LANCASTER, Pa. -- When paramedics respond to the call, every second counts.
"We have to be ready every day for anything that happens," said paramedic, Adam Marden.
That's a major part of the job for paramedics like Marden. He's been an emergency responder since he was 16 years old and has spent nearly the last 20 years at Susquehanna Valley EMS. Marden gave Fox43 a look at how EMT's and paramedics respond to calls in Lancaster County.
On the ride, they responded to a diabetic call and an emotionally distressed individual needing help. Local police were on the scene when they arrived, which happens on calls where the exact situation may be unknown.
"We can get dispatched for one type of call and it can be totally different," explained Marden.
The paramedics and police had to work together to address the immediate needs of the patient and calm him down.
"He at first was reluctant to go to the hospital with us but we were able to talk him into it," said Marden.
That's how they were able to get the patient the proper care he needed and that type of call is just one of the many situations EMT's and paramedics see daily. Most days, they respond to calls for chest pains, diabetes, car accidents and overdoses.
"Some of the worst calls were children getting hit by a car, some cardiac arrests when you're dealing with family members and the pain they're going through," explained Marden.
In recent years, Marden says they've seen a rise in overdose calls and they are using Naloxone to reverse it more often than ever.
"It's probably gone up 110%," said Marden. "When we give them Naloxone, their resistant to our care. They can become combative, they can become violently sick."
It's their training that Marden said helps them deal with those and other kinds of challenges.
"There's always new medications coming out, new procedures so we need to keep up with the changes in the emergency medical field, each day could be different," said Marden.
While each day can be different, it's the duty and passion to provide safe and effective care that stays the same whether it's dealing with a major tragedy or just simply saving lives in the little ways.
"My favorite part is helping the people and seeing that they can get better," explained Marden.