By Andy Moore
999 love life savers
Paramedics: There are few other professions that attend so tenderly to the human heart apart from nursing. And in more ways than one. They can bring people back from the brink of death, look after the injured and infirm; all backed up by providing emotional support for patients, not to mention their family, friends and members of the public.
So, general ‘put up with most crap’ type of people you may think? Yes and no. After all, these people, believe it or not, do actually have hearts. And big ones at that.
Here, we convey how Mr T from the A-Team would separate the ‘fools’ from the ‘informed’ when it comes to dating a paramedic.
Informed: Paramedics span all age groups and genders from graduates to seasoned veterans.
Spot on. Hundreds if not thousands move into the profession every year. And if this photo of athletic-looking paramedics is anything to go by, then they are fit in every sense of the word – from physicality to psychologically.
Fool: Paramedics are few and far between – there’re not many to choose from…
Quite the opposite. In fact you’re spoilt for choice in light of paramedic dating. In 2011, there were no fewer than 13,685 paramedics registered in England alone, and there are many thousands more operating in other parts of the UK. So there would appear dating opportunities galore.
Informed: They work irregular, antisocial hours so dating opportunities are limited.
Indeed. People do not choose to become ill or injured between the hours of 9-5 with an hour off for lunch. The ambulance service requires paramedics to work in shifts to cover every hour of the day, typically 37.5 hours per week, usually night and weekend shifts and public holidays. You’ll have to be flexible to date a paramedic, even if it’s in the hospital canteen at 4am!
Fool: I can easily ask a paramedic out; they have no time to arrange to meet anyone else.
Paramedics may meet more people than you do – from other members of their profession to members of the public. So remember when you go on a paramedic date, you’re not the only fish in the sea. And no, these people are not all covered in blood and emotional wrecks: late, lonely and stressful shifts can add up to ‘extra curricular’ encounters with other members of the profession.
Informed: Paramedics have baggage – it all makes for an interesting person.
Yes. These medical guardians have to deal with all manner of humanity, good and bad, both conducive to and abusive at work, and their lives are tangled webs just like the rest of us. The TV series, Casualty, is a fictitious but factual example of how complicated their lives can be, especially married paramedics, Jeff and Dixie, who are part of a love triangle.
Fool: I can ask any questions I like when dating a paramedic for the first time.
Definitely not. Paramedics would have no hesitation in sedating you if they could for asking ridiculous dating questions. From howlers such as ‘do you know first aid?’ – to ‘have you ever seen a dead body?’ – use your head as well as your heart when breaking the ice.
“You’re ARE gettin’ on that love plane, fool!”
So, try and be a little informed when dating these paramedic professionals, keen and green in their uniforms.
What attracts you most about dating a paramedic? No mouth-to-mouth resuscitation answers, please…