# Things left behind.....



## Medic744 (Jun 27, 2009)

What has a employee at your service (or you) left behind at a scene or hospital, or any place for that matter?  Haven't stopped giggling since my partner and I started thinkng of things we have had to hunt down around here.
Examples
Glucometers- 2 at different scenes (same medic)
Portable O2 at the hospital(me, and I worked for a private service at the time and was called in on my day off to find and return it)
Gas cap at gas station (not sure how the guy managed that one since it was attatched to the truck)
Fiberoptic laryngoscope on scene
Portable O2 AND Stretcher at hospital (they realized it when they got back to the station and had to go out of service to retrive it)


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## ffemt8978 (Jun 27, 2009)

Generally, the only thing I've ever left at the hospital was the patient...


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## jtb_E10 (Jun 27, 2009)

Medic744 said:


> What has a employee at your service (or you) left behind at a scene or hospital, or any place for that matter?  Haven't stopped giggling since my partner and I started thinkng of things we have had to hunt down around here.
> Examples
> Glucometers- 2 at different scenes (same medic)
> Portable O2 at the hospital(me, and I worked for a private service at the time and was called in on my day off to find and return it)
> ...



This lady I used to work with left behind her clipboard with ALL of her patient care reports she had in it for the day at one of the hospitals in the state capitol over an hour away...boss made her drive over and get it when she was supposed to be off work...:wacko:


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## Medic744 (Jun 27, 2009)

I admit to the O2 but the rest of the stuff is all left by others.  I think we all have our moments. LOL ^_^


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## jtb_E10 (Jun 27, 2009)

I have yet to leave anything, but I'm sure it will happen in due time....


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## MMiz (Jun 27, 2009)

I've left behind an O2 tank, far too many pillows, blankets, and even my pager.


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## Epi-do (Jun 27, 2009)

I had come on shift, and while doing the check-out on the truck, I open the back doors, and there is no cot.  We had to drive downtown to one of the ERs the off-going crew had just dropped a patient off at to get it.  Not only did they not put the cot in the ambulance, they forgot to make it as well.


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## Second (Jun 27, 2009)

on my first real medical trauma was a stroke and I left our C bag at the house, but we got her to the hospital within an hour. the family brought it with them to the EC. I'm a student so I can make mistakes like that.


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## mycrofft (Jun 28, 2009)

*See the "Dumbest Questions" thread...*

:blush:
Didn't happen to me, but once the mechanics working on our resue truck took it for a test drive across the flightline to the base snack shop. They had left the right front lug nuts in their shop, the rim and tire came off and rolled onto the taxiway causing flight ops to close, and they gently slowed and stopped without dumping our tailheavy 1971 Powerwagon on it's nose.


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## LucidResq (Jun 28, 2009)

A friend of mine left his partner at the hospital and didn't realize it until he had driven 30-45 min. away. He thought he was sleeping in the back.


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## medicdan (Jun 28, 2009)

I have been left at the station by partners (at the start of our shift). Needless to say, that set the tone for the day. (In his defense, we were giving a supervisor a ride, and I was supposed to be in the back). 
It was a nice phonecall to dispatch. "Hey, its emt.dan, formerly  from a-40. Would you mind calling partner back to base... he forgot me here...I'd like to reunite with my truck."


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## Afflixion (Jun 29, 2009)

D tank, laryngoscope with full set of ET Tubes, My brand new very expensive Oakleys at a CPR... yeah I didn't get those glasses back...didn't think it would be very polite to goto a Pt's house who died to get back my glasses... Yeah I left quite a bit of stuff behind now that I read that...


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## lafmedic1 (Jun 29, 2009)

Left the portable oxygen tank we changed on scene at a code. Left the paramedic at the station during my orientation because the basic in the front told me he was in the back   and the best was we found our stair chair on the side of the highway after getting cancelled on a call.   Oh ya and found a patient sitting in a vintage 80s stair chair on a call. Dont know about that one.


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## GR1N53N (Jun 29, 2009)

As an EMR, I'd like to thank all of you for being forgetful.  Our base gets incrementally more comfy every time you guys forget a pillow.
And of course, we love it when you leave us equipment!


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## Medic744 (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah I forgot about leaving my radio at a local eatin place one night, and as I remembered it and we were headed back to get it we dropped my first CPR ever and I had to get the PD to head over and get it and explain to my director why a waitress was on the radio asking if anybody was going to retrive it.


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## flhtci01 (Jun 29, 2009)

OK technically I don't think I was 'left' at the hospital.  It was my first call as a volunteer basic.  We called for ALS (different company),  I was bagging my patient and was told to go with the ALS unit.  I thought our unit was following with the second patient.  They tiered with air.  After things settled down at the hospital, 15 miles away, I realized no one from our crew came.  Had to call for a ride.  There reply was "We forgot about you."


