WOW What A Shift

[uglyEMT]

OK I just got off the wierdest shift I have had to date. When i say just got off I mean 2 hrs ago (went home to shower and now at my day job). If I ramble I appologize I am on zero sleep since 4am yesterday and on about my umptenth pot of coffee.

Started even before my actual EMS shift. At my day job had someone had an accident that needed immediate attention. My boss calls my desk and I pick it up and all he can say is we need EMS NOW (screams now) I grab my bag (personal bag, nothing major) and he's already at the door with a truck running. Get to the scene and someone cut there arm open really good. Nothing arterial but loads of blood none-the-less. I grab my gloves and the few packs of combine dressings I have and apply pressure and elevate. Bleeding slows to a trickle so I start to bandage a little to free up a hand. In the background I hear the sweet sound of sirens. The rig shows up and 3 guys get out and take over. Congradulate me on a job well done and one hands me a few combines from their rig to replenish my bag.

One my way home I witness a MVA, nothing major but stopped anyways to check. Lady on a cell phone hit the rumble strips and turned into the divider instead of away. I get out and shes shaken but other then a bruised ego nothing. Shes in the left lane up against the barrier with a dead car, wouldn't start back up so i decided to use my truck as a shield and turned on all my lights (no not a wacker, now that I am 1st Lt they had me install rear emergency lights so I could be on scene with my POV if needed) few moments later PD shows up and takes over. I get another "good job" and am on my way.

Well I was supposed to pick up my wife's present from the engraver but that didnt happen because now I have 30 minutes to make a 40 minute drive to get on duty.

Ok Duty shift starts and all is well. Stays quiet the first few hours and I get a decent meal in with my wife. No sooner did I get up from the table to do the dishes then the Plex went off. I kiss my wife and get moving.

First call of the night was a slip and fall with possible hip fracture (as dispatched haven't been on scene yet). Get to the home of two little old ladies and ones in a chair and the other greets us at the door. Ok I am wondering where my hip fracture is. We are brough to the one in the chair and she starts yelling at the other that she should never have called and disrupted our night. Apparently 3 days ago she fell getting in the shower and has been in pain since. Her friend noticed her limp and finally called us. We package and transport and all is said an done. OK the wierd part is 3 days with a hip fracture and she just sat there like nothing was wrong. Hoping it wasnt fractured and was just really bruised.

On our way back, my crew and I are chit chatting when we get called over the radio to see where we are. Not usually a good sign. We call out our location and dispatch says "great". Oh brother, here we go. Divert to such and such address for possible OD. Man I hate geting these right before the Holiday (see my other thread) Get to the scene, we have another elderly lady that decided it was all too much and took all her meds, i mean ALL here meds. 4 prescriptions were filled only that morning. Pt is totally out of it. Ask her the time 1957 ask her the date Star Date 2112 ask her name Marylon Monroe. OK this is going to be fun. Ask her where she is Pee Wees Playhouse (these are her real answers I shit you not) We start transport to meet ALS in route. Well half way to the intercept ALS calls back and they were in an MVA!! OK no ALS. I ask for a diesil bolous and my driver agrees. We get her into the ED and the nurses are looking at us like what the hell (last time we were back to back there was last year). On our way back we hear over the radio that our other unit is doing the ALS MVA. We pass and wave.

Ah we made it. We are back at base and I head home. Been a long 4 hours. Get in bed and try to get comfortable, guess the dog figures since I wasn't home the bed was her's for the taking. My wife is sound alseep oblivious to the tug of war me and the dog are having. I finally win and close my eyes.

Tones go off.

I look and its been just 1hr since I got home. Well its after midnight so nothing good happens after midnight. I listen to the Plex and its an MVA with injuries.

I grab some extra gear figuring we will be out in the cold (it was 17 last night with a 20mph wind) while they extricate. We get on scene and there is no rescue rigs. Wierd I think to myself. I go to the first officer I see and ask where our patient is. He directs us to the back of the bar, thats right MVA happened in front of the bar and the patient goes inside. OK here is where we enter the Twighlight Zone and everything gets really wierd. PD is actually trying to conduct a field sobriety test INSIDE the bar. Well that didnt work. We go outside and ask PD if we can look at her before the test is performed. Looking at the car she might have some injuries. PD agrees and says what they have is enough, they will follow if we transport. Well our patient hears this and goes ape shit batty on us. PD helps hold her still and we calm her down with words. She asks if PD can exit the rig and she will be coopertive. They step outside and this girl gets all giddy. Next thing we know we realize 3 weeks ago we had her for a nasty fall down some stairs while intoxicated. She says, "Yes I remember, thats why I wait till now." Now for what? "well see I thought he (pointing at me) was cute, so I crashed my car to see hime again!" Holy Shit she crashes her car to see me. OK take the wacky juice away. So I kindly let her know my wife wouldn't like that very much. She starts sobing and during the sobs says if she knew I was married she wouldnt have drank 7 drinks, taken 4 Ambien and 2 Zanex. Nothing about crashing the car, just the drugs and ETOH. Anyways get her to the ED and she goes batty again, punched a nurse and security swarmed the room.

