ST. LOUIS – EMS workers are called out to some of the most difficult and sometimes violent scenes but often times they don't get the appreciation they deserve.
This week is the 44th annual EMS Week and one St. Louis firefighter said he goes the extra mile to serve his community, and keep the city safe.
EMS workers said their line of work in St. Louis is the job that doesn't stop in a city that never sleeps.
Tuesday, chaos struck the city streets and police, firefighters and EMS professionals had their hands full trying to take care of it. Micah Gray has been an EMS professional for around 10 years servicing some of the busiest neighborhoods throughout the city. He said it’s thrilling working in such a busy city.
“You don't get bored that's for sure. St. Louis does get a bad reputation sometimes, I mean it is a violent town,” Gray said.
Shortly after noon on Tuesday, they had already responded to multiple calls, some which included shots fired. And right after wrapping up one scene, they were off to another, an electrifying part of the job.
"Honestly we just came of a shooting at you know 1 o’clock in the afternoon. You can never ever have any idea of what your day is going to be like," Gray said.
And responding to calls is just the beginning of the work that goes into each call.
“We can check blood pressure, we can check pulse, oxygen levels, we can look at people’s heart,” Gray said.
And they’ve even had to deliver babies. After the second shooting early Tuesday, they were called out again. This time, it was for a fire which they said is just another part of the life for people in this profession.
"It feels great to be able to take someone and just within the matter of minutes improve their condition," Gray said.
EMS professionals in the city typically complete anywhere from 10 to 15 calls on a shift. This year’s theme for EMS week is 'Stronger together.' It’s something Firefighters and EMS professionals in St. Louis said they live by every day.