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## imurphy (Jun 30, 2009)

Control: Control to 15
Us: 15. Send
C: 15, are you ready and in service.
Us: (confused as we had called in clear 5 minutes previous) Yep. 15 in service, available
C: Are you sure......
Us: Yes control. Available
C: Check your Ambulance and try again.

So we looked around for a few minutes...

Us: 15, Control
C: 15 Send.
Us: So, I guess that lifepak 12 is important right
C: *Laughter* Yep! Want to go back to the hospital and retrieve it!

5 mins later. 

Us: 15, we're in service again
C: Are you sure this time!!


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## cwilliamson (Jun 30, 2009)

medic744 you cant forget that one of our "special" medics left the pt and the stretcher and the ot o and the lifepack!


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## MMiz (Jun 30, 2009)

Has anyone seen my penlight?


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## Medic744 (Jun 30, 2009)

I forgot he left the lifepak!!!  Yeah hes responsible for the mismatched diesel caps that our OCD Director is stressing over.


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## Mountain Res-Q (Jun 30, 2009)

I am lovin' the fact that so many people have forgotten their partners and crewmates at the station and at the hospitals.  I can understand leaving small items and such in the heat of the moment or when you are exhausted and absent minded... but damn... it is another human being that would seem to be kinda important... LOL    Seriously... 30-45 minutes before you noticed?  I am glad that no one has ever forgotten their partner at the scene!!!


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## cwilliamson (Jun 30, 2009)

hahaha i didnt know that was him! i just got the text lol thats just funny! and yes 700 does have a touch of CDO!!


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## Medic744 (Jun 30, 2009)

A touch?!?!?!?


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## Sasha (Jun 30, 2009)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> I am lovin' the fact that so many people have forgotten their partners and crewmates at the station and at the hospitals.  I can understand leaving small items and such in the heat of the moment or when you are exhausted and absent minded... but damn... it is another human being that would seem to be kinda important... LOL    Seriously... 30-45 minutes before you noticed?  I am glad that no one has ever forgotten their partner at the scene!!!



I like how people list it as "forgotten". I wonder how many partners were left "acidentally on purpouse"


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## cwilliamson (Jun 30, 2009)

hey hey calm down! its okay i will find you a mega code just chill


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## Medic744 (Jun 30, 2009)

Boy the only mega code Im running tonight is when John and I run over there and beat you!  LOL Muah!


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## cwilliamson (Jun 30, 2009)

come on with it the pain lets me know you care lol


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Jun 30, 2009)

Wow, I have no idea how you would leave your partner behind.  Or your cot for that matter!!!!

I forgot an O2 bottle once, but we went back there an hout alter so I recovered it and no one found out about it.


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## Medic744 (Jul 1, 2009)

I haven't done it but I know that a few people have left behind a couple of firefighters when they ride in with us on a code.  They wander off to the EMS recovery room and they get forgotten. But leaving my partner, I've thought about it with a couple of them but haven't done it. ^_^


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## cwilliamson (Jul 1, 2009)

Font even think about leaving me!!


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## emt_angel25 (Jul 1, 2009)

i personally have left O2. but one of our crews left the cot at a hospital 45 min away from our district. YIKES!!!


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## paramedichopeful (Jul 2, 2009)

lol funny. but everyone has their moments; we all just need to be graceful


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## mikie (Jul 2, 2009)

Medic744 said:


> Fiberoptic laryngoscope on scene



I realllllly hope you found it; sounds expensive!!


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## Medic506 (Jul 9, 2009)

Fire dispatch called me in our dispatch center just the other night to tell me that one of my crews had left their stretcher on scene.  After they finished the call I had one of them call me.

Me: Hey, Dispatch said y'all forgot your backboard on scene, so PD is gonna take it to Fire Station 6 for ya to pick up.

Crew: Eh, I'm not worried about it.  We'll grab another one, I"m sure Station 6 can find a use for it.

Me: Sounds good to me!


I've also had crews forget airway bags, laptops and drug boxes behind.  Kinda sucks cuz we get warnings filed in our accounts for leaving anything behind...thanks goodness I'm mainly a dispatcher!


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## exodus (Jul 9, 2009)

Tonight, one of our cres left their gurney behind. ... (us)xxxx to xxx return to ucsd for gurney pickup. Dispatch - uhm, xxxx what, that's my job?!


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## Medic744 (Jul 9, 2009)

mikie said:


> I realllllly hope you found it; sounds expensive!!




Wasn't me but the offgoing crew.  The code was at a vol. FF family members house so he was nice enough to hold onto it until our Director went back to get it.  Not sure how much it is just know we only have the one handle and one blade.  The rest of the intubation kit is the standard handle and blades.


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## Rob123 (Jul 9, 2009)

Of all the things Ive lost, I miss my mind the most.
--Mark Twain

Seriously... Pens, pens and more pens.


