# Homeless Guy on a Saturday Night



## DV_EMT (Oct 4, 2009)

So my wife and I were having dinner af a little hole in the wall pizzaria round 9 when all of a sudden a homeless guy comes walking up to me with a small surface lac to his left lower arm/wrist. He give me one of those, "should I go to the hospital" lines with a strong stench of alcohol on his breath... I naturally have the inclination to say yes when all of a sudden he takes the piece of glass from his other hand and starts to continue cutting himself. Realizing that this guy isn't mentally there, i get 911 on the phone and let them know the situation. I put my gloves on (i always have one pair in my back pocket) cautiously paced the guy while on the phone with 911. PD gets on scene, followed shortly thereafter by FD and AMR. PD restrains him... finds a 4-6oz bottle of vodka about 80% gone. and then AMR straps him down to the gurney and hauls him away to the hospital 



here's my question... should I have done any of the following


- do what I did as stated above? 
- told the guy to take a hike (he's not my problem and I'm off duty)... and then call him in to PD?
- tried to talk him down (putting the glass down) and then tried to apply pressure to control bleeding while my wife called 911?

or other variations?


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## Dominion (Oct 4, 2009)

I might be heartless but if I'm out, I'm out.  Call PD, notify the establishment what's going on and let them deal with him.   The only difference above is instead of calling PD, just telling the establishment and let them deal with calling PD.


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## VentMedic (Oct 4, 2009)

Call 911.

Keep yourself, your family and bystanders from being injured by staying at a safe distance.

As long as he has a sharp object in his hand he is considered armed with a weapon that has the potential to do you and others harm as well as himself.    This should also be relayed to the 911 dispatcher.


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## DV_EMT (Oct 4, 2009)

VentMedic said:


> Call 911.
> 
> Keep yourself, your family and bystanders from being injured by staying at a safe distance.
> 
> This should also be relayed to the 911 dispatcher.




I told the dispatchers that... hence the rapid response from PD...

but personally, he was so drunk that the only person that he could have hurt was himself... you shoulda seen him stumbling around the mall :wacko:


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## dragonjbynight (Oct 5, 2009)

Definitely call, you just never know with someone like that especially inebriated. If once P.D. arrived and a rig was some time out, you may have offered assistance, but sounded like you did everything I would have done.


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## lcvfd1135 (Oct 21, 2009)

MY rule is don't screw with the guy with a weapon. Call pd and stay away. then if it was me after pd restrained attempt care


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## emtfarva (Oct 21, 2009)

Do you remember the most important thing they taught you in school? Scene safety? Back away, keep bystanders out of harms way and call 911. That is what I would have done.


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## VFFforpeople (Oct 21, 2009)

I would have advised jumping off a bridge..faster way LOL.

Anyway stay safe, and walk away slowly, if he gets upset. Then do what you gotta do.


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## SoCal (Oct 21, 2009)

lcvfd1135 said:


> MY rule is don't screw with the guy with a weapon. Call pd and stay away. then if it was me after pd restrained attempt care




I agree.... good answer....


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## atropine (Oct 21, 2009)

wow, I would have went with the take a hike thing myself


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## firetender (Oct 21, 2009)

The incident began as human being to human being. You reacted the way a human being would.

Then, the situation demanded you be professional about it.

That's what you did.

Now, the human being in you wonders if you did that right, so you're checking in with us.

How human, and how professional, Thank You for being a good model!


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## SoCal (Oct 21, 2009)

atropine said:


> wow, I would have went with the take a hike thing myself



Ya, everyone has that badass persona like I don't care... but when it happens right in front of you, the ones that are truly in this profession for the right reasons will step up and take control. The ones who step up and control the situation are the true heroes. So keep riding on your shiny red truck with the public looking up to you as you turn your head.


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## traumamama (Oct 21, 2009)

How did mr homeless know you were ems-were you in uniform or did you just smell like an ambulance?


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## DV_EMT (Oct 21, 2009)

traumamama said:


> How did mr homeless know you were ems-were you in uniform or did you just smell like an ambulance?



haha..... just wandered up actually. i was however wearing a MRC t shirt... but its not very advertising that its ems related. i also was in flip flops and shorts... so idk.... i give off an aura lol?


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## traumamama (Oct 22, 2009)

Yep, I knew it!!! Maybe it was the smell of andrenaline I like the fact that you carry gloves in your back pocket. I carry them in all of my pockets; vest, coats, plus in the glove compartment of my car. Sounds like a scary date to me. My husband is a retired fish and game officer. He prob would have flattened him to the ground and then let me take care of him


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## DV_EMT (Oct 22, 2009)

funniest part about it all was that like 3 of my co-workers (they work at the hospital with me) saw  the results and they came up asking me what happened. It was kinda funny to explain to them that It was just some random homeless guy creating trouble that got so much attention in the end. I think there were at least 4 police cruisers (one of which was up on the sidewalk) one engine, and one rig. Lots of flashing lights... It looked like a crime scene!


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## ClarkKent (Oct 22, 2009)

DV_EMT said:


> i was however wearing a MRC t shirt



I just joined SRMRC in Sacramento, looks like I am not the first.


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## mycrofft (Oct 22, 2009)

*Please, if no one ever reads another word I write, read this and commit it to memory*

*The damndest little things will get you killed.*
"Thank you for your support".


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## DT4EMS (Oct 23, 2009)

mycrofft said:


> *The damndest little things will get you killed.*
> "Thank you for your support".



Yeppers!


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## SPEARS-101 (Nov 27, 2009)

I think I would have done that same, but I probably would have backed off much further and just observed the patient from a distance until PD and EMS arrived on scene.


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