Heading back, get another call. Oh great now what. We are giggling though from the last call (both my partners are female so they were getting a really big chuckle) so maybe this wont be so bad. Another possible OD. Get there and its a frequent flyer so we know the deal. Well it must be the Moon or something because it gets wierd again. Hes in the back with me and my partner and starts giggling but not once looking at me. I dont think much of it until my partner motions with her eyes twords the guys feet. I look down and notice some "movement" under the blanket. I ask what was going on and the guy started laughing. Next thing we know the movement was pronounced. Holy Shit he's masterbating. I have a guy wacking off in my rig. I get a little loud and tell him to knock it off. He was like aw come on man Im not hurting anyone. Both my partner and I begin to tell him why its not appropriate to do that in public. Well it goes back and forth a while and he stops. Think its over? Hardly. His hands are above the sheet but he starts gyrating. Tries using the sheet to continue. My partner starts getting mad and I have to calm her down while trying to get this guy to calm down and stop. Only thing I could think of was talking to him about Bee Arthur, dont ask me why but its all I could think of at 3 in the morning, he starts to dry heave because of it and it stops. We get to the ED and the nurses are pissed. Bad enough here is patient 4 but our last one we can still hear flipping out. Well we proceed to explain this one and the nurse said "Oh Hell No" After a little convincing we get him to a bed (apparently they want us to deal with him a little longer) we transfer him and then comes time to remake the cot. Well I am not doing it, my partner is nowhere to be found (aka the coffee shop) and my other partner is busy doing the PCR. Great just what Iwant to do at 3am. Well I get it done and miraculously everyone shows up just as I finsh. No problem I say, they get the next "messy" one LOL

Well we get back and I look at the clock, I am off duty 2hrs ago, haven't slept in 24hrs and now have 30 minutes to shower and get ready for my day job. I walk in my door and get ready and here the tones again, oh well I'm off and heading to my job. I heard it was a puker (evil laugh)

OK I know to some that might sound like a typical night but not for me. Was definatly one for the books and I just had to tell someone. I couldn't believe I had a stalker and a wacker back to back and ALS was in an MVA on the way to one of my calls. We did find out it was minor, clipped a bumper apperently, but the other car seeing the shiny stickers figures it was a payday.

Anyways... hopefully I dont fall asleep at my desk now and hopefully I made some of you laugh a little.

Happy Holidays!

Stay Safe Everyone

[Richard B the EMT]

Not my call, but I think you'll find it interesting.

Dave B and Bill M, as Paramedic Unit 47 Willy 3, and John M with his partner, Kevin M, on BLS Unit 47 Boy 3, got assigned a Cardiac Arrest call at the Riis Landing Federal Park Police base. On arrival, they were met by the NYPD Harbor Launch, "Harbor Adam", whose crew advised the EMS guys they were heading out to sea.

It seemed that a passenger on an outbound Cruise Liner had suffered, allegedly, a cardiac arrest. The liner was still proceeding slowly, and the PD launch was to bring them out to the liner. They had at least a 20 minute ride.

When they caught up with the liner, to maintain steering control, the liner had to continue at (for a liner, at least) slow speed. The launch had to go at a moderate speed (for a "Cabin Cruiser" sized launch) to maintain position at the ship's "ladder", in addition to the turbulence of the liner's bow wake, as the 4 EMS and 2 of the launch's cops started the climb of what was later described to me as 5 stories up, with the equipment.

When they were escorted to the ship's clinic, the patient was found to be in a cardiac condition, but not arrest. Between the ship's doctor, on line medical control, and the Paramedic's, it was determined the patient was to be taken from the ship, and transferred to a hospital on shore, for more definitive care.

It had already been determined that the patient would not be able to get down, or be brought down, the ladder to the launch, and a helicopter had been requested by the launch crew.

