EMS: Courage and Compassion in Action: The 'Other Rock Star'

By Shawn Godfrey
09:00AM / Monday, November 19, 2007

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Shawn Godfrey

Those who know me can attest to my undying passion for music. One could argue I'm an audiophile because I'm obsessed with all genres and how they are written, produced, recorded, and performed. It could be rock, blues, jazz, country, rap and even some classical; it doesn't matter.

The idea of a satisfying life without listening or playing music is utterly alien to me, and since I love my job as a paramedic, I thought a tongue-and-cheek approach of combining the two would make for a fun read.

After reading that David Lee Roth, the on-again, off-again singer for the rock band Van Halen, had trained in 2004 as a paramedic with a New York City ambulance crew, I was, to say the least, astonished. I couldn't envision the roller-skating spandex-wearing buffoon from the "Just a Gigolo" video driving an ambulance, let alone holding a human being's fate in his hands.

To help support my argument, most people I asked would assume they were in heavy metal purgatory if they opened their eyes to see Dave Lee Roth wielding a defibrillator or IV needle above them.

Better yet, imagine yourself riding in the passenger's seat of an ambulance at 70 mph while "Diamond Dave" lip-syncs "Running with the Devil" as it blares from the stereo speakers. Actually, scratch that; that might be fun.

According to The Associated Press, Roth has provided emergency services to more than 200 NYC residents over an approximately four-week period, and during this time saved the life of a Bronx woman by shocking her back to life with a defibrillator.

As I was reading the article, an interesting thought hit me: is the emergency medical technician (EMT) more like a rock star than we think? As I juxtaposed the respective and often odd circumstances the EMT and rock stars encounter, I would have to say yes.

Here is my hypothesis:

  1. Like rock stars, EMTs are typically up all night or working into the wee hours of the morning.

  2. Some rock stars and EMTs go two or three days without showering. Don't ask.

  3. A rock star's limousine is often chased by fans, where an EMT's ambulance is often chased by lawyers.

  4. Although many of them shouldn't, individuals from both professions wear extraordinarily tight clothing and big boots.

  5. Both are often exposed to mind-altering substances. Only for the EMT, it's for the treatment side of it, we hope.

  6. EMTs, like rock stars, characteristically have poor diets, eating fast food and drinking copious amounts of caffeine, especially while on the road.

  7. Both are often exposed to violent or belligerent behavior.

  8. Loud noises are a fundamental part of both professions. For the rock star it's of course the music. For the EMT, it's the siren and sometimes the music, depending on who your partner is.

  9. EMTs are often near people who are sweaty and smell bad. Rock stars ARE usually the people who are sweaty and smell bad.

  10. Both professions are frequently exposed to unwanted, or dare I say wanted, bodily fluids.

  11. Sleeping in a van or "bus" is sometimes the only option for the rock star or the EMT.

  12. Both are either idolized or hated by the people they "perform" for.

  13. Like the rock star, the EMT must be skilled with the instruments he or she uses.

  14. Many now have tattoos and/or piercings, and that's just the EMTs.

  15. In order for the rock star or the EMT to improve at their job, he or she must practice.

  16. Finally, some rock stars aspire to be EMTs, while some EMTs aspire to be rock stars.

As of October 2007, David Lee Roth returned to singing for Van Halen, and plans for an upcoming world tour are in the planning stages.

Apparently when Dave signed on to be a paramedic, he missed the memo stating the biggest difference between the two professions is how much money you could earn. Come to think of it, so did I.

So, as I leave you with this column to digest, think of me cooped up in my basement eagerly trying to master the guitar. However for me, playing the guitar is strictly for fun. I wouldn't trade anything for being the low-paid "other rock star."

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