Al Hunt had $5 in his pocket — and he used it to pay for someone else’s cab.
A lieutenant shift supervisor, Hunt has worked with emergency medical services in Orange County for nearly three decades.
In 28 years, he said he’s seen some of everything. He’s had stretches of time where the amount of death and dying really wears on him.
But one of the hardest parts of the job, he said, is watching students walk home alone at night.
“That just scares me to death.”
Hunt said the largest number of 911 calls are those involving students.
“We pick up a lot of drunks,” said Dave Sinkiewicz, an EMT-basic.
“They’re not necessarily sick, don’t necessarily need medical help — they just drank too much.”
Hunt said new legislation granting legal protection to students who call for help will likely push the number of alcohol-related 911 calls for 18- to 22-year-olds even higher — which, he said, is a good thing.