LOCAL HEROES LEON COUNTY EMS WORKERS ARE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM BY SARA SANTORA
74 May-June 2024 TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEON COUNTY EMS
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eing an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) worker is hard. The job requires long hours, extensive medical knowledge and adaptability, among other skills. It’s also unpredictable. But it’s not always as gruesome as the movies make it seem. “The stuff everybody sees on TV — all the gory stuff — is only about 5% of what we do,” said Leon County EMT Michael Aries. “People look to us for help but not necessarily life-threatening help … we go to Meemaw’s house and help Meemaw off the floor or help somebody with abdominal pain.”