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## TransportJockey (Jul 9, 2009)

I left my partner behind once... does that count?


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## fortsmithman (Jul 9, 2009)

In between calls I was to change the spare 02 tank in the trauma bag.  We got another call while I was changing the tank we left for the call.  I forgot the tank in the ambulance.  Luckily we keep 3 spare tanks in a forward cabinet.  On the second call I forgot to take the trauma bag with us.  Myself and another member got the keys to the scene by the pt's wife.  I haven't forgotten those items since then.  I always make sure we take the trauma bag from the scene.


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Jul 9, 2009)

On the last shift I was on my partner and I lost probably collectively 10 pens from mainly 2 runs.  The first run one pen fell out of my pocket while on scene and the other when we got to the hospital.  I was holding pressure and it was a true load an go so I just let the pens go.   couple of them were dropped in 2 liters of blood so they were not worth cleaning.  And on the MVA the other responding crew couldn't find their pens we we lent them ours.  My partner also left his radio in a 2 liter puddle of blood and didn't realize he lost it until we got to the hospital.  Fortunately for him I saw it and wrapped it in a towel before I took pressure from him and it was sitting in the wheel well ready for him to clean after the run!


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## chadwick (Jul 13, 2009)

*Almost,*

We took an 8 hour transfer BLS, my partner and I were so tired that we almost left our stretcher, clip board and portable oxygen in the ER of the hospital we transferred to. They had the nicest staff, one of the local ambulance crews took us up to the cafeteria and we had a pretty good breakfast considering it was hospital food. The ER staff told us not to worry about our stretcher just slid it in this little hallway by the decon room and it would be left alone. Happened to glance over at it as we were heading out the door.


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## johnrsemt (Jul 13, 2009)

left clipboard  (I am famous for leaving it in the amb when we take the patient inside the ...ecf, er, home).

   working private service, my partner and I followed a 911 truck to their scene,  with their cot ontop of our cot.

   O2 tanks,  glucometers.   

working wheel chair van I left the patient.    went to the VA,  had 8 people in wheelchairs,  asked who was mr so n so.  person raised his hand,  loaded him up, took him to ECF.  he thanked me,  THEN said that he lived at a different one,  and just wanted a ride around town.   dropped him off at his normal ecf, (on the way back to VA for correct patient)  and we ended up with the contract for the 1st guys ecf, due to me being so nice to him (and he was the father of the owner).

   Left my ambulance at the hospital on a l  o  n  g  night shift.   was on a different truck than normal.  walked out of ED and got into my normal truck with my normal partner and left.  no one said  anything,  took me almost an hour and two runs to realize what I did.    dispatch and supervisor just left us like that the rest of the night.


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## PapaBear434 (Jul 13, 2009)

I left yet ANOTHER freaking glucometer kit.  I don't know where.  We had only had two calls that morning, one at the police station, and the second one was a vertigo call where we noticed the glucometer was longer with us.  We know it was there when we started, we checked it off and replaced an expired tube of glucose.  We didn't use it at the police station, but figured it must have fallen out of our bag there somehow.  To date, they have yet to find it.

Frustrating, but that's life I guess.


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## usafmedic45 (Jul 13, 2009)

PapaBear434 said:


> I left yet ANOTHER freaking glucometer kit.  I don't know where.  We had only had two calls that morning, one at the police station, and the second one was a vertigo call where we noticed the glucometer was longer with us.  We know it was there when we started, we checked it off and replaced an expired tube of glucose.  We didn't use it at the police station, but figured it must have fallen out of our bag there somehow.  To date, they have yet to find it.
> 
> Frustrating, but that's life I guess.


I know of one crew that walked out and left their defib/monitor sitting in a patient's house after a refusal of transport.  The patient's son came walking into the station about an hour later holding it.  He looked at me and goes, "I don't know what this thing is, but it looked important so I figured all y'all might want it back as quick as possible."


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## VCEMT (Jul 13, 2009)

I've left pens, penlights, notepads, extra gloves, a trash bag(got a call while doing house keeping), sun glasses, hats, pillows, partners, and interns. 

Never left any really important equipment behind, though.


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## aussieemt1980 (Jul 14, 2009)

I try and keep a count on all of my gear as I am financially responsible for it now. Having said that, one of my safety vests went for a trip on the rescue helicopter the other week... I didnt even know it was gone until it turned up the next day at the event I was working at. I dread to think how much equipment I have left behind...

I know this is not EMS related, but I used to work in the mining industry as conveyor belt fitter. I heard a story of a coworker, who thinking that someone would steal his tools, engraved his name and company name on them. He dropped a shifter onto a running conveyor belt below and it eventually made its way to China. The company that found it in their system was very nice and sent it back to him - on a first class air ticket.


