Andy Anderson is a former Firefighter & First Responder for Suqualena VFD, Paramedic with Metro Ambulance, former part-time SWAT Medic with DPS backing up MBN & MHP. He currently works as a part-time Deputy with Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT Team, ER Physician at a Level I Trauma Center, Medical Director for Central Mississippi EMS District, and Medical Director for Hinds CC Paramedic program. He also teaches firearms classes at Boondocks Firearms Training Academy.
Andy AndersonBy Andy Anderson
I hate to admit it, but back in my day, there was a fair amount of hazing in EMS. Whether it was EMT students, Intermediates, or Paramedic students on ride-alongs, we found ways to test their mettle—and their sense of humor.
Practical jokes were a favorite. Many a student was sent to the ambulance to fetch a nonexistent set of Fallopian Tubes, only to return confused and embarrassed.
But if I’m honest, my personal favorite wasn’t the jokes—it was testing their ability to handle a bumpy ride, particularly on a notoriously curvy road called 22nd Ave Heights.
This stretch of road, leading out of Meridian, was a winding gauntlet of tight turns and sharp inclines. Back in high school, I used to drive my Camaro Z-28 as fast as I dared down those curves. How I didn’t wreck during those stunts remains a miracle.
Years later, when responding to emergency calls with students in the back of the ambulance, I’d revisit 22nd Ave Heights — but this time with a different goal: seeing if I could make the student riding in back sick.
I’d hit the turns fast and sharp, the ambulance swaying like a ship in a storm. A few students turned green, and while I never managed to make anyone vomit, I came close. Some outright refused to ride with me after one of these jaunts.
Looking back, it was immature and reckless. But at the time, I told myself it was a way to gauge their mental toughness. EMS professionals face dangerous and unpredictable situations every day, and I wanted to see if they had the resilience to handle the chaos.
Reflecting on those days, I realize how the culture of EMS has changed, and for the better. While hazing may no longer have a place, I know every seasoned Paramedic has their own stories of testing students in unique ways.
Writing these moments down helps preserve a time that shaped me, for better or worse, and ensures they aren’t forgotten as the years pass.
