Latest news with #Hazlitt
San Francisco Chronicle
27-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Joanna Sokol's ‘A Real Emergency' looks under the hood of a broken emergency response system
Growing up in Oakland in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Joanna Sokol felt adrift and uncertain, a school-averse black sheep among her academically inclined family. Eventually, she found her calling as a paramedic, spending a decade serving the communities of Reno, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. She started to make sense of her experience writing essays for Reader's Digest, Epoca and Hazlitt. Her revelatory book 'A Real Emergency: Stories from the Ambulance' details her painful, abusive love affair with driving an ambulance. It's a mordant, sometimes stomach-churning immersion into the world of first responders dealing with ailing bodies, drug-addled minds, bean-counting bureaucracies and eventually a pandemic that pushed the system to the breaking point. Q: During your early days working as a medic at concerts and festivals, did you notice any patterns between styles of music and emergencies? A: There were certain patterns in drug use — you're going to get more alcohol at a metal concert, more psychedelics for a jam band, more MDMA variants at a rave. But you'd be surprised how much overlap we saw. Like — sir, why are you using ecstasy at a hardcore show? You are on the wrong drug, my friend! And I would say even more than the genre, we noticed differences between the overall energy levels at an event. A late morning reggae set at a festival I would expect maybe dehydration or bee sting allergies, whereas a 4 a.m. heavy electronica warehouse rave; well, you can imagine. A: I had some amazing mentors as a new EMT. This sounds trivial, but I would jump on the floor and teach young me some core strength exercises. When you're first getting into the job, everyone says 'take care of your back,' but no one really explains exactly what that means. It's actually less about lifting heavy patients and more about poor working conditions. Most ambulance workers don't get their own stations to rest or stretch in between calls the way that firefighters do. Instead, we are in the ambulance driving around for 12 or 16 hours a day. Q: Along those lines, 'A Real Emergency' shows how poor work conditions make the job so much more difficult than it needs to be. What are the biggest hurdles EMTs face in organizing for better work policies? A: This is really layered, and there is some fascinating history behind it. But the short answer is that ambulance systems are run by a wide variety of entities in the United States. Some public, some private, some by fire departments. There's no real cohesion on a national level. In many places, the ambulance is very much treated as a steppingstone to a fire engine, so most people don't stick around long enough to see paramedicine as a realistic career. Q: Your descriptions of the early months of COVID-19 while you were working in San Francisco are beyond chilling. What did that period reveal about our emergency and hospital system? A: A lot of us knew for years that the emergency system was falling apart: overcrowded ERs, long wait times for ambulances, never enough staffing. And suddenly the rest of the world was looking at us with this sense of fear and shock, asking us if there were enough resources, and we were thinking, 'No, of course there aren't enough resources.' It felt like we'd been inside a burning house screaming our heads off and suddenly everyone else was saying to each other, 'Oh, no, what if that house catches fire?' Q: In researching the history of ambulance/EMT services, what are some of the challenges that remain unchanged over more than a century? A: The ambulance has never turned a profit. It's generally used by those in poverty, and those with chronic medical and social issues. And there have always been arguments about what constitutes a 'real emergency.' I found records of one of the first ambulance agencies in the country arguing with their local police department about overuse of ambulances for drunks. This was back in the 1800s! The ambulance has always tried to focus on immediate life threats, and it has always ended up as a resource for all of the issues that society can't or won't deal with in other ways. A: More EMS staffing. There are some very cool ways that ambulance crews can get trained and be more involved in these issues, but unfortunately every single one of them starts with having enough of us available to respond to calls.
