The Call You'll never forget?

[MMiz]

Is there a certain call that you'll never forget?

I haven't been working in EMS for too long now, so my variety is limited. Any special calls you remember?

 

[lastcode]

Since I have only been in EMT for a little over 3 years, I don't have much experience either. But from hearing the war stories of the older EMTs I have noticed one thing. It doesn't seem to be the bloody calls but the wierd ones people remember. I guess you see so much blood it doesn't seem like a big deal anymore. One call I remember is a very very large woman. She was around 500 lbs. We had have firemen cut a whole in her house to get her out. Then we couldn't use the stretcher, we just put her on a peice of plywood and slid her into the back. The fireman had to bring our stretcher up to the hospital behind us.

 

[SafetyPro2]

Probably one of the first calls I ever went on. Did my EMT ridealong with an L.A. County Fire Department paramedic squad (a la Johnny and Roy). Third call of the day was a motorcycle accident. Arrived on scene to find the "patient" already covered up by the cops. As we were walking up, could see a leg coming out from under the sheet at a VERY unnatural angle (was the only part of his body visible). The medics uncovered him and discovered he still had a rhythm, so we worked him up and transported him. The ER docs called him after less than 5 minutes. Aside from the leg (which was 90% amputated below the knee), he had a totally shattered pelvis and who knows what other internal injuries.

Took me awhile to get over that call, but also showed me that I could do it. I had about 10 seconds of indecision when they first uncovered the body, but when the medic tossed me an IV bag and told me to spike it, the training just kicked in. Still remember the guys face though and all the details of the scene, and that's been almost 2 years ago.

 

[Chimpie]

I was riding along with police department as part of my college course. I was double majoring in Security Management and Law Enforcement at the time. Our first call of the night was a MVA w/ Inj. When we arrived (I think we were the third car in) I saw the PT, a motorcycle rider, DOA. He was wearing his helmet but the crash was too severe. The thing I remember about it was that he was just lying there, in the middle of the street, no one really around him at the time, and a stream of blood going from him, lying in the middle of the road, to the storm drain in the corner. We walked up to him and the officer I was riding with said, "You don't have stay here. You can wait in the car." I said, "It doesn't bother me." I was surprised at myself actually, looking back at it. 19 years old, lived a pretty sheltered life, never seen anything like this before, and it didn't bother me.

I guess the second on the list would be a MVA w/ Inj. just down the street from my apt (at the time). There is also a nursing home just down the street so hearing sirens was not uncommon. Except this time the sirens stopped about a block short. I turned on the scanner and heard my friend call for additional man power. Knowing he was there I decided to drive on down to see what he had. A Ford Ranger had crossed the yellow line, gone into a ditch, drivers side down, entrapment. I assisted with cribbing and then stood by as the FD extricated the PT from the car. Once the PT was c-collared and back boarded I assisted with bringing the PT back to street level and then carried her over to the cot. As we were walking to the cot I noticed that my hand was next to her's. The top of her hand (skin) was folded back and you can see, well, everything in her hand. I accidentally said, "Cool" and the FF on the other side of the board just looked at me with a weird expression on his face.

We got her on the stretcher, strapped her down, I took off my gloves, threw in the haz-box and was heading down to my POV. The FF pulled me aside and asked which dept I was on (three depts responded plus AMR). I told him I was part of Toyota's crew just up north. He asked if I was part of any of the local Vol FD and I said no. He said stop by and fill out an application. I guess from that moment on EMS was truly in my blood. While I never official joined, I did ride with them every now and then and had a great time doing it.

*whew*

Chimp

 

[TTLWHKR]

I changed my mind... One call comes to mind that changed my views on being an emt...

