Hey, y’all! I interviewed CS Barnhart with the Austin Travis County EMS in today’s episode. We talked about her experiences and opinions on EMS. I hope you enjoy it! This episode will be the second part of the two-part segment of CS Barnhart’s interview. This episode with CS Barnhart explores the idea of alcohol and substance abuse in a downtown setting. It also dives deeper into the prevalent teamwork dynamic in emergency medical services.

Meet Paramedic Barnhart – 2/2 – Emergency Medicine Memoirs

First, CS Barnhart talks about how she sees a lot of overdose calls in the location of her station in downtown Austin. While she also sees other standard cases, such as people experiencing homelessness and gun violence, she notices many of the calls are centered around substance abuse. Nowadays, especially with Fentanyl being laced with different drugs, many people unknowingly take their drugs of choice and end up experiencing side effects that may be much more severe than what they’re used to. Something I hear a lot from different medics is that on the outside, it’s easy to tell people just to quit their drug use, and then they won’t have to suffer from the possibility of overdose. Yet, it’s much more complicated than that. Due to the severity of addictions, if some people decide to go cold turkey, they might have the possibility of dying since their body is so reliant on the drug. Instead, whenever we run overdose cases, I hear the medics telling patients to always stick to their regular dealer to ensure none of their drugs are unknowingly laced with other drugs. This ensures that drug users can continue taking their drugs safely if they do not want to quit.

Next, CS Barnhart emphasizes the importance of the teamwork dynamic in the public safety setting. She talks about how teamwork is simply part of the job and how if someone can’t handle teamwork, they most likely won’t be suitable for a career in the first responder field. She illustrates that even if the team may have some grudges against each other, in EMS, at the end of the day, both people are there to help the patient and need to work together to provide the patient with the best care possible. And sometimes, partners can become each other’s closest friends. As per CS Barnhart’s statement, sometimes, individuals can become so close that they develop a telepathic connection. Moreover, teamwork holds significant importance not just for the patients but also for the medics. In the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) field, discussing the distressing and traumatic incidents one might have encountered can be challenging when talking to family members. However, it becomes easier to open up to a partner who was present during those events, as they can relate to some of the experiences.

Ultimately, CS Barnhart highlights how quitting drug use is not always a straightforward solution, as severe addictions can lead to dangerous withdrawal effects. Similarly, in the context of public safety, CS Barnhart stresses the crucial role of teamwork in the first responder field. Despite potential conflicts, working together is essential for providing the best care to patients. She also highlights how close partnerships can develop between team members, sometimes leading to a deep, almost telepathic connection, allowing them to cope better with their traumatic experiences.