The Independent
28-04-2025
- The Independent
Batty Langley's, London hotel review
Location A portal to a bygone era, buzz the doorbell to see behind this brick façade tucked on a quietly quirky cobble of Spitalfields. The period building on Folgate Street stands out from the glossy skyscrapers of London 's financial district, steps from the East End's best eateries. From here, the bric-a-brac of Brick Lane and Old Spitalfields Market can be found on foot, with Liverpool Street Station a six-minute walk away and overground services from Shoreditch High Street an eight-minute stroll. Next door on Folgate Street, Dennis Severs' House is a must-visit. The frozen-in-time scene at number 18 displays what life would have looked like for a family of Spitalfields' Huguenot silk weavers in the 18th century with ticking clocks, crackling fires and the smell of woodsmoke. The vibe More private residence than hotel, Batty Langley's has the class of a museum without the stuffiness. Restored to reflect its original splendour, the space embraces original fittings and fixtures from its heyday with attention to detail in every crevice, from the communal rooms to corridors. Made for maximalists, playful décor risks being kitsch, but deep jewel tones, oil portraits and gilded mirrors are well balanced with touches of functional modernity. A bolthole in the Hazlitt's trio, the regal step back in time stands out from what can often be a clinical luxury scene – though the vintage vibe definitely works best in winter. Named after local innovator Bartholemew 'Batty' Langley, an 18th-century designer who published handbooks on planning grand Georgian homes and gardens, this hotel leans into the eccentricity of its namesake character from its throne loos to a bookshelf bathroom door. With period charm in spades, if you cross paths with other guests, they're likely creative types keen to embrace the lifestyle of a Georgian gentleman or star in a historical drama. The service You'll find old-fashioned hospitality that's unintrusive, with staff always on hand but out of sight. Left alone to revel in the witty regency, it's easy to explore every quiet recess with workers manning the door full of local knowledge should you need it. There is no coffee machine or kettle hidden in the rooms – call down, and a beverage tray can be brought up. Service is swift, with pre-selected breakfasts arriving at the bedroom bang on time once the sun is up. Bed and bath There's a cast of 29 opulent Batty boudoirs for those bedding down. Each commemorates an East London character, from politicians to petty thieves to Langley himself. The maze of hallways promises something different behind each door, but melty pillows, weighty drapes and dark wood panelling are a staple in all. Categories range from one single 'Box Room', formerly the home of trunks and hat boxes, to 'Club Doubles', emblazoned with silks and velvets, genuine antique frames and carved four poster beds. Living lavish? Some top suites, including Kitty Fisher and Earl of Bolingbroke, have private balconies and terraces. Rooms too, are full of surprises – working toilets transform into wood thrones, a minibar is tucked away, and bed-adjacent flat-screen TVs are hidden behind fold-out mirrors. The Georgians may not have had bathrooms, but restored roll-top baths, walk-in showers, land&water toiletries and a surround sound system are standard when freshening up. Food and drink There's no restaurant other than room service, a 24-hour menu of classic British bites. Breakfast in bed can be summoned to your chambers on wooden trays for those happy to hibernate in their room. Begin with a baker's basket of bread, pastries and preserves before a famed smoked salmon Brick Lane bagels or bacon-stuffed baguette. Forget crumb concerns, in summer breakfast can be taken in the courtyard with granola, yoghurt and fruit served on fine china for something fresh. For those worried about going hungry, six Michelin-star restaurants are also within walking distance. Downstairs, a well-stocked gin bar and honesty bar are kitted with a cocktail book to guide self-poured tipples and in-room cocktail trays are available to order. Facilities There are three characterful spaces, The Parlour, The Tapestry Room and The Library, to poke around outside of your room. Dens for drinks or diving into literature – the hotel houses a collection of over 3,500 books – the communal rooms are furnished with Victorian lanterns, open fireplaces and 17th-century tapestries, and The Tapestry Room leads out to a little courtyard. Accessibility There is one adapted double room available for wheelchair users on the fourth floor, which is lift-accessible and features specialist smoke alarms for visually and hearing-impaired guests. Pet policy Batty Langley's allows for pre-booked small pups only – in which case furry friends can stay free of charge. Check in/check out Check in from 3pm; check out by 12pm. Family-friendly? Yes. Some standard rooms can be interconnected for families, and each junior suite has a comfortable sofa bed, but the overall vibe is geared towards grown-ups. At a glance Best thing: Bedroom backstories, from Obadiah Shuttleworth to Kitty Fisher. Perfect for: History buffs. Not right for: Minimalists. Instagram from: The courtyard, for arched mirrors, flowerpots and a functioning period fountain.