By this time, one of the NYPD Helicopters was hovering in position over the ship. However, due to the ship's design, the helo would not be able to land.

Bill was riding shotgun, so he would be the one going into the helicopter. But how to get into the helicopter?

By winch cable, that's how!

The helo dropped down the winch cable, with a rig for Bill to get into, and then winched him up to the "bird", lowered the cable again, and brought up the stretcher with the patient, and then flew off towards a hospital in Jersey City, NJ.

As for the cops, the BLS ambulance crew, and Dave B, they proceeded, while escorting the patient's wife, back down the ladder to the launch. The launch then headed to a dock in Jersey City, where a JCPD unit dropped Bill off, and picked up the wife to bring her to meet up with her husband at the hospital.

With the 4 EMSers now back on board, the launch then proceeded back to Riis Landing, where the 2 EMS crews then boarded their respective ambulances, and returned to service.

The guys had spent roughly 5 hours afloat, the only assignment they would handle that day. A week later, someone sent a copy of a home video showing Bill and the patient being raised up into the helo. Some months later, all 4 got commendations for the assignment.

[PCP]

OK I just got off the wierdest shift I have had to date. When i say just got off I mean 2 hrs ago (went home to shower and now at my day job). If I ramble I appologize I am on zero sleep since 4am yesterday and on about my umptenth pot of coffee.

Started even before my actual EMS shift. At my day job had someone had an accident that needed immediate attention. My boss calls my desk and I pick it up and all he can say is we need EMS NOW (screams now) I grab my bag (personal bag, nothing major) and he's already at the door with a truck running. Get to the scene and someone cut there arm open really good. Nothing arterial but loads of blood none-the-less. I grab my gloves and the few packs of combine dressings I have and apply pressure and elevate. Bleeding slows to a trickle so I start to bandage a little to free up a hand. In the background I hear the sweet sound of sirens. The rig shows up and 3 guys get out and take over. Congradulate me on a job well done and one hands me a few combines from their rig to replenish my bag.

One my way home I witness a MVA, nothing major but stopped anyways to check. Lady on a cell phone hit the rumble strips and turned into the divider instead of away. I get out and shes shaken but other then a bruised ego nothing. Shes in the left lane up against the barrier with a dead car, wouldn't start back up so i decided to use my truck as a shield and turned on all my lights (no not a wacker, now that I am 1st Lt they had me install rear emergency lights so I could be on scene with my POV if needed) few moments later PD shows up and takes over. I get another "good job" and am on my way.

Well I was supposed to pick up my wife's present from the engraver but that didnt happen because now I have 30 minutes to make a 40 minute drive to get on duty.

Ok Duty shift starts and all is well. Stays quiet the first few hours and I get a decent meal in with my wife. No sooner did I get up from the table to do the dishes then the Plex went off. I kiss my wife and get moving.

First call of the night was a slip and fall with possible hip fracture (as dispatched haven't been on scene yet). Get to the home of two little old ladies and ones in a chair and the other greets us at the door. Ok I am wondering where my hip fracture is. We are brough to the one in the chair and she starts yelling at the other that she should never have called and disrupted our night. Apparently 3 days ago she fell getting in the shower and has been in pain since. Her friend noticed her limp and finally called us. We package and transport and all is said an done. OK the wierd part is 3 days with a hip fracture and she just sat there like nothing was wrong. Hoping it wasnt fractured and was just really bruised.

On our way back, my crew and I are chit chatting when we get called over the radio to see where we are. Not usually a good sign. We call out our location and dispatch says "great". Oh brother, here we go. Divert to such and such address for possible OD. Man I hate geting these right before the Holiday (see my other thread) Get to the scene, we have another elderly lady that decided it was all too much and took all her meds, i mean ALL here meds. 4 prescriptions were filled only that morning. Pt is totally out of it. Ask her the time 1957 ask her the date Star Date 2112 ask her name Marylon Monroe. OK this is going to be fun. Ask her where she is Pee Wees Playhouse (these are her real answers I shit you not) We start transport to meet ALS in route. Well half way to the intercept ALS calls back and they were in an MVA!! OK no ALS. I ask for a diesil bolous and my driver agrees. We get her into the ED and the nurses are looking at us like what the hell (last time we were back to back there was last year). On our way back we hear over the radio that our other unit is doing the ALS MVA. We pass and wave.

