I had the pleasure of attending a seminar not long ago that touched me in a very emotional way. Such much so, that it impacts how I do my job everyday. The speaker was a tenured Division Chief for the Denver, CO Fire Dept. He spoke of how many citizens and civilians depend very heavily on our level of preparedness and expertise as we respond to their fire and medical emergencies. I am not sure that we actually grasp the weight of such a responsibility. His particular area of focus was on our development of routines as we mitigate emergencies. We respond to so many incidents that we rarely put an actual face to a name or understand the impact of a fire or death on a community. Chief McGrail told a story of a financially well off family who upon deciding to create a family, went and found the best labor and delivery doctor that money could buy. After working with the doctor they were able to conceive a beautiful daughter. A few years went by and they decided to have another child. They went back to the doctor and he had retired. They again looked for the best doctor available that money could buy. They found a Harvard graduate with significant experience. The day of delivery comes and the mother is delivering the baby in the L&D room. A nurse who was assisting with the delivery interrupted the doctor and asked why the fetal heart monitor was located out of position high up on the mothers chest. The doctor looked in awe at the misplaced monitoring device and quickly discovered upon proper placement that the monitor was picking up the heart tones of the mother and not the baby. As a result the baby went 17 minutes in distress without being noticed. The child was born and as a result of the fetal distress is severely handicapped and unable to walk, talk, or care for himself. The doctor likely considered the delivery to be a standard "run of the mill" delivery and missed and important step that has impacted a life permanently. The disabled boy was Chief McGrail's son. He used that story to illustrate that routine and complacency can have impacts that may far surpass or awareness. He was let down by someone that he trusted. Don't let that doctor be you! People count on us everyday. Don't let them down!.
Travis Preau
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1 comment:
Dude, that's intense!
I really enjoyed reading this, not just because it illustrates a point about not letting your job get to be a mundane thing, but that it also shows that even some of the most routine things we do aren't so routine for other people.
A+ on this entry.
Riley
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