department of defense provided.

I had 9 different shears of all types, 5 different pen lights and center punches.

2 stethoscopes, a adult and a pediatric.

I also carried a disaster trailer behind the yugo. The disaster trailer also had spot lights that put the department of transportation highway department to shame.

But in reality, I was a 18 year old whacker but I was shocked out of it when a veteran paramedic said to me "Ruff, you're a whacker, Grow up!!!"

[primemedic01]

When I got my basic in '05, I went and got myself an EMT T-shirt, hoodie, and a BLS first in bag.. I'll abstain from saying whether or not I got it from Galls.. I think I just gave it away.

Within a month the bag was out of my car and I was using the t-shirt as a rag.

The change came fairly quickly for me, thankfully, for two main reasons. Numero Uno, I wasn't as bad as some people can be, so that made the transition from semi-whacker to a respectable (which I suppose is still questionable, haha) human being. Numero Dos, my father is a LT for one of the largest, busiest, and most respected Fire/Medic departments in the state. He said if I was ever a true whacker he'd castrate me, at the sake of his own reputation.

I suppose even the condition that I had could be debated as being a brand new basic who's ready to save some lives vs. end stage whackeritis. I guess that's still a fairly thin line though.

Now, I have a pair of gloves and a pocket mask in my glove box.

Ruff's previous post reminded me of a picture I posted sometime last year. I believe it to be appropriate to repost.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Prime, that's classic. That is so Whacker I have a co-worker who I think you modelled that off of.

[rdelisle]

Does owning the first three seasons of Emergency on DVD count? If yes then I'm a whacker :shock: :oops: