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ACEP Now: Vol 40 – No 10 – October 2021

Members of the Urban Search and Rescue team assessed the site during a night shift.
Benjamin Abo

The Feelings Factor

In our line of work, we become adept at compartmentalizing our feelings and pushing through. For me, that fine line of staying strong and calm while also acknowledging I need to prioritize my own mental health—that is a consistent balancing act, an internal conflict we all face. I’ve worked in EMS for 25 years. I’m trained in critical incident stress management, and I’ve been on a number of “once-in-a-lifetime” calls. I’ve lost co-workers, partners, and mentors to suicide or substance abuse. When we feel the need to constantly be strong and we don’t have that outlet to talk through it with someone, that’s often when we see the mental health struggles. Even the strongest substances can break. But I know firsthand that the balancing act is hard; it’s a constant effort.

Members of the Urban Search and Rescue team comfort each other during a memorial service after spending several weeks working at the scene.
Rick Stephens of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Man’s Best Friend

K9 specialist John Long with FEMA-certified search and rescue dogs Stone and Cable. One dog focuses on finding living people, while the other searches for human remains.
Rick Stephens of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Our search and rescue team includes a father and son dog duo, Stone and Cable. They’re not here as peer-support animals—they are well-trained working dogs, a big part of our search and rescue team. It’s my job to look out for their physical well-being, too, even though I’m not a vet. Keeping them active and checking on them is cathartic though. We can step away from the scene and let our teammates know, “Hey, I’m hanging with the dogs.” The dogs know we’re stressed; they know how to read our cues. They’ll come over and put their heads on our laps, looking up at us like, “What’s up—you good? You wanna give us a scratch?” They’re amazing.

Affirmation

I hope to never have to go through this again. However, I know that I’m ready if it happens. For me specifically, it reaffirms that I am absolutely in the right field. This is my passion. I know this experience isn’t going to have the same effect on everyone, but for me, it has further solidified that emergency medicine is what I’m supposed to be doing, and these paramedics, firefighters, and emergency physicians are my family.