July 8th is the first International Paramedic Day and to mark the occasion two paramedics from the UK proved that while they are good at their job, they are not good in front of the camera. While filming a video about what it means to be a paramedic, Luton Ambulance Station’s Dave Tamarro and Joe Cartwright couldn’t help but laugh.
Her blooper reel shared on Facebook reveals that Cartwright can’t get the words out because he starts laughing at every attempt.
“Hello, everyone. Welcome to Luton Ambulance Station,” says Tamarro. Before introducing himself, Cartwright bursts out laughing, which then makes Tamarro laugh.
Finally – after several shots punctuated by giggles – Tamarro is able to explain that the first International Paramedic Day is on July 8th and he asks his colleague, “What’s it like to be a paramedic?”
“It feels really good to be a medic,” Cartwright says before laughing again. “I don’t know why I keep saying that. I can’t stop saying, ‘It feels good.’ I am sorry!”
The clip was shared by the East of England Ambulance Service or EEAST, NHS Trust and garnered widespread attention online.
“We have received thousands of lovely messages about Dave and Joe’s many attempts to get their message across on International Paramedic Day,” EEAST executive director Tom Abell said in a statement to CBS News. “I know you were both surprised by the reaction. ”
“We felt it was important to mark this first-ever International Paramedic Day on Friday, July 8th to celebrate the work of our dedicated teams who work so hard to support our patients and communities.”
International Paramedic Day was created and organized by the College of Paramedics in the UK and professional paramedic organizations from around the world.
July 8th was chosen because it is the anniversary of the birth of Dominique-Jean Larrey, “the man often referred to as the ‘father of modern ambulance services,’ according to the College of Paramedics.”
The organization shared several other videos of paramedics on July 8 to mark the day. “Really so proud to be a paramedic and to watch the profession grow,” Marcus Bailey, chief operating officer at EEAST, said in a video. “The amazing things everyone does every day, it’s amazing. It’s so special.”
“Like 32,000 others in the UK, I am a paramedic,” says Graham Clark, paramedic and chair of EEAST’s LGBT+ network. “Being a paramedic is important to me. It gives me the privileged opportunity to be there for people in the most beautiful moments of their lives – but also to make their worst moments a little easier or more bearable.”
Caitlin O’Kane
