I knew (or hoped) when I got to work that our regular ambulance would not be there. It was time for maintenance on it and there were a bunch of things that needed to be fixed on it. So it was just a question of what are we driving these days? Well we had one of the oldest trucks in the fleet, truck 1919. We saw that the box is at least from 2000, not sure if the actual truck is 21 years old as well, but it sure feels like it. Looking at the odometer and the amount of unit numbers the truck has passed, it’s not impossible…

But heck, it’s rolling. Yes, the engine light is on and it doesn’t go in reverse all the time but… the wheels are rolling and you can shut the doors, so it works just fine. What annoys me is that these older trucks are so much smaller so I can’t stand tall in the box. I hit my head so many times, I come home with a headache and bruises in my hair.

Another quite annoying problem with these trucks are that they don’t have a cup holder! I have my EMS cup that keeps my water cold all day long and it needs a holder. Well, then we have to be a little bit innovative and use what we have. Neither me or my partner use small gloves so out they go, in with my cup, problem solved!

You can tell there has been cups in there before, not the first one to think about it… but it was the first time for me…

Considering how busy we’ve been lately this shift wasn’t too bad. Certainly not one of the worst but the hospitals are so full they go on divert. Sometimes just one, sometimes all. It is one crazy madhouse. The patients doesn’t have a choice anymore where they want to go, we have to go where there is room, or where we are told to go.

Two more days in this roundabout. Then a day off again. Will head to bed so I can rest as much as possible until the alarm goes off at 1:40 am…