8PM.
WHEN THE NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATED MARDI GRAS IN 2020 FEWER PAYING
ATTENTION AT ALL TO THE CORONAVIRUS AND NO ONE HAD ANY
IDEA OF THE PANDEMIC TO COME OR THE VIRUS THAT WAS ALREADY TWO
WEEKS LATER, NEW ORLEANS.
EMS TRANSPORTED ITS FIRST COVID-19 PATIENT TO THE HOSPITAL
AND THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS NEW ORLEANS ARE
FOR THE NEXT YEAR NEW ORLEANS EMS HIT THE STREETS BATTLING THE
UNSEEN KILLER WHAT THEY LACKED IN RESOURCES EARLY ON THEY MADE
UP FOR ENCOURAGE RESOLVE AND RESOURCEFULNESS.
AND AS HEATH ALLEN CHOSE, THE STORIES ARE AWE-INSPIRING AT
SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE JUST KNEW THAT IT WAS A REALLY DANGEROUS THING GOING
AROUND.
WE DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WAS A DISEASE.
WE DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WAS A FLU.
WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
WE JUST KNEW THAT LIKE IT WAS CAUSING DEATH IN THAT MOMENT.
IT WAS JUST WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
THIS PERSON PARTNERS JB BENNETT AND ALEXIA, ARSHAGA FOUND
THEMSELVES FACE TO FACE WITH THE FIRST COVID-19 PATIENT EMS WOULD
RUSH TO THE HOSPITAL.
LIFE IS NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE I WAS SCARED BECAUSE I HAD TO
TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
FEELING THAT BAD WHERE THIRD POINT WHERE I COULDN’T LIFT MY
HEAD UP OFF THE PILLOW EUGENE MCMILLAN WENT DOWN WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS AND DID NOT SEE HIS FAMILY FOR 60 DAYS.
WHEN YOU SIT SOMETIMES YOU SIT IN YOUR CAR FOR TILL THAT VERY
LAST MINUTE.
YOU CAN CLOCK IN.
THE CORONAVIRUS TOOK THE LIVES OF AMBER CRAWFORD’S FATHER AND
GRANDFATHER.
SHE STILL COMES TO WORK THOUGH.
SOME DAYS ARE JUST SO MUCH HARDER THAN OTHERS NEW ORLEANS
IS BY FAR AND AWAY THE SMALLEST OF THE FIRST RESPONDER GROUPS
171 ACROSS THE BOARD THAT INCLUDES ADMINISTRATION AND IN
THE CITY, THAT’S SO FESTIVE ON ONE SIDE, BUT DARK AND DANGEROUS
ON THE OTHER.
EAST HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS HAVE SEEN FAR MORE DEATH AND
DISEASE THAN YOU AND I WILL EVER SEE AND WHEN THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC BROKE ONTO THE SCENE, THEY’D ALREADY BEEN EXPOSED.
IT WASN’T JUST COVID AND WE WERE STILL RESPONDING TO SHOOTINGS
AND STABBINGS AND CAR ACCIDENTS AND YOU KNOW ALL THE OTHER CALLS
THAT WE NORMALLY RESPOND TO A DAILY BASIS.
WE’RE STILL HAPPENING.
THEY KNEW THAT.
ON SOME LEVEL THEY HAD TO KEEP GOING FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
THERE’S A PART OF THE JOB THAT IS CERTAINLY A CALLING.
AND THAT PART IS NOT IN A TEXTBOOK.
THAT PART IS.
NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN NECESSARILY LEARN BUT IT
DEFINITELY IS WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING AT ITS PEAK LAST
YEAR 30% OF THE NEW ORLEANS.
MASS CREW WAS SICK OR QUARANTINED ALL EMPLOYEES
PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED MANY COULD NOT GO HOME FOR FEAR
OF INFECTING THEIR FAMILIES DAVID NOBLE SLEPT IN A HORSE
TRAILER SEPARATED FROM HIS WIFE AND KIDS.
TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD HEARING MY VOICE AND JUST RUNNING AND
TRYING TO TAKE THE PHONE AND YELLING DADDY THE WHOLE TIME.
IT’S LIKE ALL I WANT TO DO IS HOLD YOU AND GIVE YOU A HUG AND
TELL YOU THAT I DIDN’T LEAVE YOU SHORTAGES OF SPACE FOOD PPE IN
THE MIDST OF 12-HOUR SHIFTS.
NON-STOP CALLS CONSTANTLY MAKING LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS.
AND EVERY TIME WE CAME HERE RIGHT NEXT TO THE CORNER’S
OFFICE.
THEY HAD LIKE 13 16 TRUCKS.
IT WAS ALWAYS A REALLY FRIM REMINDER OF EVERY DAY WHEN WE
COME TO WORK WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH HOW NEW ORLEANS EMS
OVERCAME SUCH OVER.
WELMING ODDS IS A HUGE STORY, BUT IT’S MADE UP OF SO MANY
INDIVIDUAL ONES DURING THE MONTH OF MAY.
WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THOSE STORIES HOW EMS HERE IN
NEW ORLEANS TOOK COVID-19 HEAD ON AND YOU’LL SEE THOSE STORIES
THROUGH THE EYES OF FIRST RESPONDERS.