Career Day Reflection
1.) Write a description of where you completed your career day shadow, the person you shadowed, and the career you shadowed (an overall summary of what you did on career day).
- On career day, I went to Orange County Fire Station #7 to shadow firefighter/paramedic Ryan Johnson. As a paramedic, Ryan would respond to emergency calls and care for people in distress. He worked with a partner and would either write down all the details of the call or handle the communication and care of the patient. At the beginning of the day on Friday, the firefighters cleaned the station, exercised, and handled paperwork. I vacuumed and helped out with other housekeeping chores. The first call that came in was for a structure fire caused by a plumber sweating on wires in a home, but there was no actual fire when we arrived. The next call the firemen responded to was an elderly male who had fallen out of a chair onto his face, vomited, and was unable to move. They asked him questions, called his wife, and took him to the hospital in an ambulance. The final call that came in before I left was for an elderly man with parkinsons and dimensia who was unconscious and unresponsive. Upon arrival at his home, he was dizzy and off balance so they helped him into the ambulance, and took him to the hospital. I was able to ride in the ambulance with the paramedic and EMT to watch how they cared for the patient on the way to the hospital. They checked vital signs, monitored heart rate, tested blood, and talked through the situation with the patient.
2.) What was one thing you participated/observed that you enjoyed about the career you shadowed? Was there anything you participated/observed that you didn't like about the career you shadowed?
- I enjoyed my day at the fire station, and I really liked watching how the men dealt with different situations. They were always very serious and determined to get all the information they needed, but they were very patient with the people and talked them through the entire procedure. They remained calm around the families and tried to ask as much as they could so they could help the patients in the best way possible. I liked watching this process because they very obviously cared about their career and wanted to provide the people with the best care possible. I liked that the job was filled with urgency and was always a new task. The firemen were ready for a call no matter the time or place and they responded immediately with grace and care. One thing that I didn't enjoy as much was the amount of time spent sitting and waiting for a call (in 7 hours, they received 3 calls). I learned that there aren't emergencies 24/7 and that most of the job is sitting and waiting, but when a call does come in, the firemen are ready to respond and prepared to take care of the situation.
3.) Was there anything you learned about the career you shadowed you didn't previously know would be a component of the career?
- I was aware that being a fireman was a very physically straining job, but I did not know the extent of their training or requirements. Ryan explained to me that the academy puts applicants through a series of physical test and obstacles to build up their endurance and ability to respond immediately and go from being sedentary to being completely active in a matter of moments. To become a fireman, there is a test involving lifting, running, climbing, and other physical activities. It is very difficult and often causes men to vomit and/or pass out. Because of the physical constraints, few women apply and fewer pass. Out of 1100 employees of the Orange County Fire Authority, 12 are women.
4.) Based on everything you observed and participated in on career day, is this a career you think you would like to pursue in the future? If so, why? If not, why and what is a career you think you might want to pursue in the future?
- I really enjoyed shadowing members of the fire department and I love that they are willing to risk their lives daily to save others. I think that this job is honorable and admirable, but due to the physical restraints and difficulty for women to apply and pass, I don't think it is the right career for me. I do like how the job is not always the same and different calls come in everyday that require different treatment, so I would like to look for careers that are similar. I would like to work with people, and I enjoyed observing the way the paramedics handled emergencies and talked to those in distress. Therefore, I hope to pursue a career that is exciting, different, and changes people's lives.
- On career day, I went to Orange County Fire Station #7 to shadow firefighter/paramedic Ryan Johnson. As a paramedic, Ryan would respond to emergency calls and care for people in distress. He worked with a partner and would either write down all the details of the call or handle the communication and care of the patient. At the beginning of the day on Friday, the firefighters cleaned the station, exercised, and handled paperwork. I vacuumed and helped out with other housekeeping chores. The first call that came in was for a structure fire caused by a plumber sweating on wires in a home, but there was no actual fire when we arrived. The next call the firemen responded to was an elderly male who had fallen out of a chair onto his face, vomited, and was unable to move. They asked him questions, called his wife, and took him to the hospital in an ambulance. The final call that came in before I left was for an elderly man with parkinsons and dimensia who was unconscious and unresponsive. Upon arrival at his home, he was dizzy and off balance so they helped him into the ambulance, and took him to the hospital. I was able to ride in the ambulance with the paramedic and EMT to watch how they cared for the patient on the way to the hospital. They checked vital signs, monitored heart rate, tested blood, and talked through the situation with the patient.
2.) What was one thing you participated/observed that you enjoyed about the career you shadowed? Was there anything you participated/observed that you didn't like about the career you shadowed?
- I enjoyed my day at the fire station, and I really liked watching how the men dealt with different situations. They were always very serious and determined to get all the information they needed, but they were very patient with the people and talked them through the entire procedure. They remained calm around the families and tried to ask as much as they could so they could help the patients in the best way possible. I liked watching this process because they very obviously cared about their career and wanted to provide the people with the best care possible. I liked that the job was filled with urgency and was always a new task. The firemen were ready for a call no matter the time or place and they responded immediately with grace and care. One thing that I didn't enjoy as much was the amount of time spent sitting and waiting for a call (in 7 hours, they received 3 calls). I learned that there aren't emergencies 24/7 and that most of the job is sitting and waiting, but when a call does come in, the firemen are ready to respond and prepared to take care of the situation.
3.) Was there anything you learned about the career you shadowed you didn't previously know would be a component of the career?
- I was aware that being a fireman was a very physically straining job, but I did not know the extent of their training or requirements. Ryan explained to me that the academy puts applicants through a series of physical test and obstacles to build up their endurance and ability to respond immediately and go from being sedentary to being completely active in a matter of moments. To become a fireman, there is a test involving lifting, running, climbing, and other physical activities. It is very difficult and often causes men to vomit and/or pass out. Because of the physical constraints, few women apply and fewer pass. Out of 1100 employees of the Orange County Fire Authority, 12 are women.
4.) Based on everything you observed and participated in on career day, is this a career you think you would like to pursue in the future? If so, why? If not, why and what is a career you think you might want to pursue in the future?
- I really enjoyed shadowing members of the fire department and I love that they are willing to risk their lives daily to save others. I think that this job is honorable and admirable, but due to the physical restraints and difficulty for women to apply and pass, I don't think it is the right career for me. I do like how the job is not always the same and different calls come in everyday that require different treatment, so I would like to look for careers that are similar. I would like to work with people, and I enjoyed observing the way the paramedics handled emergencies and talked to those in distress. Therefore, I hope to pursue a career that is exciting, different, and changes people's lives.