Being a Rescue 1122 driver

So this one day, I was waiting for my friend on Ferozepur road, in front of the Rescue 1122 office or station. A driver of the Rescue 1122 vehicle just came back from a call. So I walked up to him and decided to sit him down for a chat and fortunately, he was a friendly and quite an interesting guy due to his job so here’s some insights into a Rescue 1122 Driver’s job.

1. It is a very tough job which requires above average driving skills. Only the most experienced drivers get selected to drive the vehicles.
2. Drivers are expected to know all the major routes, they even have to go wrong way if they have to. In case of a complete traffic block, they should have an idea of alternate routes.
3. The drivers are also educated to basic EMT levels.
4. It is a stressful job as rushing to the place of concern and going back to hospital should be done swiftly, time is off the essence.
5. There is no glamour as some TV shows portray rescue driving as very exciting.
6. They have exercise drills as well as well as first aid courses from time to time. They know what they are doing.

Some issues reported by him that rescue drivers face are.

1. People do not give way to the vehicle even with the high beam and loud siren noise turned on.
2. People who go with the patient in the car pressurize the driver. Things like “Jaldi chalao”(Drive fast)  and “Ager saday mareez nu kuch hua te acha ni hoga tere sath”(if something happens to our patient you will pay the price) only puts additional stress on the driver. (Which I believe that a law should be made against such threats to protect the EMT staff from unnecessary stress and mental strain.)
3. Due to excessive driving and sitting behind the wheels in a tense mode, many drivers complain of pain/injuries to back, shoulder and neck. And must be provided therapy to deal with it.

I believe that these people are one of the Real-Life heroes that exist today. They are the first-responders to environments which are quite hazardous. Without their efforts and services, many people would not live to see another day. We should also give way to these rescue vehicles, even park our vehicles to a side if we have to. But I understand how stubborn this nation can be, and it should be a felony for the driver of the vehicle for not giving way to an emergency vehicle.

Also, we should not pressurize them if we are with them when they are driving as it will only cause anxiety to the driver and increase the probability of him making a mistake, ultimately harming the patient being carried.

And yet, still the driver said, even with all the drawbacks, one comes home with a feeling that he was a factor which helped saved lives of many people today, and my friend, that feeling is priceless.