First one was in my fourth year of being an emt; dispatched to an MVA head on w/ entrapment. Arrived to find two familiar vehicles smashed to heck all over the road, fluids and blood... Running down the center line of the road. Looked around, didn't see the faces of the vehicle owners in the crowd. My heart dropped, as I approached one vehicle to find my aunt, heavily trapped, seat belt snapped, and pinned between the dash and seats. She was unresponsive; I was able to get into the passenger door. Fish out of the water breathing... Had to move on to other people to see who was worse. Approached other vehicle, found my neighbor trapped and impaled by the vehicle; compound fractures of both legs femur and tib/fib; and both arms, Blood running out the door. Another emt took over. Walked to the other side, found a woman whom I knew very well; very respected business owner... Just made my dinner the night before. She hadn't been belted in, and was smashed against the dash. The only way to describe the site to understanding, would be instead of bones under the skin would be jello head to toe. Neck broken, skull crushed. All, or most of the blood, draining from the car. I was at a loss; everyone was being worked on. I went to request a couple helicopters and have rescue expedite... and turned back to survey the scene again... Someone was talking to be but I was just not there, maybe in shock I guess. But I snapped out of it, and pulled a case of port-o-power from our loaner ambulance and began to break away parts of the car for the only patient I knew we had a chance of saving. The driver w/ all the fractures did survive; extricated, applied MAST suit... One life brought out of all the other tragedy...

Being a volunteer is exactly like the book, Population 485, meeting your neighbors one siren at a time... I've met more people in my town, while on fire, ambulance, rescue, and traffic control calls than I ever would have just walking down the street...

 

[ffemt8978]

Blueeighty8,

I'm speechless.

 

[traumagirl1029]

Blueeighty8 ...im so sorry that that event happened in your life. While i live in a somewhat small area we're large enough that things like that don't happen very often and im sorry for your experiance................

ive been an Explorer for 3 1/2 years now and done a lot of ride time..so far the call that really sticks out in my mind was just an interesting experiance not really anything that caused me to use my skills. We had to transport an inmate from the local prison from about 30miles south of our County Hospital code 2 (lights and sirens)..so we had to go through security at the prison (taking off our truama shears and all) go up to the infirmary and placing (with the help of correctional officers) a handcuffed inmate onto our stretcher then in the back of the rig. we had a police escort and two CO's riding with us. I dont really know what the guy was in for but it was just totally a weird experiance..especially once we got to County and had to stand there with the pt for an hour and a half while they found him a bed..kinda creepy standing in the hallway next to a stretcher with a handcuffed guy on it. lol..so thats my story

liz

 

[rescuecpt]

I have two calls I'll never forget - one sad, one funny - I'll start with the sad so I end on a happy note.

1. Last week, the siren sounded at 6:30am. We had a call at 5:30am but I didnt go because I had just gotten home around 3:30. I knew at 6:30 that the ambulance from the first call would not make it back for at least another 10 - 20 minutes, and being an officer I knew I needed to be there so I headed out. The call was directly across the street from the firehouse - ped struck/possible DOA. I pulled into the firehouse parking lot and started to get out my first responder gear. A FF already on scene told me don't bother... so I said "I at least have to see and decide for myself" - I was the only medical personnel on the scene.

I crossed the street with just gloves and a steth. The firefighter pulled back the blanket, and immediately I recognized my neighbor of 25 years. Cold, grey, dependent lividity which suggested he had been there A WHILE - he even had some small bugs crawling on him. His body was relatively intact - he probably had a pelvic fracture and massive internal injuries, but no gross bleeding, no deformities other than the way his pelvis/leg were turned - no head trauma, etc.

I noticed the debris in the yard - mail, a McDonald's bag with the food half in/half out, still wrapped, a piece of bumper and a Dodge Ram emblem.

We recovered the patient and headed across the street to call off the mutual aid ambulance. Our ambulance showed up and I immediately made sure the EMTs did not go near the patient - since they were friend's of the patient's as well as the fact that it was a crime scene. A few minutes later a firefighter summoned me over - one of our guys was having a panic attack. His nephew had been electrocuted the day before, and I figured it was 2 too many deaths in 2 days for him. Then the situation got worse - he confessed that he thought he was responsible - yes, this was the call from the other board. Needless to say, it's been a very rough week for myself and our department.

2. My happy call was at my other vollie post - the ambulance corps. We got called to Target for an "eye injury". I walk in thinking someone was injured by a falling product or something. What I found was a 20yo male, pacing the cage in the security office. He was an undercover security officer and had noticed a known shoplifter enter the store. He followed her and she put 5 prepaid cell phones in her pocket. He confronted her, and she maced him in the face. When he reached out to grab her, she bit him on the neck, and somehow managed to "shred" his pants - it looked like he was wearing a skirt. He pinned her and relief showed up to help him.

