Nashua Paramedics Face Danger Every Day On The Job And Also Balance Marriage, Life As A Couple

NASHUA, NH — Fire and rescue teams face perilous circumstances nearly every day, including vehicle crashes, drug overdoses, shootings, and other incidents.

It is an intense job and not for the faint of heart. But imagine working on the job and then falling in love with your coworker, and balancing the complications of living with your spouse.

Richard and Petra Delier, who work for American Medical Response in Nashua, a private emergency medical service company, have achieved just that and admit, while unusual, they seem to have found the ideal work-life balance.

Richard Delier has been an EMT for nearly 30 years, earning his degree at Northeastern University and relocating to New Hampshire from Massachusetts. Petra Delier went to Bridgewater State University and later, also moved to New Hampshire. They met initially through other people who work in the EMS field when Petra had not yet received her certification. After meeting Richard, she peppered him with questions, and there was “definitely a spark there” between the pair, he said.

For the first year or so, it was plutonic, Richard said. Petra began work as an EMT with another company. During their friendship, Richard suggested she apply to work at AMR, citing the better pay and working conditions than the company she was with at the time. At first, they worked separately for the company. But then Richard’s partner left, and Petra was assigned to work with him. He feared, however, it could be “the death of us, working together,” and others agreed.

But they rolled the dice, and it worked out.

“I had the experience, and she had the brains,” Richard said of the partnership, working in the field. “She’s very intelligent; someday, she’ll be a better paramedic than me because she knows medicine very well. It was a very good combination. It was a dynamic team, and we delivered great patient care.”

Richard said it is often tricky for EMTs to find the right partner. The teams, too, usually have one staffer with a basic certification and one with an advanced certification. This requires the employee with advanced skills to handle many of the technical functions. They had already clicked on so many levels it was completely natural to be working side by side.

“We didn’t fight at all,” he said, surprisingly, as if he was expecting that to occur.

“It was good to be at the same pace,” she said, bringing them closer together.

The couple did this for about three years, every day, working together and living together. The company adapted to the Deliers because they worked so well as a team, they said. Later, Petra received her advanced certification, which split them apart.

They do, however, tend to work on the same shift days, 24 hours, in the same stations. After about a year working separately but together, there have been no issues. In fact, the couple said having the same shifts and being together allows them to reflect on their days and discuss issues they face in the field regularly.

“We lucked out on that one,” Richard said. “All the firefighters know us; all the people at the hospitals know us. It’s a unique situation that works out well.”

Most of the time, for EMTs, the calls are relatively routine. Richard estimated it was around 85 percent. But the other 15 can, well, be brutal — shootings, deaths, etc. The couple has been recognized with awards for their care in the past, something they take pride in, but the demands of the day can wear them down.

Richard said one of his biggest concerns is Petra’s safety, but that is a concern that comes with any situation. EMTs can be harmed on any call. There are a lot of psychological issues and drug abuse occurring with residents in Nashua these days. And it is only getting worse.

Things have changed in the medical delivery services sector with changes in protocols — staging for police to secure scenes before going into delivery services, or ensuring patients are disarmed of weapons before caring for them are two examples. EMTs can put patients into chemical or physical restraints, too, if they become too aggressive or violent.

De-escalation, too, between EMS, police, and patients, is key to successfully handling medical calls.

One of the worst cases they were involved in was a standoff between police and a shooting suspect more than two-and-a-half years ago. Some scenes in the field, they said, you do not forget. The calls, too, can be rewarding, with patients often showing graciousness and appreciation for the service delivered.

“Honestly,” she said, “I really like when you can tell, when you can feel from the patient, that they understand you are really there to help them, and they just get that. The moment they appreciate you, and you know they are putting them at ease.”

Communication skills, Richard said, are probably the most valuable assets an EMT brings to the job, especially when conveying information to patients.

“The compassion, too,” Petra said. “Because they really don’t feel good.”

Richard never understood the power of healing until he had a traumatic injury during a mountain bike accident and broke his neck. He thought, for sure, his life was over, but then he was able to mentally process his healing, think positively, and stay calm.

“That was probably the most powerful healing out of anything (I’d experienced),” Richard said. “If you are going to give up hope, thinking you’re going to die, you’re probably going to. I truly believe that. I think if you can keep a positive attitude and have hope, (telling the patient) ‘we’re going to get through this’ … that is part of the coaching thing (with EMS). Let that person know: they are going to make it.”

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