What’s it like being a paramedic?

For this week’s edition of ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Lunchtime Live, Andrea spoke to advanced paramedic Niall Tier.

He said he’s seen it all through the years, from delivering babies to rescuing cats from trees.

The job is something Mr Tier has “dreamt about” from a young age.

“When I was in school in the 90s, I knew I wanted to be an ambulance driver,” he said.

“I applied for the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) in 2003 and was unsuccessful, but applied again in 2005 and I got it.

“The DFB service does ambulance as well so I have been in a dual role with them as a firefighter paramedic since 2008.”

Advanced paramedic Niall Tier on duty in Dublin. Image: Newstalk

Mr Tier said managing stress is a key aspect of the job.

“It’s an expected part of the job to have stress but you are trained really well and you have support from colleagues,” he said.

“We deal with it routinely, the stress for me comes when something unusual happens, something you don’t expect, and you have to adapt to the situation - which can be stressful.

“A car crash can be a difficult situation, fires, and also there could be violence involved which is dangerous – but you learn from experience and get a sixth sense for these things over time.”

Thinking on the spot

Mr Tier, who underwent further education to become an advanced paramedic in 2016, said it’s important to be able to think on the spot in emergency situations.

“When you’re dealing with something really serious, bad injuries or a heart attack, the first thing I think about is ‘what will kill this person quickly’ - and I work backward from there,” he said.

“If it’s someone with chest pain, the worst thing is a heart attack so I try to rule that in or out first and then treat it accordingly - that’s what goes through my mind.”

Advanced paramedical Niall Tier in Newstalk studios today with Lunchtime Live host Andrea Gilligan. Image: Newstalk

Mr Tier said paramedics are sometimes forced to deliver babies on occasion.

“I’ve delivered one in the past two months on a fire truck, myself and another guy,” he said.

“I’ve been involved in four deliveries and I’ve delivered one in my own hands.

“We were in the newspaper about seven years ago for a high-profile one on the side of the road; Cooper, if you’re listening, I hope you’re doing well.”

Cat's in trees

The paramedic said sometimes people do make unnecessary 999 calls too.

“We have had 999 calls from people who wanted a lift to the hospital for their appointment, we also get a cat in a tree every now and again in the fire service,” he said.

“We’re paid professionals to do a job and look after the people of Ireland, the citizens of Dublin in my case, whether we deem it to be silly or not.

“I wouldn’t want to deter people from ringing 999 but I will say you won’t get seen any quicker if you ring us with a minor issue like a hurt thumb.”

You can listen back here:

Main image: Advanced paramedic Niall Tier. Image: Newstalk