PULSE Magazine | February 2020 Issue

it is a third service department — I could focus on being a para- medic and have similar pay and benefits one might have working for a fire department. ATCEMS looked to give me the ability to be a single role paramedic in a city department with good pay and benefits, and a retirement at the end of my career was a plus. What is your favorite part about working here at ATCEMS? The people, hands down. I work with some of the coolest people around. Paramedics tend to have some of the best humor one can find. They constantly make me laugh and make my shifts very fun. I have made some great friends over the years, and many times I feel like I get paid to go hang out with my buddies for 24 hours. Who can beat that?! If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them? I would start out at the Cathedral of Junk. One of Austin’s hidden and strange gems, I think it represents Austin’s true character. A close second would be a nice run around Lady Bird Lake, renting a paddle board, or hiking through the green belt. What is your favorite taco joint in town? Rudy’s breakfast tacos. Not a very hipster taco, but they are delicious, and Rudy’s takes excellent care of Austin’s first re- sponders. What do you do on your days off to relax and unwind? The wife and I like to travel a lot. I take time off and we go to lots of places. I’ve been doing triathlons and marathons for the last five years. I’ve found that working out helps with the stress of the job and keeps me healthy and strong for the mental and physical stress that comes with becoming an older paramedic. When I’m not doing any of that, I’m usually found at the park with our dogs, or at the movies or out on the town with the wife. Who inspires you? My teammates in Special Operations. They constantly push me to be better, and are some of the most talented medics I’ve ever worked with. Don’t tell them that, however; they already have big heads. What is the next place you would like to visit? Why? We are planning on going to Australia next summer. It’s been on our list of countries to visit for some time. I want to swim in Great Barrier Reef for my 40th birthday. Word of advice for an aspiring medic? Never forget that you and your family always come before a job. EMS is a 24 hour business and is always open and operating. If you’re not careful you can easily give more of yourself than there is, and that’s called burnout. Avoid overtime and build a life outside of this job. Remember that EMS is more about helping people and fixing problems than saving lives. You will indeed save some lives and get on the news, but you will help thousands more by just being there for them and being kind and competent in their own time of need. If you can find joy in the simplicity of being a helper of people and not just a life saver you will have a long and rewarding career in EMS. Also, read Thom Dick’s book “People Care” once a year — really!

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