# What was the most amazing call you have been on?



## CalebCalebson (Apr 6, 2012)

What was the most amazing call you have been on, that to this you cannot believe it happened?


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 6, 2012)

CalebCalebson said:


> What was the most amazing call you have been on, that to this you cannot believe it happened?



Once, this one time... I went to a house ... took me a while to find the address, being that it was 3:30 in the morning an all, but then, when I got inside…  the guy had a sore throat.

And it had been sore for 3 days!

THREE WHOLE DAYS!

Whew. I can't believe that he called an ambulance and paramedics for that.

Just can't believe that happened.


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## Anjel (Apr 6, 2012)

n7lxi said:


> Once, this one time... I went to a house ... took me a while to find the address, being that it was 3:30 in the morning an all, but then, when I got inside…  the guy had a sore throat.
> 
> And it had been sore for 3 days!
> 
> ...



OMG SERIOUSLY! 3 DAYS!

That is fricken amazing.


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 6, 2012)

I know, right?


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## bigbaldguy (Apr 6, 2012)

My most surreal call (I think that's what your asking for) was to the scene of a motorcycle accident. Arrived and patient is up and ambulatory after hitting the back of a car at 100 mph. Guy had a big chunk of skull missing with visable grey matter. We get him partially immobilized but he becomes combative but we manage to get him loaded. The guys fighting us in the ambo. Talks to us like he knows us, pleads with us to drop him off so he can get in line to use his ATM card then tells us to leave him alone cuz he just wants to play with his train on the porch. Calls for his mommy and asks if he's going to die. Completely random stuff as his brain injury sets in, you could actually see the memories firing off as his brain swelled and died. He's still wrestling with us as we drive and I'm trying to hold him down as gently as possible but I can feel the shattered bones grinding under my hands. I'm the only basic in the back (1 supervisor 1 medic 1 medic student) and I've never felt more useless. They finally get the guy RSI'd and we get to the ER. I'm 2nd off the truck so I'm at head of stretcher as we roll In to the level 1 trauma in Houston. Blood is just pouring put the back of the guys head and onto the ground leaving a trail so I grab a folded sheet we keep on the stretcher and hold it so that it's catching the blood like a bowl. We hit the ER doors and it's the only time I've ever felt like I was actually in an episode of ER. Line of people waiting all in gowns with no one saying a word. Someone calls out "shock room one!" and we roll down the hallway with a swarm of people following us. Someone in scrubs we pass asks "what happened" and I say "motorcycle no helmet" then we're past them. We roll into the room and there's more people that rush the stretcher. Suddenly I'm stuck because I'm hemmed n by a tide of people in gowns and masks. I help them move the guy the bed while they switch him from the portable respirator to the hospital one then someone hands the portable respirator but I can't step back from the bed because the damn thing is wrapped up in the arm of the bed. I've never even seen a portable respirator but I fumble around until I find a fitting and unscrew the tube then finally manage to get out of the mob. Suddenly I'm standing with the rest of the crew watching as they work on keeping this kid alive. I remember a line of nursing students with their mouths open and I notice me and the two medics are standing in a little empty space that just kind of formed around us. No one seems to want to stand near us. Then I focus on the medic students white shirt and it has blood all over and I look at my boots and they have blood all over them. The ER tech comes up to us and puts a wadded up sheet on the stretcher as a makeshift dam because the blood on the stretcher was slowly dripping off the side. We grab the stretcher and roll and roll back out to the bay where the supervisor who stayed behind is already cleaning the truck. Somebody says the stretcher needs to be cleaned and I hear myself volunteer and the driver who has been next to me since we hit the ER doors but who I only now notice is there  says he'll help. So we're left in the bay and we find a hose and we start spraying down the stretcher and taking it apart and talking to each other saying things like "wow that was crazy" and "did you see his brain" and basically acting like junkies because the adrenaline is burning off and our bodies and brains are crashing. We get the stretcher clean and the driver says he needs a soda so he goes inside and I'm drying the stretcher off and notice that the towel is coming off with blood on it because we missed a big puddle somehow. I'm wiping it up and I see a car come around and whip into a spot not far from us and I'm standing there and I get this sick feeling and this guy gets out with a beard. He walks up to me and asks if we just brought in a guy on a motorcycle and I say yeah. He asks "how bad was it" and I just look at him and  say "pretty bad" and the guys face just goes blank and he walks towards the ER doors. I realize I'm standing with a bloody towel in my hand and there's bloody water running off the cement onto the blacktop and down to the street where it's puddling. I look back up and the guy is standing in front of the doors but they aren't opening so he starts walking through the bushes and landscaping I guess looking for a door. So I run after him and I yell "sir sir" and he doesn't hear me even though he's only 20 feet away,he just keeps pushing through the bushes and crap in the flower bed until I get right on top of him and tap him with the back of my hand. He turns and I say I'll let you in and we go to the doors and he goes in and there's a line of blood that leads from the doors all the way back and I think to myself "Jesus I hope he doesn't look down" and then I realize I have no idea what I did with the sheet I was trying to catch it with. I go back and finish cleaning the stretcher. The we all load up and take the supervisor back to his truck which he left at a gas station when he ran up to jump in our truck. My shift is over and there's another volunteer at the station that is waiting so they run me to the station and swap me out for him and then leave because they want to get dinner before they catch another call and I'm left standing there in the parking lot of the station as they drive off. I go inside the station and I wash my hands and look in the mirror and I see I've gotten my shirt wet then I realize it's blood and it's on my pants too and it's all over my watch. So I take my watch off and I put it in my pocket and I get my iPad and my half empty Gatorade from the fridge and I get in my truck and I go home. At my condo I take off all my clothes and my boots and I leave them outside my door because I don't want my dog jumping on my nasty uniform plus the smell of the uniform is making me kind of sick feeling. I think the smell was mostly in my head though if that makes any sense. I walk into my condo in my underwear and tshirt and brace myself for my dog but my sister has her so she's not there. I take a shower and I go to bed. That was about 18 months ago and to this day not one damn thing about that night seems real to me.


