From the Desk of John R. Gage, LA County Fire Department Chief, ret. 11 December 2006 I have often been asked a question that I figured I would finally answer today. What is it with my green pen? Why did I always keep it close to my heart? Two good questions with one heck of a story to answer them. In fact I am handwriting this with the very men I am going to tell you about. I'll type it later so more people can understand it. It all started about thirty-four years ago. I had already been a firefighter for two years, even had my rescue certification. I hard the department was coming up wit h amore advanced rescue program or as they called it a paramedic program. Now at first I didn't want to join. Why train for something that at the time we weren't even sure we'd ever be able to use our training? Then it happened. I was working over at 10 at the time with Tony Freeman. We were called out to an electrocution. Real ugly one too the guy was changing a high powered line and became el flambé. I thought we had him back by the time we got him to the hospital. Sadly I was wrong. Now normally I am not a sore loser, but I always am especially sore when we lose a victim. I finished my shift at 10 and went on a hunt, my mission to find out more about this paramedic program. Little did I know what one little question and answer session and an application would bring me. Flashback time enjoy the time warp! 1972 A young Johnny Gage walks into the emergency entrance of Rampart General Hospital. Head nurse Dixie McCall looks up to see who is walking in and is surprised to see Johnny. Johnny walks over to Dixie. Johnny: Hi Dixie. Dixie: Hi Johnny. Whatcha doing here? Aren't you off today? Johnny: Yeah I am. I actually came in trying to find out information on the paramedic program. Dixie: You're in luck. Today is the last day to apply for the next class. Last door on your right as you head for Kel Brackett's office, look for firefighter Roy Desoto. Johnny: Thanks Dixie. I'll see ya later. Dixie: By Johnny. Johnny walks down the hall in the direction Dixie had pointed him. It only takes a minute for him to find the office he is looking for. Seeing the door closed Johnny knocks on it. Roy (from behind the door): Come in. Johnny opens the door and walks in. Johnny: Roy Desoto? Roy: Yes. How can I help you? Johnny: My name is John Gage I work over at 10. I actually came by for in formation on the paramedic program. Roy: You're in the right place please sit. Johnny sits down and puts the application his battalion chief had given him on the desk. Roy picks it up and looks it over. Roy: It's not signed. Johnny: I wanted to ask you a few questions before I sign it. Roy: Fair enough. Johnny: Can we use the training now? Roy: Not specifically today no. Not long after the second class ends though the state will be handling a bill that will turn us loose. Johnny: Alright. How long is the training? Roy: Three months. Since it is a volunteer program you'll still be working your regular shift. Johnny: Okay. Roy: Can I ask you a question John? Johnny: Sure. Roy: Why do you want to become a paramedic? Roy's question catches Johnny slightly off guard. Johnny looks Roy square in the eye. Johnny: Can I level with you then answer your question? Roy: Of course. Johnny: My chief has been after me about this for a while. At first I shot it down. I mean it doesn't make sense to me to have training and then not be able to use it. Roy: Honestly John I felt the same way. Why take the time to learn this stuff when I can't even use it. Johnny: Exactly. Roy: What changed your mind? Johnny shudders. Johnny: A bad call on my last shift. Roy: Wanna talk about it? Johnny is a bit surprised but can see only sincerity in Roy's eyes. Johnny: I work as a rescue man outta 110. We were called out to an electrocution on our last shift. Turns out it was a high powered charge. Did the best we could for him and got him in here quick. Regretfully not fast enough. Brackett lost him. Roy: Ouch that hurts. Johnny: Oh yeah and I'm a sore loser when it comes to losing a patient. Roy: Me too. Johnny: I overheard Brackett say if only someone with proper training had been there to treat him on scene he'd still be alive. Roy: Youch. Johnny: Yeah. That's when I decided to come see you today. Roy: Good reason. Johnny relaxes feeling better after telling Roy about the call. Johnny (smiling): Say uh can I borrow your pen? Roy (smiling): Sure. Roy hands Johnny his green pen and Johnny signs his application. He goes to give it back to Roy who waves him off. Back to the present… Hello again I hope you enjoyed your time warm. You'll be going on one more later on. Let me pause briefly here for a minute to pay tribute to a dear friend. Rest in peace my dear friend Dixie. Rampart's nurses will always be your nurses to me. With that said it's time to get back to the story. I walked out of Roy's office that very first day not having a clue what to expect. What I did know was I was going to hold onto that pen. At first it was to remind me of the gutsy decision to join the paramedic