Welcome 2010

Wow. What a crazy night that was.
I feel a bit guilty, as my colleague for the night got injured. I've replayed it in my head a million times and the duty officer was right. It wasn't my fault.
However I feel bad as he's a great guy. Even if, for the exciting stuff he was reduced to passing me kit and equipment and watching. (Gotta love the extra training courses :p)

We went to an "unconious female" at 11:59pm. So we missed all the fireworks and song singing. (unconcious is used here by drunk public, to tell us someone is lying on the floor, but not actually unconcious)
We arrived I went in and did the usual response check.
Zip. Nada. Nothing.
I then did the "unofficial" response check. If you don't move for this you are either unconcious or good at faking it. I pressed my finger in against the back of her jaw, just below the ear. (try it, push hard. Hurts eh?) Then "nipped" her ear with a pen, again pressing firmly.
The eyes rolled and opened. Good enough for me.
She then brought a lovely present up for me, but I rolled her away from me and it spilled out onto the floor.
Then the problems began. My colleague, (we'll call him P) grabbed the visor of my helmet, thrust it down and shouted "Incoming bottles buddy."
For some reason, despite "Medic" being clearly displayed on my back, and on P's and lots of other notifications on our kit etc. People decided to chuck bottles at us.
"Reach for the red P" I said.
"Already done"
Within about 30 seconds 5 police officers materialised, and more were pushing their way over to us. They made a cordon and tried to grab people throwing bottles.
More or less at the same time, the lovely drunk woman decided to block her airway, and try to die on us. Most inconsiderate. It's very impolite to do that to volunteers. If you must, do it on the paramedics and health care professionals.
With some intervention, and perhaps a dose of luck, I had the airway back.
Then it went downhill.
We had to get her off the streets and somewhere safe to finish treatment. Then she would go to the "sleepover" a place where the drunks sleep it off.
We roped in some coleeagues and police and tried to move her. (She was enormous) Then, the policeman slipped, took out P's legs and both of them fell. P landed ribs first on the policeman's knee. That's when his shift ended.
Eventually with more help and some grit chucked about, we got her on the trolley bed and into a nearby medical tent.

That was the worst for awkwardness and injured colleague point of view.
I won't put the rest of the night on and bore you all.

So the new year has started, the vast majority of people survived to see it. Most won't remember it. Maybe I'm just cynical. Still. I spent 12 hours responding to "emergencies" and for the most part scraping drunks off the floor, or trying to repair drunken injuries.
It was 12 hours doing what I want to do for a career, and it was awesome. Yes, there was time wasters, and yes it lowered my opinion of the British public, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Hope you all had a great time, and didn't have to get some one like me coming for you.
Here's to 2010