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## CalebCalebson (Apr 6, 2012)

Oh man oh man..


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## Sako887 (Apr 6, 2012)

I know the feeling, I had a similar call while I was doing my ride-alongs in Hawthorne, CA. It seemed like it was something straight out of a movie.


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## Akulahawk (Apr 6, 2012)

A few years ago, I was working for a company that was ground transport for an air ambulance company as the pad was a short distance away from the ED...

One day we get called to emergently go to pad. They were flying in a M/C crash victim... and I heard the pilot call in report later than usual. It was unusual in itself that the pilot was calling in the report...

Turns out the guy T-boned a bus at high speed. High enough that he's sheared the front wheel off. He went up and almost over the handlebars, but not over the bike as he struck the side of the bus. 

In flight, he'd became combative, then went pulseless/apnic. When they landed, we were directed under the blades without escort, and did a hot-off load faster than I'd ever seen. We got him loaded, he was back under CPR, drove him to the ED, off-loaded, and got him into the trauma room really fast... turns out that his injuries were non-survivable, he'd broken both femurs, all the ribs on one side with lung lacerations, and somehow managed to have a pneumothorax on the other side too. His head/neck were in great shape as he was at least wearing a full-face helmet.

What was so surreal about it was that we were brought under the rotor disc without escort, got the guy unloaded FAST and everything just flowed really, really well and very few words were spoken between my crew and the flight crew... until after the event was concluded. We worked hard, fast, smoothly... too bad we lost him.


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## Tetrahedron (Apr 7, 2012)

Got called to rub an old mans neck.


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## Ewok Jerky (Apr 7, 2012)

*at 0245*

called 911 because he ran out of his antibiotic.

"you know you could have called a taxi it would be a lot cheaper"
"oh its ok i have medi-cal"  (medi-cal is the state welfare plan)


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## subliminal1284 (Apr 10, 2012)

Not so amazing but hilarious

We get called at 3 am for a sexual assault. We arrive at the apt complex and as we approach the main door of the apt building the lady who called 911 answers the door, the lady answers the door completely naked and a strong smell of ETOH was noted we quickly have her take us to her own apt where we have her put on a large t shirt to cover herself. We begin talking to her about what happened and soon realized she was not sexually assaulted at all as she begins telling us what happened....It turns out she went to a bar where she met a man, they came back to her apartment and had sex which both parties consented to. 