program. After graduation Roy and I became partners at the brand new station 51. The more I worked with Roy the more the pen came to be a symbol of our friendship. It's kinda silly but that pen always seemed to give me a little bit of extra strength especially on ugly calls. Boy did Roy and I see our share of ugly calls when we were partners. Scary ones too! The scariest calls for me were actually when I wasn't working with Roy especially if it was a major call. Now don't get me wrong I could work with others when I had too. When I was a paramedic though it was more comforting to work with Roy. Heck he trained me plus we were best friends. We could go to call say about three words to each other and bingo rescue complete. The shortness on words wasn't because were mad at each other. It was simply we knew each other well enough to know the other's actions. It was comforting to know my best friend always had my back. Roy and I worked so well together that people quit trying to explain it and just said ah it's just Johnny and Roy or it's just Gage and Desoto. When Roy was out I was always edgier. A lot of extra time was spent explaining things, not good in emergency medicine. The drug box, well that's a different tirade for another time! Having spent ten years as paramedics Roy and I can tell you many stories. However I digress from my current writing instrument, my green pen. As a paramedic I did and all paperwork with it. I even took my Captain's exam with it. Roy and I both passed the exam the first time around with flying colors. Becoming Captain had its good points and it's sad ones. The good news was the pay raise and having my own shift to run. Thankfully I had an excellent teacher in Captain "Cap" Hank Stanley. He kept our shift as tight as a family, which wasn't always easy to do. The bad was the family was all leaving our nest, our house as we called it, station 51. Cap became Chief Stanley (although we all still call him Cap even today). Mike Stoker our engineer became Captain Stoker station 36 B shift. I took Marco Lopez who had passed his engineer's test with me to 127 A shift. Roy took Chet "the Phantom" Kelly with him to station 8 A shift. The worst part of the family breaking up was Roy and I was no longer partners. That one stung for quite a while for both of us. Since we both worked A shift we still saw each other quite a bit at work when we got called out together. Away from work I was still pretty much a fixture at Roy's as much as I could be. One thing both Roy and I did was keep our paramedic certifications up. We never knew when an extra pair of trained hands would come in handy. Like one night… Uh oh I feel another time warp coming on enjoy! 1984 Roy and Johnny have been Captains for two years. Both are on duty. Johnny picks up the phone in his office. He dials a number out of memory, the office of station 8. After two rings Johnny's best friend Captain Roy Desoto answers the phone. Roy: Station 8 this is Captain Desoto. Johnny (smiling): Hi Pally. Roy smiles at his best friend's use of his nickname. Roy (smiling): Hi Junior. Ya eat? Johnny (smiling): Yep. Just giving the green pen a break so I figured I'd call you. Roy (chuckling): I can't believe you still use that thing. Johnny: Pally, how can I not? You gave it to me at the beginning. Roy: I know Junior. Roy smiles thinking of the watch he is wearing. Johnny had given it to him on their first anniversary as paramedics. Before either can another word the claxton rings out loudly. Both quickly recognize the tones to each other's stations. Johnny: See ya in a few Pally. Both quickly hang up. Within minutes both are on scene. What greets them is another engine and a fully engulfed angry warehouse. Chet and Marco bring their respective engines to a halt. Roy and Johnny bark out preliminary orders to their crews and run over to check with the responding Chief. Both are relieved it o see the Chief is Hank Stanley and the third Captain is Mike Stoker. Johnny: Jeez we got a reunion going tonight. Mike: Yeah I had to cover. Hank: Good to know I have hands I can trust. Mike, you got the front. Roy, to the left. John, to the right. Roy, Mike, Johnny: You got it Cap. A shift's nickname for him lets Hank smile for a quick second. Hank: Roy, John, certs up to date? Roy, Johnny: You know it Cap. Hank: Go kill the beast ya twits. The three Captains share a brief smile at Hank's nickname for them then split. For the next three hours the stations fight the best. All three squads end up away from the scene at once with patience. Just as the fire comes under control a blood curdling scream rips through the night air. Hank (over the radio): Roy, John. Both Roy and Johnny pick their HTs up. Roy, Johnny (on their radios): Got it Cap. Roy (yelling): Chet, get me an air tank. Johnny (yelling): Air tank. The guys gear up as Mike cues the radio. Mike (slightly shaken): Guys, it's my lineman Jack Smith. Roy (on the radio): We got him Mike. Give Cap his info and pull gear. Roy and Johnny meet up halfway to the smoldering building. Roy: Careful Junior. Johnny: Always