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## DawnParr (Aug 1, 2009)

LucidResq said:


> A friend of mine left his partner at the hospital and didn't realize it until he had driven 30-45 min. away. He thought he was sleeping in the back.



lmao i don't have any stories from work since im just a basic student, but once my dad was on vaca and left my 84 year old diabetic grandfather that has Mac Degen at a gas station, so funny.


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## kittaypie (Aug 2, 2009)

i'm guilty of leaving behind a gurney and O2 bag at the hospital. also an O2 bag at a patient's house, but luckily while transporting we turn around in a cul-de-sac and drive by the house again, seeing the patient's family throwing it out on the lawn.


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## rescue99 (Aug 2, 2009)

we turn around in a cul-de-sac and drive by the house again, seeing the patient's family throwing it out on the lawn.[/QUOTE]


How Rude :lol:


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## captainbeatty (Aug 6, 2009)

I lost the keys to the squad at a hospital about 30 miles away from our station. Our mechanic had to run another set of keys to us. I also heard this exchange on the scanner one night:
 Dispatcher: Base to car 10
 Officer: Go ahead
 D: Do you know where your hat is?
 O: (After a long pause) No
 D: Well, I do.
 O: All right, mark me enroute back to station.


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## Hockey (Aug 6, 2009)

I left my boots on the back of the rig after leaving the hospital.



Didn't realize till about a half mile down the road.  

You'd be surprised on what stays on the back of the rig going down a road


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## NEMed2 (Aug 6, 2009)

Left a collar bag & bls jump bag on scene of a multi car mva in the pouring rain... checked the fire department's trucks, the cars at the junk yard (luckily the drivers were still hanging around) and finally.. the back of the ambulance. Someone had shoved the bags in the one cabinet we don't use.


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## TgerFoxMark (Aug 17, 2009)

NEMed2 said:


> Left a collar bag & bls jump bag on scene of a multi car mva in the pouring rain... checked the fire department's trucks, the cars at the junk yard (luckily the drivers were still hanging around) and finally.. the back of the ambulance. Someone had shoved the bags in the one cabinet we don't use.



ALWAYS the last place you look. 

anyways... you have an empty cabinet? HOW?


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## NEMed2 (Aug 17, 2009)

TgerFoxMark said:


> ALWAYS the last place you look.
> 
> anyways... you have an empty cabinet? HOW?



That much is very true.

And I said it was the one we don't use. It's not empty, just filled with stuff we don't use much, like oxygen, and splints and blankets. 

Actually, it was in the back of the cabinet behind the child seat. We didn't look there at first because we didn't take any equipment out of there to begin with.


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## Achromatic (Aug 17, 2009)

TgerFoxMark said:


> ALWAYS the last place you look.



Well, of course. Who keeps looking after they've found it?


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## whatevah (Aug 17, 2009)

left the IV bag (no drugs!) and triple pump at a pickup location for a critical care transport bus.  We left the room in a hurry to clear for an incoming trauma and we all thought somebody else grabbed it. And, naturally it's a bright orange bag. That facility called our base hospital an hour later to remind us we needed to go back. Fortunately, it's only 10 minutes away.


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## FDNYChick (Aug 27, 2009)

left my stretcher in the er and went on another run to find out that it wasnt in my truck when i got there.luckliy it was a walkie/talkie so they sat on the bench and took a trip to bellvue


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## Subliminal (Aug 27, 2009)

D tank outside of a facility.  I can't even remember why I took it off the stretcher in the first place (Im sure it was a really good reason :blink: ).  Realized it about 4 miles down the road. My partner and I had a good laugh about it beings that it was about 4 AM.


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## kittaypie (Sep 13, 2009)

oy... left a gurney at the ER last night and went on a run. needless to say, fire was a little pissed at me. :unsure:


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## Sapphyre (Sep 14, 2009)

Oh, I bet they were!!!!!!!   Kittay, are you overnights?


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## kittaypie (Sep 14, 2009)

i'm part time right now so i pick up random shifts. used to work nights though.


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## Sapphyre (Sep 14, 2009)

I see, i see


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## lightsandsirens5 (Sep 14, 2009)

Left my pager on the pump panel step of our engine once. Never saw that one again. (Lost pager=VERY happy chief ^_^)

As for when riding the amb: other that the occasional pillow or blanket left on-scene, the only thing I have left so far is the c-spine bag. Last Januray. Guy fell down his stairs, c/o neck pn. C-spined and boarded him, loaded "everything" up, went to hospital and dropped him off, then while restocking, my partner noticed we were missing a c-spine bag. So we hopped back in and went out to the scene, and there was the poor bag, frozen to the ground with a half inch of snow on top of it!


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## Pudge40 (Oct 11, 2009)

I left something behind today. On the back bumper to be exact. It fell off on the way to another call after just leaving the hospital. It was the paperwork clipboard. A lady stopped and picked it up and took it to a neighboring station who returned it to us. Unfourtunatley the clip board was DOA.