Ah we made it. We are back at base and I head home. Been a long 4 hours. Get in bed and try to get comfortable, guess the dog figures since I wasn't home the bed was her's for the taking. My wife is sound alseep oblivious to the tug of war me and the dog are having. I finally win and close my eyes.

Tones go off.

I look and its been just 1hr since I got home. Well its after midnight so nothing good happens after midnight. I listen to the Plex and its an MVA with injuries.

I grab some extra gear figuring we will be out in the cold (it was 17 last night with a 20mph wind) while they extricate. We get on scene and there is no rescue rigs. Wierd I think to myself. I go to the first officer I see and ask where our patient is. He directs us to the back of the bar, thats right MVA happened in front of the bar and the patient goes inside. OK here is where we enter the Twighlight Zone and everything gets really wierd. PD is actually trying to conduct a field sobriety test INSIDE the bar. Well that didnt work. We go outside and ask PD if we can look at her before the test is performed. Looking at the car she might have some injuries. PD agrees and says what they have is enough, they will follow if we transport. Well our patient hears this and goes ape shit batty on us. PD helps hold her still and we calm her down with words. She asks if PD can exit the rig and she will be coopertive. They step outside and this girl gets all giddy. Next thing we know we realize 3 weeks ago we had her for a nasty fall down some stairs while intoxicated. She says, "Yes I remember, thats why I wait till now." Now for what? "well see I thought he (pointing at me) was cute, so I crashed my car to see hime again!" Holy Shit she crashes her car to see me. OK take the wacky juice away. So I kindly let her know my wife wouldn't like that very much. She starts sobing and during the sobs says if she knew I was married she wouldnt have drank 7 drinks, taken 4 Ambien and 2 Zanex. Nothing about crashing the car, just the drugs and ETOH. Anyways get her to the ED and she goes batty again, punched a nurse and security swarmed the room.

Heading back, get another call. Oh great now what. We are giggling though from the last call (both my partners are female so they were getting a really big chuckle) so maybe this wont be so bad. Another possible OD. Get there and its a frequent flyer so we know the deal. Well it must be the Moon or something because it gets wierd again. Hes in the back with me and my partner and starts giggling but not once looking at me. I dont think much of it until my partner motions with her eyes twords the guys feet. I look down and notice some "movement" under the blanket. I ask what was going on and the guy started laughing. Next thing we know the movement was pronounced. Holy Shit he's masterbating. I have a guy wacking off in my rig. I get a little loud and tell him to knock it off. He was like aw come on man Im not hurting anyone. Both my partner and I begin to tell him why its not appropriate to do that in public. Well it goes back and forth a while and he stops. Think its over? Hardly. His hands are above the sheet but he starts gyrating. Tries using the sheet to continue. My partner starts getting mad and I have to calm her down while trying to get this guy to calm down and stop. Only thing I could think of was talking to him about Bee Arthur, dont ask me why but its all I could think of at 3 in the morning, he starts to dry heave because of it and it stops. We get to the ED and the nurses are pissed. Bad enough here is patient 4 but our last one we can still hear flipping out. Well we proceed to explain this one and the nurse said "Oh Hell No" After a little convincing we get him to a bed (apparently they want us to deal with him a little longer) we transfer him and then comes time to remake the cot. Well I am not doing it, my partner is nowhere to be found (aka the coffee shop) and my other partner is busy doing the PCR. Great just what Iwant to do at 3am. Well I get it done and miraculously everyone shows up just as I finsh. No problem I say, they get the next "messy" one LOL

Well we get back and I look at the clock, I am off duty 2hrs ago, haven't slept in 24hrs and now have 30 minutes to shower and get ready for my day job. I walk in my door and get ready and here the tones again, oh well I'm off and heading to my job. I heard it was a puker (evil laugh)

OK I know to some that might sound like a typical night but not for me. Was definatly one for the books and I just had to tell someone. I couldn't believe I had a stalker and a wacker back to back and ALS was in an MVA on the way to one of my calls. We did find out it was minor, clipped a bumper apperently, but the other car seeing the shiny stickers figures it was a payday.

Anyways... hopefully I dont fall asleep at my desk now and hopefully I made some of you laugh a little.

Happy Holidays!

Stay Safe Everyone

I have to say that is one for the books for sure! I can not believe some chick crashes her car just so she can see you I just don't understand why some people wait so long to call for an ambulance when they have been injured???

Hopefully you are not on shift tonight and you can get much needed and deserved rest!!

All you can say sometimes after a shift is