BUFFALO SOLDIER.

February 1, 2007

I wrote this one on the heels of a call that, frankly, lit a fire under me. Most days in EMS, you eat the dirt and move on—you let people talk down to you, question your judgment, and bury you in paperwork for doing the right thing. But every once in a while, you hit your limit. This was one of those days. What started as a routine call to a hospital turned into a power trip by a rent-a-cop who mistook authority for wisdom. The patient didn’t need a stretcher—she needed someone to listen. So I did. And when that earned me attitude and insults from someone in polyester pants with a badge that meant nothing, I decided to push back. This post was me drawing the line. Because standing up for patients sometimes means standing up for yourself too.