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## cruzJD (Oct 12, 2009)

I left our portable o2 in a different areas rig one time.  My driver blew the rear main seal of our transmission and got a local department to transport us to the hospital.  I drove into the city when I got off and they had empted the tank but they did give it back.

I don’t know how many “ride a longs” got left at the ER because they wonder off. 

I misplace a penlight at least once a week.  About a year ago I switched to using my mag light and have not lost one yet. 

I left our spare / old deliberator unit on a PT that we loaded on to a helicopter one time.  We ran into them at the ER and they brought it to us and told us we need to update.

I checked in our drug box at the ER and forgot to check out a new one.  Right after the driver started up the rig I realized that the cabinet lock was still locked to my clip board.


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## nicolel3440 (Nov 17, 2009)

makeing mental note not to wonder of when starting my ride along portion of training


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## WolfmanHarris (Nov 17, 2009)

I left all of the bags and monitor at an MCI a few weeks back. We were fifth unit in and I had to walk in with the gear to the staging area. Put it down got distracted spotting a backing up truck (one way ingress/egress due to congestion) and then it turned out there was no one for us to treat or transport. (30 mins later) hopped back in the truck, left the scene and got back to base. Went to do something on the computer in the back and noticed right away. Had to place us out of service, contact the District Superintendent and drive back to the scene. Luckily a PRU had been left on scene just in case, until everyone had cleared out and had my stuff.

Best part was the other truck from our base booking on radio with a 
"3114, on the air with a full tank of gas and all our equipment."


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## ZVNEMT (Nov 27, 2009)

one of our crews left a stretcher at a hospital, didn't realize it until they got another call. even one of the guys doesn't work there anymore we still joke about it.

i have recently lost my new, out-of-the-box $75 littman... i am pissed.

various O2 bottles being left behind have driven one of the owners to put signs that say "DO WE HAVE EVERYTHING" in several places on the ambulances. it looks really professional with the medical tape and coffee stains....


my dignity... not sure where i lost it... but i sure as hell don't have it anymore...


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## sbp7993 (Nov 27, 2009)

Nothing as of yet, I am sure I will one day though


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## tactics (Jan 4, 2010)

*keys*

My partner cleaned up the rig after a particularly bad call, as I was giving my pt. report, and threw away my keys.  Which had the key to the IV and drug box compartment.  We didn't realize this until we were back at our station, then we had to go back and search through the ER trash in full PPE!!! All the time trying to avoid all of the biohazardous crap.  Not to mention all of this was on camera at the ER nurses station and the staff was laughing at us hysterically.


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## Jeffrey_169 (Jan 5, 2010)

Yes. When I was in San Juan County one of the medics on the local paid service left their drug box at an MVC. Boy you would know the a** chewing they got. We went back (us volunteers) to try and find it, but it was never found. San Juan Regional Medical Center was not happy. 

The EMT B on the truck was also our training officer on our district of volunteers, and we really did try to find it. Man she sure was not too happy about it. 

There really wasnt anything "good" in it because all the narcotics were in a separate box, but they did get away with the Narcon.


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## tactics (Jan 6, 2010)

To add to my previous post, my keys were found in the trash next to a beautifully placed and full diaper. To add insult to injury we ran out of Purell hand sanitizer and had to bio-bag them until we got back to the station.  I was to embarassed to go into the hospital to use theirs.


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## writchey (Jan 7, 2010)

Been there done that go the t shirt.


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## tactics (Jan 7, 2010)

Did you happen to get coffee mugs and keychain photos made too?  Or videos of the family on the roller coaster and with the guy in the mouse suit.


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## CAOX3 (Jan 10, 2010)

The list would be shorter if I told you what I havent forgotten.


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## doctorfodder (Jan 10, 2010)

do I even know that I forgot anything?


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## pvfd62med22 (Jan 10, 2010)

Umm the ILS Entry bag during a code... Handed to a FF said Put this in the truck for me... Guess I needed specify which truck.. :glare: The one that says AMBULANCE *not* Fire Engine...:wacko: SO yea.. we went to tube and low and behold.. there is no red bag.. thank god for the other kit in the Blue bag


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## nomofica (Jan 10, 2010)

I think I misplaced my brain somewhere today...


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## z_14k (Jan 18, 2010)

hate to admit it, but I left a slideboard behind -_- I'm pretty good about making sure I have everything, but it was just one of those days


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## fire_911medic (Jan 22, 2010)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> I am glad that no one has ever forgotten their partner at the scene!!!



