It is 18.30 a clock on a sunny Saturday; everybody relaxes barbecuing and looking forward on watching football. Not but the lifesaver of the DRC. For it begins in the ambulance station in the beautiful by 19 a clock the night shift.
If there is somewhere an emergency situation, two teams who wear the reflective clothing will be ready in the morning until at 7 a clock. "We expect a tough night," says Kerstin "After football, the people drink often more than they can tolerate. Also fights come then more often than usual." The 29-year-old trainer is now accompanied by night trainee Andreas Winner. It is the first time that the two together as a team work.
Until the beginning of the shift Moving is first time announced: Kerstin Marker exchanged jeans and flip-flops against work pants and heavy security shoes. About the white T-shirt with the German Red Cross overprint still is the red jacket with the use of reflective tape. Based on the clothes the DRC employees are recognized on site at a glance. Then it's off to the garage. There, the colleagues of the day shift just parka the two ambulances. The two teams in safety vest have to check the vehicles, so that there are no problems later. Trainee Andreas Winner verifies that all drugs and enough dressing materials are available. "This will eventually become routine." After checking there once nothing to do, "the football game still has not even started," says Kerstin Marker and laughs.
Employees meet in the cozy kitchen and plan their dinner. They agree on, to order pizza, the money for the messenger will ever counted, put into an envelope and placed in front of the door. "It often happens that directly go inside after ordering emergency calls to both teams and there is no one to take the pizza in receiving," says Marker. This time everything is going well, but is eaten just as the first bite, you will hear a peep at Winner waistband: the first emergency of the evening.
Now everything has to happen very quickly: Kerstin Marker and Andreas Winner leave their half-eaten pizza slices fall back into the carton and running in the garage. The door is already open, a loud siren we go, across the municipality Herrnstein. While driving female passenger Kerstin Marker opens the window to the interior of the ambulance, and briefly explains the case: A deep fryer has burned, the owner of the house has smoke inhaled and must be hospitalized. Family and neighbors surround the coughing woman. It quickly becomes clear that this is indeed a serious problem is, however, the situation is by no means life threatening. Kerstin Marker and Andreas Winner supply the lady and go hospitalized for observation. You will need to stay overnight there. After the woman is in the care of a doctor and some formalities are clarified. In the lounge sitting colleagues Miriam Gorge and Frank back and look at the football match between Germany and Ghana. "For us, there was so far nothing to do," said Gorge He is replaced by fatigue. "I'm going to lie down now," says Miriam Gorge and disappears towards relaxation room. If there is nothing to do, the paramedics the night shift will have the opportunity to doze a little.
"This is not a good night's sleep," says Kerstin Marker. "It startles constantly because it is expected that the detector beeps. And if that happens, you have to be in top shape in seconds. We young rescuers in reflective safety vest makes night work is much more than the older colleagues."
Insomnia include besides Burnout and back problems among the most common illnesses among rescue teams. For this reason, there is the possibility of taking advantage of features of occupational health management, as Philipp Koehler, spokesman with the emergency service declared it.
The hours dabble there, on television runs quietly an action-packed Hollywood flick, but which could not be captivate. Gradually all employees fall into a kind of twilight state. After the man was delivered at the hospital, there again the next emergency: An elderly patient with lung various serious pre-existing conditions could not breathe more, and must be artificially ventilated rescue workers already in the ambulance by the emergency physician and. With flashing lights and wailing sirens it's off to the hospital, where a team takes care of several doctors to the retiree who is now under anesthesia.
It is now almost 6 a clock, and the fatigue of the rescuers is gone. "By this the adrenaline is to blame," says Andreas Winner, who cleans just the ambulance from cover to cover. It is not yet closing time can do much to happen until the end of the shift at 7 a clock. "The last application we have used up a lot," said Winner.
Up to 7 a clock no longer is an emergency, the colleagues take off their reflective jacket and go to have a rest. All drink only times still together a coffee and discuss the events of the night before heading for the quartet home to bed. They have deserved, after all, they have to be fit again in the evening when the beeper will sound again.