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EMSWORLD.com | MAY 2016 51 Cumberland River. The General Jackson is always staffed with at least one paramed- ic who might work alone on an unstable patient for 30 minutes or more, depending on the boat's location when the emergency occurs. One cardiac case I had aboard the General Jackson would certainly be on my career's top-five list of challenging calls. Even in the presence of sudden and severe illness or trauma, medics are expected to remain personable and customer oriented. Salaries for full-time, part-time and per-diem paramedics at Opryland are in the $15–20 range—average for the region. EMTs are no longer hired. The lighter side of EMS in an enter- tainment setting is that the public doesn't always recognize you as a caregiver. That's not such a bad thing during an idyllic after- noon cruise, after years of high-visibility patient encounters. One day when I was running the eleva- tor between decks as a courtesy on the General Jackson, a guest mentioned what a great idea it was to give elevator operators stethoscopes. I had to agree. Events Carole Matthews-Dempsay is no stranger to nontraditional occupations. The former opera major and catfish-farm manager has been involved in event EMS since becoming an EMT in 2004. Now a full-time paramedic at Nashville's Opryland, Matthews-Demp- say still supplements her income by work- ing events for a medical-services provider, CrowdRx. "In (conventional) EMS, you never know what you're going to get," says Matthews- Dempsay, "but in event medicine, you can anticipate who your primary patients will be. You might just need to do a little research; a horse show is going to be dif- ferent from a music festival. With a little knowledge and experience, you can be very comfortable." Getting acclimated to event medicine also requires a mixture of humility and technical know-how, according to Mat- thews-Dempsay. "Prepare to go back to the bottom of the pecking order," the 32-year-old Sparta, TN, native says. "It's like moving from EMS to nursing; no one's going to know or care about your past. There are lots of paramed- ics I've seen who come into event medicine and get knocked down a few pegs before they show they can adapt to large crowds at remote venues. "You're not on an ambulance filled with supplies. You carry as much as you can with you and try to make do with what you have. "Last year I had a patient with a shattered ankle who was trampled in a mosh pit. I looked around and found a three-inch pool noodle used for padding on one of our carts. It made the perfect splint." Not surprisingly, alcohol and drugs are responsible for much of the illness and trauma at recreational events. Airway man- agement skills are particularly important. "I did my practical training in Nashville; I'm used to treating overdoses," says Mat- thews-Dempsay. "It doesn't hurt to learn more about the different drugs people take, though, and maybe get some RSI practice. That might not be something the typical medic feels expert in." Matthews-Dempsay likes the aggressive nature of event medicine. "You can't be weak-minded and doubt your skills when you're in a crowd of people ready to trample you. There's no time for second guessing. You have to be assertive. "At the same time, you want people who can work as a team," she adds. "If you come in with a chip on your shoulder and don't communicate well, things are going to get missed." Event work is usually done on a contract basis, which means EMS providers are responsible for paying both the employer's and employee's FICA taxes (7.65%, each, on net earnings). Wages are comparable to 9-1-1, and benefits can include off-duty admission to ongoing events. Next month we'll cover other nontradi- tional EMS opportunities. A B O U T T H E A U T H O R Mike Rubin is a paramedic in Nashville, TN, and a member of EMS World's editorial advisory board. Contact him at mgr22@ prodigy.net. Boca Raton | Orlando Sarasota | Tampa | Online 888.854.8308 BACHELOR Crisis & Disaster Management MASTER Business Administration – Aviation Management – Construction Management – Project Management Public Health Administration Aviation Science – Aviation Operations – Aviation Security Are You Prepared? SCAN HERE LE ARN MORE For More Information Circle 27 on Reader Service Card