Catawba County Employee Spotlight
Lindsey Duffy-Paramedic
Department: Emergency Services
How long have you worked with the county?
I was hired in December 2013 as a part time employee and I became a full time employee in January 2015. I have been a paramedic for 7 years now.
What does your job involve? Please describe what you do.
As a paramedic, I am challenged with responding to all forms of emergencies at a moment’s notice. I arrive at people's residences, places of employment, in their public life, or even on the streets and roadways to provide medical care in their time of need with any illness or injury. I provide care and treatment based on their complaint and condition according to my protocols and guidelines. I work alongside my partner (whether it is another paramedic or EMT) and typically fire and rescue personnel, in order provide the best care possible. I never know what I will encounter in my day, but I typically encounter patients that are sick with fevers, different types of pain, episodes of passing out, or those that suffered from a fall, vehicle collision, or other kind of injury. My treatment protocols allow me to perform a lot of the same kinds of treatments and care that a person would receive in an ER setting, but in a much less controlled area, less staff, and without the direct guidance of a physician. I can interpret cardiac rhythms, vital signs, assessment findings, and make decisions based on my findings with how to provide care. I can give medications, start IVs, shock heart rhythms, splint broken bones, intubate (insertion of breathing tube), and many other interventions. I can also provide you comfort with a shoulder to cry on, be someone who will listen and give you advice, or remind you that everything will be okay! My job is very challenging, because I must make critical decisions quickly and accurately in order to do what is best for the patient. Sometimes, the decisions are life-and-death critical.
What do you like most about what you do, and why?
I really enjoy my job. It's never boring and it doesn't leave me feeling that I didn't make a difference in someone else's life. I work with a great group of paramedics and EMTs. We all are great at what we do, and we never hesitate to respond to someone in need. We do it without appreciation or gratitude, because that's not what it's about. It's about improving and helping someone's livelihood. That's what makes our job so great.
Which of the county’s core values (doing what’s right, doing what matters, doing it together, doing it well) resonates most with you in the work you do, and why?
I believe "doing it together" and "doing it well" resonate most with me. I am very well trained, as are all of the Catawba County EMS employees. Our abilities allow us to be thorough, skillful, and efficient. Catawba County has some of the most intelligent and competent care providers in this field. The citizens of Catawba County are very blessed to have such excellent providers responding to them in their time of need. We also work very well together. This job cannot be successfully performed and accomplished by just one person. It takes a strong team to successfully do it. EMS combined with fire, rescue, dispatch, and law personnel are one big, collective family. We do it well and we do it together!