07/26/2024
Meet Mersiha Arapovic,
Firefighter with Mandan City Fire Department
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I had the privilege of sitting down with Mersiha and learning about her experiences as a firefighter & paramedic. The drive behind this woman is incredible, and is evidence of her passion to help others.
Having a firefighter in my family, I am thankful to share a spotlight on the heroes in our local communities. Too often their jobs go thankless, without anyone knowing what they truly go through.
What the public is unaware of, the public is ungrateful for. This is why it’s important to know what our heroes are going through, so that we may support them in ways that are truly needed.
I’m thankful for our Public Heroes, like Mersiha, who consistently put their lives on the line to save others from danger. They truly are a special type of human, and we are blessed to have them amongst us.
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Find the full interview here:
https://www.phillipschultz.com/public-heroes/mandan-fire-department-1
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Phil— What has been your best day on the job?
Mersiha— While working here, I went through paramedic school. It’s not a requirement to work here, you just have to be an EMT, but I wanted to go further.
The guys here really supported me, and they pushed me. And when I finally passed my national registry, ‘cause it took a couple of times, I felt the love and support from the people here. It was like the entire time they knew I was going to do it, even when I was doubting myself. Just them being there and celebrating with me, I swear they celebrated me more than I celebrated myself.
Oh my God, why am I tearing up just talking about this. And even to this day, they will look at me during a medical call and ask what I want to do in the situation. I’ve never felt more appreciated than I do here.
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Phil— What’s been the worst day on the job?
Mersiha— I don’t like talking about this. There’s a lot. I’ll try and explain the best I can.
We were dispatched to a young child who was unresponsive. When we got there, bystanders were performing CPR and we began providing aid. It was in an apartment building and, of course, not on the first floor. We immediately knew we had to get this child to the hospital and I, I picked him up and I just hauled ass downstairs. We got him onto a stretcher and we continued doing CPR and everything that was possible. His downtime was unknown, but it was clear to every single first responder that we were going to continue, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if there seems to be no life present, we were going to continue.
We went to the hospital and in the moment I wasn’t getting emotional. But right after I left the patients room, I just, the emotions just flooded out of me and I broke down. It was so hard. When you see a child in distress and you’re trying to do everything you can for that kid, it just— that child didn’t deserve it, you know? And watching him be limp, you know he’s never coming back. It was so hard.
That was probably my hardest day ever in this field of work.
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Phil— How did you keep going?
Mersiha— I remember being at the hospital and another responder was there, and I wasn’t crying. I was upset, but I was trying to hold it all in. He came over and said, “are you okay? Like, how are you doing?” Immediately I started bawling my eyes out.
I think what helps is the people around you. Whether it’s the fire department or it’s metro [paramedics], no matter what call we go on, especially if it’s a critical call, people are struggling to get over that. We have a full debriefing afterward. And if we somehow don’t have a debriefing, you can always call somebody, and there’s always somebody that’s going to check on you. Because, they know. They know.
It’s always hard when you see someone that, you know, might not come back. Or when you know your patient is gone. You’re going to be emotional, and that’s why we have to work together as a team. It’s a support system, and we’re all working together and are here to provide emotional support. That’s one of the main reasons why I can keep going.
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Want to continue reading? Click the link to read more!
https://www.phillipschultz.com/public-heroes/
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This is the first installment in our series entitled, ‘Public Heroes,’ which aims to highlight our local Public Heroes and the impactful organizations they work within.
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