No, but a student was "misplaced" once - don't ask....unfortunately PD returned him


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## fire_911medic (Jan 22, 2010)

Was thanksgiving and incredibly slow day, so decided to go ahead and start the dinner.  Partner went in to the store and I stayed with the truck while he did his shopping (was protocol for one of us to stay with truck to "babysit").  Anyhow, he had a cart full of stuff and we got dispatched out for a run.  I had gone around to the side to check something as I kept hearing something rattle.  Thinking the compartment that had the backboards was loose, I tried to shut it again.  I didn't realize it was bad.  I heard a clunk in the back and just attributed it to the cans of whatever he bought rolling around.  On arrival to the scene dispatch called us to let us know that we had left our backboard at the grocery store.  We called a second truck and returned to the store - turns out kids had confinscated the board and were using it as a sled down the hill nearby.  We retrieved it, and happily went back in service with all laughing.  Turns out the door latch was broken and hadn't shut all the way and when we pulled out, out the backboard came.  All well - was funny.


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## Jeffrey_169 (Jan 22, 2010)

fire_911medic said:


> No, but a student was "misplaced" once - don't ask....unfortunately PD returned him



I would hate to explain that one to the boss...lmao


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## fire_911medic (Jan 22, 2010)

*Code from Hell*

The area where I work is literally backwoods middle of nowhere - it's common for people to live on the sides of mountains - literally.

We got a call to an unknown person in an area known for it's difficulty to get to.  This house was literally where they had carved out a section of a hill, built the house, and there it was.  It was my first day with the service, so I was riding as a third along with a medic who'd been there for years and the worst driver I've been with yet (no longer there - medic is though).  Partway to the call, dispatch comes back on the radio telling us the patient is no longer breathing.  She goes into L/S tunnel mode and decides she's going to back up this very narrow driveway (that is solid mud and wet clay from the recent rain) to save time.  

Anyhow, my partner and I decide to go ahead and grab the equipment and go in while she is backing up the truck and told her bring the stretcher.  We manage to get the patient intubated and things (was still breathing but barely) and were looking for the stretcher - which should have been in there long before that point.  All of a sudden we hear a loud scraping sound and huge thump.  About 5 min later, a VERY nasty looking driver comes walking in the house with stretcher.  I asked what happened and she said - I called for another truck...ummm okay.  Get the patient packaged and moving out - I look out the window and the only words I could manage were *WTF !*   Evidently, she had misjudged backing up and slid off the side of the mountain, running over a small tree, and landing the back wheels in a ditch.  *GREAT*  <_<   

Dispatch comes back over to tell us that all other units are either out of county and over an hour away, or on other calls so none available.  No help, no other way to go, so embarrassed, we had to ask this patient's family to PUSH the truck out of the ditch so we could get out (fortunately landed on a spot where we could manage to get out provided we got out of the ditch).  Managed to get the patient to the hospital, but he passed away (nothing we did would have made any difference, had multiple massive head bleeds).  

We were on our way back to the station when we realized that we had left our intubation kit on scene - so as if it was not bad enough that we had DESTROYED these people's front yard, their loved one was dead, and they had to push us out of a ditch, we'd left equipment there.  We refused to go retrieve it and our supervisor did later in the county tahoe....Talk about a bad day !


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## fire_911medic (Jan 22, 2010)

Jeffrey_169 said:


> I would hate to explain that one to the boss...lmao



Yeah - it wasn't fun.  Had a student ride with us to a multi car MVA - we saw the student with the other truck that had the more critical patient (granted I told the student stay right by me for good reason) but the other truck pulled away with their patient, and we couldn't find our student, nobody seemed to know where they were, so we assumed (remember don't assume 'cause you know why !) they had gone with the other truck.  We packed up our patient who had pretty minor injuries and off we went to the hospital (other crew went to a different hospital).

Was sitting in the EMS room writing up my report, when one of the troopers walked in and tapped me on the shoulder asking "you forget something?"  I figured I'd left equipment or something on scene (our troopers are great about bringing it to us when they come to get statements at the hospital if we do).  I turned around to look and there sat my student in the cruiser !  *Woops !*
Trooper started laughing and told me, "we saw it standing there looking like a little lost puppy, but it had tags so we brought it here rather than the pound"  I thanked him, promptly retrieved my student and gave them a stern lecture about not leaving me again or they would be left at the station the next time !


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## EMSBLONDIE24 (Feb 13, 2010)

A neighboring squad once left one of their crewmates and we had to give them a ride back to their station...
Guess they were a vital part of the crew lol


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## MS Medic (Feb 23, 2010)

ffemt8978 said:


> Generally, the only thing I've ever left at the hospital was the patient...



Thats about the only thing I have not left somewhere.


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## hreeves877 (Feb 23, 2010)

My LT left his litter, including monitor and o2 on the back of it.


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## mattulance (Feb 26, 2010)

*well I'm perfect*

While I am perfect and have never left anything behind.............

I have had a 

lifepak 10

2 hand helds 

narcotics 

left in my bls rig by medics



heard a story about a crew leaving a gurney at a hospital once

(somethign I could see myself doing )

I still put the rig key son the hand held antenna so I don't loose that.


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## exodus (Feb 26, 2010)

mattulance said:


> While I am perfect and have never left anything behind.............
> 
> I have had a
> 
> ...



