Life at EMS

Emergency Medical Services professionals (EMTs and Paramedics), are always on the go, but what does a typical day in the life of one look like?

At CCH in Gillette and Wright, a typical EMS pro works 24 hours at a time, and is assigned to a shift—A through D, and there are six people on each shift. These providers work a 24-hour long shift, have 24 hours off, and then work another 24-hour shift. Hopefully, they will then have five consecutive days off—if they don’t pick up any other shifts or work a special event. While they’re working, it’s not unusual for CCH EMS pros to average from seven to 10 calls per day—with an average of 3,500 calls per year in Campbell County, Wyoming. So, what do they do the rest of the time? Here are just a few of the daily tasks each staff member partakes in:

• Rig checks, which entails going through the ambulances to make sure they have all of the necessary equipment needed to save a life; as well as make sure the ambulance is running well
• Chores, which includes chart audits and reviews, billing audits, cleaning and organizing the base, ordering supplies, exercising, and training.
• Rounding in departments at Campbell County Memorial Hospital and The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center.
• Car seat inspections, which take place every Wednesday by appointment, and a few other events throughout the year thanks to Safe Kids Campbell County.
• Writing and/or reviewing policies and protocols.
• Writing reports and conducting patient satisfaction surveys from previous calls.

So, why may you see an EMS pro on shift (in uniform) shopping for food or running an errand? Remember, they work a 24-hour shift, and some days that may mean multiple calls, with little to no breaks or downtime. After all, emergencies happen 24-hours a day—emergencies don’t stop over lunch or dinner hours, or after 10 pm, when many are headed to bed; so, EMS pros have to grab food and rest whenever and wherever they can!

Also remember that these professionals keep the ambulances and department running smoothly; so most of the errands you may see them driving the ambulance on are for work. They may be driving to get the tires rotated or replaced, or to pick up some parts to get the ambulance running smoothly, or, they may be returning from a call.

If you have questions about any of this, feel free to contact EMS Director Christopher Beltz at 307-688-1161.

If you have questions related to how much tax revenue comes to Campbell County Health, please visit www.cchwyo.org/taxes for more information.