The Liberty Regional Emergency Medical Services crew works unpredictable shifts, watches the sun set and rise in one shift and witnesses horrible things while working, yet these paramedics and EMTs still love their jobs.
Tony Burns, Patrick Daniels, Chris Nease and Cal Rich worked the 4 p.m.- 9 a.m. shift June 27, and they started off the shift right by ordering a big plate of ribs from Shane’s Rib Shack in Hinesville.
The four-person crew gathered around the kitchen table at the EMS office, which they said was unusual.
“It’s rare that we ever get to sit at the table like that without getting a call in the middle of it,” Nease said. “It was nice.”
To everyone’s surprise, an absence of calls continued through the evening. It’s not typical for the EMS crew to receive zero calls in an entire evening on any day of the week.
However, the number of calls differs every week, and the weekends aren’t necessarily any busier than weekdays.
Daniels and Nease said that their busiest nights often are Sundays and Mondays, but that’s not always the case.
“You never know when or what the next call is going to be,” Daniels said. “Your next call could be a transport to Augusta or Charleston, so you have to be prepared for that.”
Regardless of how busy it is, the EMS crew stays prepared for whatever calls may come its way.
Thanks to Liberty Regional EMS Director Robyn Todd, the trucks are equipped with the newest supplies and monitors to prepare the paramedics for all types of emergencies.
Because of its technological improvements, the LREMS has been recognized by the state as one of the most progressive EMS teams.
“Ever since Robyn took over, her goal has been to provide the county with some of the best equipment because it’s needed, and it helps our job go a little bit smoother,” Daniels said.
Because of the nature of the services they provide, EMS employees often can recall specific experiences that become their worst calls, biggest fears and favorite parts of the job.
Although the June 27 shift consisted of four employees with their own unique stories, they all seemed to agree that their favorite part of the job is the people they work with.
Nease has worked as a paramedic for 10 years with other departments, but he said LREMS is by far the best department he’s worked for because of his coworkers.
“When you have good management and you work with good people that are competent, confident and happy, it makes me happy to be a part of this,” Nease said. “It’s the core of the organization that makes it a good place to work for, and we’ve got an excellent core at that, from top to bottom.”
These employees work hard to keep the Liberty County community safe, but they do not expect to be called heroes for their duties; they simply are doing their jobs.