My keys stay on my belt.


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## oneluv79 (Feb 28, 2010)

I've ran off and left my 5.11 Tactical EMT Pants on the floor at the station....once :blush: 



oneluv79:blush:


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## Kendall (Feb 28, 2010)

I left a scoop stretcher on scene once, it was the last call of the day... The next morning we went back there and sure enough, it was right where we left it!


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## KillTank (Mar 1, 2010)

oneluv79 said:


> I've ran off and left my 5.11 Tactical EMT Pants on the floor at the station....once :blush:
> 
> 
> 
> oneluv79:blush:



Those pants are freakin awesome!

We ran a mva. I left my EMS jacket at the station and was on scene freezing so a firefighter lent me his jacket. I left his jacket at the hospital but luckily I was off shift after that call so I was able to return it to him.

Things left on scene...
02 Tank w/ regulator
Pulse Ox
Trauma bag w/ bls and als drugs

Things left in Rig from patients..

Prosthetic Leg
vomit, blood, feces and urine.


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## EMSLaw (Mar 1, 2010)

Kendall said:


> I left a scoop stretcher on scene once, it was the last call of the day... The next morning we went back there and sure enough, it was right where we left it!



Who would want the thing anyway? 

J/k.  Personally, I think the scoop is a great and under-utilized tool in the right situations.  But the culture in my Squad is such that, like the KED, it seldom leaves it's home next to the backboards.


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## traumaqueen5 (Mar 8, 2010)

my locker in the FD sits right next to the engine so in a hurry i laid my keys on the side jumped in and took off..... about 6 months later the post office found them and realized who's they were... dumb luck


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## emt_angel25 (Mar 9, 2010)

this is a new one for me........not sure for anyone else....went to assist another crew on a cardiac arrest. my partner and i without even thinking when we were all ready to go told the driver to "light 'em up and go" and she did.  and she did an excellent job at that. got the pt to the hospital and then it hit me we left our truck (which was still in service mind you) at the scene. i called our dispatch to quickly take us out of service and they could barely speak from all the laughter. thank goodness for the FD they followed us to the hospital and returned our ambulance.


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## KillTank (Mar 14, 2010)

emt_angel25 said:


> this is a new one for me........not sure for anyone else....went to assist another crew on a cardiac arrest. my partner and i without even thinking when we were all ready to go told the driver to "light 'em up and go" and she did.  and she did an excellent job at that. got the pt to the hospital and then it hit me we left our truck (which was still in service mind you) at the scene. i called our dispatch to quickly take us out of service and they could barely speak from all the laughter. thank goodness for the FD they followed us to the hospital and returned our ambulance.



hahahahaha! all i can say is NICE


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## Jon (Mar 15, 2010)

Most recently, I had a situation where our BLS bag was left on the scene of a MVA by my partner at the start of a snowstorm... I'd told him to put it back in the truck before he re-positioned it to load our patient... he assumed he knew better than me and left it sitting under the guardrail. I assumed (there's that word again) that it was in the truck and never gave it a second thought.

Next day, my boss asks where we lost the bag... I thought back, and we went back and looked though 6" of snow for it... no luck. A week later, one of the local cops wanders into the station and hands back the bag, saying it was sitting in his trunk. Way we figure it, one of the cops saw it onscene and threw it in his trunk to give back, only he forgot about it.


Never left a stretcher at the ED - but I've SEEN it happen. I can't understand how that happens.

I've left bags and O2 tanks in residences... It happens.

I was left at the grocery store by a crew as a student. I thought I was within sight of them... guess not.

And then there is always the pile of trash left strewn about a scene after a serious trauma or arrest.


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## mct601 (Mar 15, 2010)

Jon said:


> Most recently, I had a situation where our BLS bag was left on the scene of a MVA by my partner at the start of a snowstorm... I'd told him to put it back in the truck before he re-positioned it to load our patient... he assumed he knew better than me and left it sitting under the guardrail. I assumed (there's that word again) that it was in the truck and never gave it a second thought.
> 
> Next day, my boss asks where we lost the bag... I thought back, and we went back and looked though 6" of snow for it... no luck. A week later, one of the local cops wanders into the station and hands back the bag, saying it was sitting in his trunk. Way we figure it, one of the cops saw it onscene and threw it in his trunk to give back, only he forgot about it.
> 
> ...



hahahaha. thats quite hilarious, sucks for you though.


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## mare_liberum (Mar 18, 2010)

My partner once left our entire jump bag at a scene. The funny thing is that one of our friends was at the scene, and once we left, she kept calling him over and over and over, he was getting annoyed since we had a patient in the back and he didn't want to answer the phone in case the patient thought it would be rude, but our friend was just calling to tell us we left the bag!

Luckily she picked it up and dropped it off at the station, so it was right there when we got back from dropping the patient at the hospital...


