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The Oxford Dictionary defines a fraternity as: “a group of people sharing a common profession or interests and the state or feeling of friendship and mutual support within a group.”
My nostalgia led me to believe the term’s root focused on students celebrating at “frat houses” near our local university and college. Share a frat party experience with me on page 275 of RUNNING REDS. While that is one application, I later realized the broader intent of the term included myself. Before retirement, I had only attended frat parties while working with our Emergency Medical Service, to be perfectly honest. That revelation should dash the hopes of onlookers seeking to take their best shot at Chris.
This week our group of retired paramedics, dispatchers and friends attended the monthly breakfast get-together to catch up, share the news and have some laughs. The gathering does talk a bit of shop from our past, though most of the conversation is recalling off-duty antics, family and current activities. Our established friendships through our careers are the bond that brought the group together. That camaraderie was too valuable to abandon when our first responder days (de)ceased.
With shiftwork behind us and time on our hands, our bonds are stronger now than ever. I am still reminded of my sister’s words of wisdom warning me to keep busy following retirement. Many friends now wonder how we would find the time to work with the social schedules we keep. The spinoffs of the connection took me by surprise. Golfing, some teaching and guest speaking engagements, helping friends with their projects, and the list could go on.
When I pushed back and had a better look, I was surrounded by other fraternities, and in addition to our TVA (Thames Valley Ambulance) “Old Farts,” an allied group of first responders reached out with an invitation to their monthly event. To my surprise, their ranks enjoyed the same chitchat, acknowledging their past professional connection, soon branching off to current goings on. It is a pleasure to share time with another group of responders. Still, another gathering of past emergency room professionals has invited me to their sit down for lunch. Catching up and sharing our latest news with all the groups reinforced the treasure and respect I have for our friendships.
The Ontario Ambulance Historical Society recently relayed the notice for a gathering in Barrie for medics up that way. That is a road trip I would like to make in better weather, given the opportunity and an invitation. David Thompson deserves a shout-out for fostering the historical society. Despite my years in EMS, the posts you share have opened my eyes to a host of information and trivia that I find fascinating. Congrats on the group’s success.
A respected friend and professor with the Paramedic Program: Chris Slabon, has created a group for our local Fanshawe College graduates from the School of Public Safety. The Paramedic Programs Alumni is a start to keep the grads connected. Your nostalgia button may have yet to be activated early in your career. In the future, I hope responders entering the ranks from whatever discipline or public service continues the tradition of creating or joining fraternal groups sharing friendship and common interests founded on their respective careers.
No one can deny that after years of shiftwork in public service, giving up holidays and working when friends and family were celebrating special occasions, seeing the sights responders are faced with, and more, it does not take its toll. Some unfortunate responders pay a hefty price for the stressors they have encountered. Others have paid the ultimate price. Speaking personally, being included in a fraternity is the most successful treatment for my challenges. No, make that multiple fraternities that have shared similar experiences and values while helping others. I consider it a gift.
On a side note, and don’t take it the wrong way, in keeping with the “dark humour” so typical in EMS, I was thinking about starting a group but could only come up with a tentative name and an image to follow…lol.