In the ambulance, we tried to wash out his eyes with NS. The EMT and I were trying SOOOOO hard not to laugh. The driver was bouncing all over the road and the poor kid got soaked. We changed approach, and soaked some gauze that we used to cover his eyes. To hold it in place, we wrapped roller gauze around his head. He looked like the walking wounded.

Later it was suggested to me to spike a bag of NS and hook up nasal cannula tubing - tape the end in place so that one opening lies on each side of the nose - and flushes the fluid from the inside of the eyes to the outer part.... HMMM.

 

[MMiz]

As I read the first part of your post I got goosebumps and a chill down my spine. Sorry to hear that, I cant imagine what your department and community are going through. Just for reference, I rad this post after reading all your others, go figure.

Interesting Target call, definitely one I would remember. We actually learned the upside-down NC trick in EMT school, and it's pretty common in the field.

We got Priority 1 call (highest priority) for a man with a hanging file folder stuck in his nose. I couldn't stop laughing, we didn't end up as a responding unit, but I still found it funny.

Thanks for sharing

 

[ffemt8978]

Originally posted by rescuelt@Jun 24 2004, 10:54 AM
Later it was suggested to me to spike a bag of NS and hook up nasal cannula tubing - tape the end in place so that one opening lies on each side of the nose - and flushes the fluid from the inside of the eyes to the outer part.... HMMM.

I used to work security in a hospital, and this was standard practice when PD would bring somebody in that had been pepper-sprayed. Works great.

 

[Ray1129]

Hmm.....the call I'll never forget. There are actually several.

The first I'd have to say was the grossest....however it was definately the neatest. We responded to a single vehicle MVC involving a motorcycle. The guy had was wearing a skull cap (you know, the black helmets that just cover the top of the head) and was riding his harley with a group of friends. He came up to this curve on a hill and was going much too fast. When he hit the guardrail, it wasn't just one. He faceplanted about 6 or 7 posts, each post taking a piece of face/skull with it. In the end, he wound up having ears, nose, face, jaw, and brains seperated from his body and strewn about the roadway for a good 100 feet. His bike landed about 100 feet away from where he lay in the grass just past the guardrail. The neatest part of the whole scene was the blood spatter. Everytime he hit a post, there was a definate blood spatter showing it. We ended up needing the Haz Mat team to clean up.

The second call was not gross or neat. It was just disturbing. I used to work as an EMTB for a private ambulance company. We transported patients from one hospital to another, usually to one who better suited the needs of the patient. Well, one night we were called to transfer a mother who had just had twins. What had happened was the family called 911 when the mothers water broke, and the ambulance crew that arrived took her to the wrong hospital. Instead of taking her to a hospital that was pregnancy/baby/OBGYN/etc. ready, they took her to the closest hospital. Incidently, that particular hospital couldn't handle the patients. When the mother birthed both babies, they died in the ER. I had to transport the mother and her two babies from one hospital to the other. Seeing those babies was probable the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. They were a total of 2 hours 'old', fully formed, still having reflexatory muscle spasms that caused their chests to rise and fall, they still had reflexatory muscle spasms that caused them to grab your finger if you placed it in there hand, but they were dead. And to top it off, the mother was so shellshocked that she hadn't quite comprehend what had happened....she said nothing the whole trip. That was harder than keeping my mind busy by trying to calm her down.

And the third, which is not sad or gross but odd. We responded to a single vehicle MVC w/ Rescue involving a convertible. The additional was that they had rolled the vehicle over several times and had now wrapped it around a tree. Well, when we got there, that's definately what had happened. The front of the car touched the back, type wrapped around a tree. The top was down and the only thing above their heads was the B post. Anyone in that car would have been either dead or close to it. at least that's what we thought. Amazingly, however, both occupants of the vehicle had crawled out and were sitting on the side of the road. The worst injury was a cut above the drivers eye from when his head hit the steering wheel.

Everyone has those calls where the whole call is "One You'll Never Forget". But there are also lots of time when it's a single incident in a call that you remember....