Pally. Let's go get him. The guys share one last look, don their air masks and take off. Mike and Marco pull the equipment out while Chet baby-sits both engines. Hank jogs over to where Mike, Marco and Chet are. Hank: Easy Michael you know he has the two best going in after him. Mike: Thanks Cap. That's what's keeping me from going completely nuts right now, knowing its Roy and Johnny. As Mike is talking to Hank Roy and Johnny are inside looking for Jack. Roy (yelling through his air mask): Jack! Out of the corner of his eye Johnny spots Jack. A quick tap on Roy's shoulder and the duo takes off. They can see Jack still has his gear on and is pinned down under a beam. Jack smiles when he sees who his rescuers are. Jack (through his mask): Man I get a reunion of the guys as Cap Mike calls you. Jeez how did I get this lucky? Roy and Johnny smile slight embarrassed knowing Mike had been talking about them again. Johnny (through his mask): Thought you might want out from under this beam. Jack (through his mask): You know it. With one tap on the beam, Roy and Johnny are in place. Silently in one motion Johnny lifts the beam as Roy pulls Jack out. Johnny drops the beam, takes his air mask off and picks his HT up. Johnny: Engine 127 to engine 36. Mike: Go Johnny. Johnny: We got him Mike. Mike lets out a sigh of relief. Johnny: Have the splint box ready. Mike: You got it. Roy and Johnny carefully pick Jack up and carry him out. Not breaking stride they head for 127 where the gear is laid out. Johnny: Cap. Hank: Come on Mike let the boys work. Mike backs up a bit. Roy helps Jacks sit up and gets his gear off. Johnny looks over and sees Marco has the biophone set up. Johnny: A well oiled machine. Hank: We always were. Roy gets Jack's vitals as Johnny picks up the biophone. Roy: Hang tight Jack we'll get your leg splinted in a minute. Jack (in pain): Yes sir. Johnny: Rampart this is rescue 5…station 127 how do you read? Joe Early has the radio that night. Joe: Go 127. John, Roy's there isn't he? Johnny: Yeah he is doc. We have a twenty-six year old male firefighter had a beam land on his leg. Be advised victim is lineman Jack Smith from 36. Joe: 10-4 127. Johnny uses his green pen to write the information down as Roy signs it to him. Then Johnny passes it on to Joe. Joe: 127 start IV 5 milligrams MS push immobilize the leg and transport immediately. Johnny writes Joe's orders down and hands them to Roy. Johnny: 10-4 Rampart 127 out. By the time Johnny hangs up, Roy has Jack's IV going. Johnny splints the leg as the ambulance pulls up. Jack: Cap you were right these guys are the best. Mike and Hank smile. Roy and Johnny blush at Jack's comment. Mike: That they are Jack. Hank: And always have been. Back to the present… Welcome back again. I hope you enjoyed your trip to the eighties. I must pause for one last tribute here. Sadly we lost the good doctor Joe Early just a few years before we lost Dixie McCall. I tip my hat to the good doc for the many times he put me back together. Rampart's ER, but more specifically the neurosurgery department will always be his. My green pen filled out its fair share of paperwork while I was a medic and a Captain. That didn't begin to prepare me for the amount of paperwork it would fill out and sign as a Chief. Yikes!!! I just looked at the time and realized the reunion picnic starts soon so I will leave that part of the story there. On to part two of the question. Why did I always keep the pen close to my heart? I saved this part for last because it's the shortest. When I first had the pen keeping it close to my heart was a given be cause of where they put the pocket on my work shirt. The more Roy and I became friends it was more like a safety blanket to have it there. It was like if I could reach over and touch it then everything would be okay no matter the situation. When I became Captain having the pen close to my heart meant I always had a piece of home with me. Oh sure I knew the guys were only a phone call or a hey Marco come her e away. Having my pen with me especially on calls though just felt right. The day I became Chief Bic's refillable ink stock must have skyrocketed. Everybody I knew gave me cartridges for my pen. While I was chief my poor pen got the stuffing beat out of it. Paperwork has to be the worst thing ever invented by man! I must have financed some nice vacations and probably a car or house or something for somebody with how many refills I bought. Oh man gotta run. The party is a Cap's this time and everybody plus their families are going to be there. So that's it and that's all about my green pen folk's in honor of my 51 A shift family I'll sign off our way. John R. Gage Squad 51 KMG 365 Authors Note: I want to thank the owner of Johnny's Green Pen for issuing this challenge. I hope you enjoy my take on why Johnny's green pen was so important to him and why he kept it close to his heart. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. As always feedback of any kind good, bad ugly or indifferent is always welcome-Erin 11 December 2006 Feedback for Erin |