Breath of Lifetells the story of a volunteer firefighter's life as an EMT and a firefighter. Author Daniel McVey chronicles the harrowing stories of saving lives and facing death on a daily basis; he also shares stories of the dedication and professionalism of his comrades. He describes the small village on Long Island called Floral Park, where he belonged to the Rescue Company of the Floral Park Fire Department. While they were primarily responsible for medical emergencies; the stories included in Breath of Life provide an intimate view of the dangers these heroes faced as volunteers who also had full-time jobs. Growing up in Floral Park, McVey set his sights on becoming a volunteer firefighter after taking a CPR course taught by three members of the Rescue Company. From that point on, his stories give a realistic picture of the stresses of emergency care for life-threatening emergencies. Covering the period from the mid to late 1980s into the 1990s, McVey chronicles how the morale of the Rescue Company had many ups and downs and how several members brought the company back together again. In July of 1999, he responded to his last call, thus ending an exciting time as a volunteer firefighter.

BREATH OF LIFE

The Life of a Volunteer FirefighterBy Daniel B. McVey

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Daniel B. McVey
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-5421-3

Contents

Prologue.....................................................1Burning Desires..............................................10Bus Fire.....................................................24A Returned Favor.............................................26He's Our Brother.............................................29Unknown Difficulty With a Baby...............................33A Ticket to Eighty-Six.......................................34Installation of 1979.........................................36Questions, Answers, and War Stories..........................39Dad, I Broke the Side Door...................................44Man Collapsed While Mowing His Lawn..........................46A Drill Come True............................................49Probie School................................................53Four Back-to-Back Calls in June 1979.........................57Take a Deep Breath and Pitch In..............................63Fall Semester of 1979........................................77The New Ambulance............................................92Spring of 1980...............................................95Summer of 1980...............................................103Fall of 1980.................................................116Show the Kid the Ropes.......................................125Florida in 1981..............................................132Back on the Job..............................................135Rock Bottom..................................................140Committees...................................................150By the Grace of God..........................................154When It Hits Home............................................159Snow Standby.................................................173Unfound for Hours............................................177Self-Destruction.............................................180Interagency Rivalry..........................................184What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?.....................187Possible Suicide Attempt.....................................195Pedestrian Accident..........................................196Difficulty Breathing.........................................198The Four-Hundred-Pound Overdose..............................200Baby Turning Blue............................................201Super Blow Sunday............................................203Job Change...................................................205Back in Action...............................................209Man in the Bathtub...........................................212It's Always a Pleasure.......................................215Shot in the Foot.............................................218The End of the Road..........................................220Epilogue.....................................................227

Chapter One

Burning Desires

It was the night of the February council meeting. Pete Feehan was sworn into the Rescue Company. Robert Lofarro was sworn into the Reliance Engine Company. Kevin Green was sworn into the Alert Engine Company either that night or at the previous month's meeting, when I had been sworn in.

This night, however, Pete was in the Rescue room filling out paperwork. Meanwhile, as most newcomers did, we were talking about the abuses we Probationary members knew we were about to face. Pete was already receiving a hard time from the other members, since his father was the village clerk and there was friction between the village political arena and the fire department regarding the ambulance we were going to get. Meanwhile, the town had only a heavy-duty rescue truck that transported victims in critical condition or members of the fire department or their families. In all other cases, the county police ambulance was used to transport patients to the hospital. I knew it was just a matter of time before other members started abusing me since I was one of the new boys on the block. I later found out that it would be like walking on eggs to get approval and acceptance from them.

I was still waiting for my first call. One night I was on Jericho Turnpike. buying a pack of cigarettes. The horn alarm system did not sound because it was after 11:00 at night. However, I heard the siren of the rescue truck from a distance. I knew we had a call. I responded to the firehouse. The black board in front of the firehouse gave the location and I responded. By the time I arrived at the scene, the Nassau County police ambulance was already there. They were carrying the patient on a stair chair. Gary Krug was holding an emesis basin while the patient was vomiting. I knew this was something I had to get used to. I was confident that I would get used to it in a matter of time. Mike Ostipwko told me he was suffering from a hiatus hernia. I said, "That is not life threatening, is it." Mike said "No but it can scare the hell out of you." A hiatus hernia often has the symptoms of a heart attack. This patient was removed to the hospital by the police ambulance. This was the first call I responded to. I knew I had a lot to learn and I had to get used to facing people who are sick or injured. I was determined to develop enough confidence to do just that.

By this time, I was starting the spring semester of my junior year at New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury. I was at home, doing homework, when I heard the alarm horn sound. It was a 22, which meant a rescue call. Then I heard my radio sound, after which it gave the location and the nature of the emergency: a woman was paralyzed. I ran downstairs, out the door, and to my car. On my way there, I was stopped at a red light on Carnation Avenue and feeling anxious. I remembered what people had said about speeding to the scene and trying to be a hero, however, so I waited. I saw the reflection of the rescue-truck lights shining on the building across the street from the firehouse. They were waiting for the full crew. Finally, they pulled away, sounding the siren, and off they went to the scene. I knew it would be better to miss the truck than to violate traffic rules, so I drove my car to the scene.

When I arrived, I walked into the house. This was the first time I had gone into a house that we had been called to. On the previous call, I had arrived when they were carrying the patient out to the ambulance. Inside the house, I observed an elderly woman lying on the floor, with a cane next to her. She was in a semiconscious state. The men from the company were putting the scoop stretcher under her and splinting her leg.

When they snapped the scoop stretcher, she cried, "I'm dead!"

Jim McEntee said, "No, you're going to be all right."

The Nassau County Police ambulance transported her to the hospital.

Meanwhile, I was shivering due to a combination of the cold weather and the excitement of the call. The crew had acted very professionally, and I knew that this was the way I would have to act if I were to be the one doing the work.

After the call, I was told that she might have had a stroke and that they had splinted her leg and spine to treat for the worst, since she apparently had fallen. The splinting was also done for "psychological first-aid" purposes. The splinting was to make her think that she was not having a stroke.

It was good to talk about calls when they were over so we would all know what to do the next time we ran into a call with...