Are we ready?

WOW!! I can think of no better way to express how I felt last night as I participated in the live premier of Chronicles of EMS...although 2500 miles away.

I was great to put faces and voices together on the live stream. Those of us who were relegated to cyberland had our own little party going. We were trading jabs and commenting about what we were seeing and truly having a good time. I was really surprised at how the hosts were interacting with us in the peanut gallery, they really made us feel a part of the party.

I have been trying all morning to put a definition on exactly how I feel after seeing the first episode. I was very well put together and you could easily see the professional quality. I have NO doubts that this will be picked up by one of the networks and become the next COPS series. It was just that impactful!

But how can I convey my feelings and apprehensions about having to wait for the dawning of a new era though. Let me put it this way. It's like just finding out that you have the winning lottery numbers on a Thursday night. However, Friday and Monday are holidays and the lottery commission offices are closed. You show up on Tuesday morning and are told that you will need to go to the state capitol to claim your winnings. UGH!!

You drive all day, get there at 4:30pm figuring you still have time because they don't close until 5:00pm.

Well guess what! The lottery commissioners kids pet goldfish just died before you got there and he is rushing home to console the kids and will be taking the next day off to "heal" the wounds of the missing goldfish saga.

It is now Thursday morning 8:29am...one week later. You are standing at the front doors of the lottery commission with your winning ticket in hand. 8:45am....9:00am....10:15am...NOBODY!!

With the hopes and dreams that have brought you this far in life, you call the number on the back of the lottery ticket in hopes that there is somebody inside sleeping who just forgot to come open the front door. 1 ringy dingy...2 ringy dingy...3 ringy dingy... Hello, you have reached the Your State Lottery Commissioner's office, our offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday of this week for a Your State mandated audit, please call or come by again on Monday.

Are you feeling the pain?!?!?

This where I am with the CoEMS project and EMS 2.0 for that matter. We are on the cusp of a breakthrough. We have the people at the ground level who have ideas and solutions that WILL work.

We have goals, dreams, desires and a longing to change our profession for the betterment of everybody who may one day dial 911,999 or 112.

It will be a long road and there will be obstacles that will discourage many. Some may fall by the wayside and loose focus in their frustrations. But it is us, the stretcher lifters, who now bear the responsibility to carry this movement to the final stages and see the end of our dreams.

Somebody made the statement about Dr. King last night or in one of the blogs this morning, about how he and the people who converged on Washington D.C. in 1963 to tell the world about their dream had no idea the changes that would be made because of that day. I know it has certainly changed my life and my way of thinking. Because of Dr. Kings courage I feel invincible and plow through the opposition of what is right and decent. I can stand in front of those who would do harm and declare that what they are doing is wrong. I too have a dream...

Likewise we may never fully realize just how much February 12, 2010 will mean in a hundred years to the health care industry.

Fellow professional EMS providers...I AM READY!!

Come what may, I will cash in my winning lottery ticket!