Barrington paramedic just wants officials to know 'I'm available'

Paramedic Jim Bollenbacher of Barrington wants to put his skills to use in battling COVID-19, but so far has found it difficult to find a place to serve. Courtesy of Jim Bollenbacher

Jim Bollenbacher wants to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He's willing and able to travel to do it.

Finding someone to take him up on his offer has proved more difficult than expected, however.

"I recognize that these are unusual times and everybody is doing the best that they can do," said Bollenbacher, an independent paramedic from Barrington. "It's frustrating to want to be involved and get in the game and just sit and watch CNN or whatever and they have these doctors and nurses (being interviewed) that are desperate for help, these poor people working their rear ends off.

"And I'm sitting here saying, 'Goodness gracious, I'll change the sheets on your bed. I'm pretty good at starting IVs. You can go do something else and let me do that, right?'"

Bollenbacher said he has tried reaching out to staffing companies but found it "impossible to get through."

He applied through the website set up by the state of New York.

"Unfortunately, when you go to that website there's a drop-down menu used to describe what your role is. There isn't one for EMTs or paramedics," Bollenbacher added. He signed up as an "other."

A 61-year-old retired lawyer who made a career change late in life, Bollenbacher said he wants to put his skills to use, and he's not in it for the money.

Chicago EMT Sarah Goldstein said she has a bag with at least two weeks worth of clothes in it ready to go.

"If somebody were to call me and be like, hey, get yourself a plane ticket, you're leaving tonight, I can do it," Goldstein said.

Goldstein, 23, looks at it as a way to contribute in a time of need.

"I'm seeing it more as a personal experience and as something that I want to learn from since I do want to go further into the medical field," she added.

Bollenbacher envisions a role for himself either transporting patients between hospitals and pop-up clinics, or helping nurses in a hospital or pop-up clinic. He's willing to work wherever he's needed.

He understands the risks involved with this coronavirus, but he's willing to take his chances for the opportunity to contribute. "You'd have to be an idiot to not be a little bit concerned," Bollenbacher said. "But this is what we do."