When I worked on the Psychiatric Emergence Admission Unit during my internship in psychology, I learned the value of teamwork. This was a locked ward where patients were admitted on a voluntary or involuntary basis. It was the job of staff members to sort out newly admitted patients in the triage process. The unpredictable nature of the patients that were seen and evaluated added an element of stress to the environment. I remember the day when I walked on the unit and unexpectedly found the body of a psych tech reeling on the floor. Subsequently, I discovered that upon administering a medication to the patient, the latter had a paranoid break with reality suspecting that the medicine he was about to take may have been poison. Because this characteristic of uncertainty existed in this setting, there really was little room for internal disputes among the staff members. There was an implicit understanding among the workers on the unit that disruption caused by personality clashes or conflicts among them could be harmful to all. This is to say that such a disruption could very well compromise the safety of all those involved in the process of helping the patients on the ward.
As a rookie volunteering on the Senior Police Patrol, a part of the Long Beach Police Department, I had the good fortune of partnering with Linda, a seasoned veteran of the Patrol for 15 years. Our job entails assisting the police force in tasks such as doing wellness checks on people, usually elders, that may be victims of some type of abuse. Although our job functions do not allow us to enter into dangerous situations with residents, there is a feature of unforeseeable events that may occur. When Linda heard on the police radio that there had been a major accident at a tunnel located on Lakewood Blvd. in Long Beach, though I was the driver, she took the reigns in directing me to where I needed to go.
As we entered the tunnel, we discovered we were among the first responders. Traffic already had begun to be backed up on the two outside lanes. Without hesitation, Linda pointed for me to drive on the most inside lane that was free of traffic due to the accident. When I drove through the passing traffic near the mouth of the tunnel, a young man sitting next to an overturned car created a jarring, almost cinematic scene. There were some fire fighters at the scene talking to him in the midst of water sprouting from a hydrant that had been cracked. The ambiance was eerie, reminiscent of a surreal Fellini film, with the dim enclosed space amplifying the tension and chaos.
While an inundation of water began to stream into the tunnel, Linda’s quick thinking and extensive experience proved invaluable. She promptly told me to grab the orange vests from the back of our vehicle that we both quickly donned. We then positioned ourselves where we could both aid in assisting the police and firefighters in managing the heavy traffic that had piled up due to the accident. Together we successfully helped direct the flow of traffic and alleviate the congestion.
As the firefighters sealed the hydrant and the initial chaos began to subside, our efforts ultimately supported the Long Beach Police Force in restoring order. Miracle of miracles had occurred insofar as the driver of the overturned car, though dazed and shaken, neither suffered a minor nor serious injury. This experience not only deepened my respect for the dedication and skill of first responders but also reinforced the importance of teamwork and composure in challenging situations.
Dr. Bernard F. Natelson 