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 19, 2010)

Jon said:


> ...And then there is always the pile of trash left strewn about a scene after a serious trauma or arrest.



Part of our customer service commitment is to ALWAYS pick up the "code trash". We always have enough people on scene and after a code a firefighter will always tidy up. Last thing a family member needs to see, after the death of a loved one, is the remains of the futile attempt to save a life strewn all over their living room floor. Clean up that code trash.


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## rjw225 (Mar 30, 2010)

cruzJD said:


> I left our portable o2 in a different areas rig one time.  My driver blew the rear main seal of our transmission and got a local department to transport us to the hospital.  I drove into the city when I got off and they had empted the tank but they did give it back.
> 
> I don’t know how many “ride a longs” got left at the ER because they wonder off.
> 
> ...


It's so funny that you left behind ride-alongs!   I did my EMT-B field clinical a few weeks ago and made dang sure to stay close to the crew I was riding with.


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## esmcdowell (Apr 7, 2010)

Working for a rural volunteer service, we use our personal cellphones to call hospitals and dispatch, have left mine at our station, on scenes, in the rigs, and at our local hospital, luckily havent left it at either of our frequent hospitals we take inter-facilities to.


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## firecoins (Apr 7, 2010)

cell phones, keys, radio, stetcher, bags of equip, my mind.  Forgot them all.


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## tubagal2007 (May 11, 2010)

Probably the worst I've had left behind was a radio at the scene. My partner and I responded to a stroke call and I guess we were both kinda preoccupied, because it wasnt until we got to the hospital (20minutes away) that he realized he didn't have his radio. (how do you miss that?!?) It had been left at the house. Needless to say, he was a bit embaressed when we went back to get it.


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## RescueYou (May 12, 2010)

VCEMT said:


> I've left pens, penlights, notepads, extra gloves, a trash bag(got a call while doing house keeping), sun glasses, hats, pillows, partners, and interns.
> 
> Never left any really important equipment behind, though.



Yeah. I mean, it's not like your partner is important or anything....



kittaypie said:


> oy... left a gurney at the ER last night and went on a run. needless to say, fire was a little pissed at me. :unsure:



Eh, they'll get over. You can get mad at them when they leave something next time


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## johnrsemt (Oct 31, 2016)

Just yesterday morning after a helicopter took off we picked up the marker lights, put them in the side compartment, opened the box door to clean up the truck and I told my crew "That is NOT our backpack"   called the bird on the radio and told them   they had to come back cause it was their meds.   At least they were only 3 minutes away


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## NYMedic453 (Nov 10, 2016)

This afternoon I got to the station for my shift and the morning crew had left the clipboard at the pt's house from the last call. Thankfully it was just down the street


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## chaz90 (Nov 10, 2016)

Impressive necro thread...Since it's already been resurrected though, I may as well contribute!

The worst thing I've ever heard left behind was a toe. It was a fairly clean amputation, but the patient also had some other injuries and they were flying him out to a higher level trauma center that would also (hopefully) have microsurgery capabilities for reattachment. The helicopter had made it off the ground and just started transport when a trooper found the toe in its carefully packaged and labeled container still on scene. There was a bit of a debate whether a trooper would transport it separately by ground, but the helicopter ended up returning to pick it up. I think it only ended up delaying arrival at the hospital by ~10 minutes, but it was an incredibly cringeworthy radio transmission to overhear. No idea on outcome.


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## NPO (Nov 11, 2016)

I left the first in bag on scene of a call where we had a critical patient. Nearly everything in the bag is duplicated in the ambulance, with the exception of King tubes and NPAs. We realized it was missing with we reached for an NPA...

Called the supervisor immediately after offloading. He answers (must have had caller ID) because he says "don't even want to hear it. I'm on my way." 

He gets there and scolds us for a bit. I was in internship at the time. Me, my preceptor paramedic and EMT were there. He made the point that there were three of us on scene. He looks at my preceptor and says "two of my best employees. You, a preceptor, stong medic, and a supervisor." Then looks to me and says "and you, a superior employee and bright medic intern." Then he looks as my EMT, and says nothing. 

I made a point to tell my EMT he wasn't being mean, he just didn't blame him as much. In the end, nothing came of it. Just a lesson not to do it again. 

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk


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## Chef (Dec 13, 2016)

Nothing too extravagant yet but I did roll out without a cot battery a few weeks ago. Still haven't heard the end of that one. Of course the 1st pt was 350 plus.


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## Meursault (Dec 15, 2016)

... our truck.


Spoiler



Working P/B, intercepted a brand-new BLS crew for a stroke. We both hop in the back because my partner wants to get everything done en route, the new person driving takes off, and five minutes into the transport, _the other crew member _turns around and asks us a question. There was a very lengthy discussion later. And, unlike our supervisor, I'm leaving out about half of the dumb decisions that got us to that point.


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