The Daly Routine

Born and raised on the North Coast of Kwazulu, Natal, Stephen Daly has covered a lot of ground - including steep slopes, trenches, confined spaces, caves and mines. His National Diploma in Ambulance and Emergency Care also put him on top of high angle rescue, fire technology and motor vehicle, aircraft and train rescue.

If you ever have an accident, he's the sort of guy you hope will be around.

That's a lot of training. What's the most important thing you've learnt?
No one thing, other than how to remain calm, keep a level head and not to skimp in the gym. This is a job where you absolutely must have physical strength and stamina. An Amkus Hydraulic Spreader weighs 20kg. How long you can hold one above your head could mean life or death when you're extricating a trapped driver. The rescue tools are heavy and believe me, they fight back.

Fight back? Have you ever been injured by the equipment?
Well the whole idea of being a rescuer is to rescue someone else and not become a casualty yourself, so you must use the proper PPE. It prevents a lot of injuries. But it's inevitable that in a stressful environment, accidents will happen. Like the time the hydraulic spreaders slipped, springing out onto my forearm with 20 tons of pressure behind them. Ouch!

How do you keep safe?
It's really important to be able to assess the risks and spot the hazards and act in a way that maximises everyone's safety, although there are inevitably some close calls. For instance when you get to a vehicle rescue scene the first thing to do is cut the battery terminal, but what if you can't?

Are there any times when you thought you might not walk away?
Well, just on that point, one incident I attended involved a trapped driver whose car was wedged firmly under a cane truck. I simply couldn't get to the battery. Some of the time it might not matter, this time it did. While I treated the patient, a hydraulic ram made contact with the fuse box and the next thing we knew the car filled with thick black smoke with flames creeping up the dashboard. Someone was looking down on us that night as the fuel pipe had ruptured and both the driver and I were sitting in petrol. My colleague acted quickly pulling out the burning wires and I used my rescue boot to extinguish the rest.

Were you hurt?
Externally I was fine but my lungs were on fire and I suffered inhalation burns. I put myself on oxygen, climbed back into the vehicle and carried on treating the patient. We were both taken to hospital in Empangeni - but it was a happy outcome.

What's the toughest thing about your job?
I think knowing when to let go and not to let what you see get to you. I see a lot of people who have been killed or injured. You need a means of escape. A good work out in the gym works wonders ... and the ability to have a laugh, although I can understand that anyone who hears medics and fire personnel cracking a joke might think we're a bunch of heartless individuals. Personally I think it's a better option than alcohol or drugs.

What's the most critical piece of rescue equipment?
Your hands and brain. Without using these properly, you'll injure yourself or other people. Beyond that, remember that rescue tools are designed with a specific function in mind. If you choose the wrong tool for the job, precious minutes are lost and your patient could suffer as a result. And if you're doing a rescue under trying circumstances and in harsh weather conditions remember that equipment fails. That's why it's essential to inspect and service it regularly.

Most surreal moment?
Lifting, then ferrying, seven, very wet Shetland ponies one by one in the back of a fishing ski boat. Stranded by the rising waters if the Msumduzi River, they were too cold and weak to swim to safety, despite our attempts to rig rescue slings and swim across with them.

Job satisfaction?
Just to get someone out of a rescue situation alive and in as little pain as possible.

How has your job changed in the last 10 years?
Well, the rescue equipment gets better but the challenges are increasing. The cars they build go faster and are made from stronger and tougher materials. In South Africa the direction is for all medics to have at least a basic medical rescue qualification, so they can understand the dos and don'ts of vehicle rescue and rescue scenes, know how to use a quick access tool like a combination tool and gain rapid access to the trapped patient.

What would you have done if you hadn't been a medic?
I've always loved rescue, because it's such a very physical aspect of Emergency Medicine. I might have joined the South African Police Service, most probably as a dog handler or in the horse unit. I love animals and that's the only other job I could see myself doing. Now, looking ahead ... maybe farming would be my choice of a career.