Wyse sighed and tapped the Mobile Data Terminal waiting for the computer screen to flicker back into life. Technology had moved on and he had been forced to move with it.
No longer did they receive the next emergency call over the radio with time for civilised pleasantries between the call dispatcher, now they received everything through the faceless computer mounted on the ambulance dashboard monitoring their every move.
Checking the MDT information Wyse felt assured some things never changed. They were going to another call with yet another unknown problem. The details of the call were vague at best, a distressed male had called for help but the operator was unable to gain any further details.
The location had been automatically generated from the caller’s phone number without the need for verification by the patient. This should have saved vital minutes but often was more of a hindrance especially when the mapping system tried to direct the ambulance into the nearest river.
They had though navigated through the new housing estate to their destination with comparative ease. No doubt the city councillors had finally taken notice of his letters bringing their attention to the difficulties they encountered with locating addresses in an emergency.
Impatiently Elms opened his door and Wyse pressed the MDT at scene button.
‘I’ve got the bags,’ said Elms holding out the response bags and waiting to lock the ambulance.
‘Once you have turned that key,’ said Wyse smiling at his impetuous colleague, ‘our approach to the scene must also change. It is essential to appear calm and almost sedentary to the general public, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.’
‘But it’s an emergency, we should be hurrying up.’
‘It is, I accept an oxymoron,’ said Wyse, ignoring Elms’ infantile smile, ‘but as I have mentioned to you several times before, it only serves to illustrate the bizarre phenomenon of our calling. As paramedics we have a greater duty to the public than rushing around like headless chickens. Remember the great philosopher Zeno? He eloquently surmised our predicament with his arrow paradox. The true nature of motion implies that no matter how fast you move, speed has nothing to do with how quickly you arrive at where you really want to be.’
Elms stared at him, during their short time together he had quickly discovered many things about Mr. Wyse. One of these was how to respond to him when he started talking like this. After several seconds and when he was fairly certain Wyse had stopped talking, Elms ventured forward,
‘Well, can we jog then if we’re not running? Or did Zeno hate exercise as well?’
‘A brisk walk is more than sufficient considering the circumstances.’
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