The man afterwards then excused himself saying he had to use the restroom and left the room. He then left her apt with her purse which had a good deal of money in it. PD arrived shortly after and we explained to them what had happened she then refused to talk to them and went in her apartment. The reason it got dispatched to us as a sexual assault was because in the middle of her drunken rambling explanation to dispatch it sounded to them as if she had been raped.


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## Sasha (Apr 10, 2012)

subliminal1284 said:


> Not so amazing but hilarious
> 
> We get called at 3 am for a sexual assault. We arrive at the apt complex and as we approach the main door of the apt building the lady who called 911 answers the door, the lady answers the door completely naked and a strong smell of ETOH was noted we quickly have her take us to her own apt where we have her put on a large t shirt to cover herself. We begin talking to her about what happened and soon realized she was not sexually assaulted at all as she begins telling us what happened....It turns out she went to a bar where she met a man, they came back to her apartment and had sex which both parties consented to.
> 
> The man afterwards then excused himself saying he had to use the restroom and left the room. He then left her apt with her purse which had a good deal of money in it. PD arrived shortly after and we explained to them what had happened she then refused to talk to them and went in her apartment. The reason it got dispatched to us as a sexual assault was because in the middle of her drunken rambling explanation to dispatch it sounded to them as if she had been raped.



Yeah possible sexual assault is so hilarious.


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## Aprz (Apr 10, 2012)

Wouldn't it be nice if 3 am just didn't happen? We'd go from 2:59 am to 4:00 am immediately? 

Everything I've done has been interfacility transport and very routine.


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## fast65 (Apr 10, 2012)

My most amazing call? 

Dispatched for a 15 yo M who fell at the skate park and was unconscious, we're updated en route that the patient began seizing. We arrived to find this kid lying on the sidewalk with a pool of blood around his head, a bystander was holding him as he was seizing. Witnesses said he was playing hacky sack when he fell over the railing, and then down a 15 foot embankment onto the sidewalk below. 

I'll save the complete details of my assessment, but he began posturing (decorticate) moments after my arrival. I got ready to RSI him as my partner got a line and the FD held c-spine and ventilated. We RSI'd him and right as I was intubating him, his foster mother arrived and began screaming hysterically as his brother and sister were standing among the other witnesses, crying. We got him intubated, immobilized him on a LBB, and headed to the hospital. He was flown out to the level 1 trauma center in Portland and went home about few days later neurologically intact. 

The call itself is not extraordinary by any means, but it was the surrounding factors that amazed me. What amazed me was how seamlessly we ran the call, how amazingly well we all worked together and completed the job at hand. What amazed me was that a complete stranger held this kid as he was seizing, doing his very best to do what he thought was right without hesitation. But the one thing that really amazes me, the thing that just baffles me still, is that there was an adult that thought it was ok to film this entire ordeal. That simple action sickens me and makes me wonder who we've become.


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## bigbaldguy (Apr 10, 2012)

fast65 said:


> The call itself is not extraordinary by any means, but it was the surrounding factors that amazed me. What amazed me was how seamlessly we ran the call, how amazingly well we all worked together and completed the job at hand.



From what I know of you fast this part doesn't amaze me at all.


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## fast65 (Apr 10, 2012)

bigbaldguy said:


> From what I know of you fast this part doesn't amaze me at all.



Thank you BBG, that really means a lot!


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## EMSDude54343 (Apr 11, 2012)

bigbaldguy said:


> My most surreal call (I think that's what your asking for) was to the scene of a motorcycle accident. Arrived and patient is up and ambulatory after hitting the back of a car at 100 mph.............



WOW, im speechless....


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## EMSDude54343 (Apr 11, 2012)

I work in the Comm Center. Working nights at about 0400 I take a call for a 2 yof that fell in the kitchen. Go through Case Entry on the call and determine the pt is unconscious and not breathing, in her fathers arms, who is the caller. I calm him down enough to start CPR over the phone. 
We go through the first steps of CPR and I am able to keep him calm, and I start thinking in my head, the caller said she fell, in the kitchen, from standing position, something doesn’t sound right. 
About 6 or 7 minutes into the call, while the caller is starting CPR I look to the see the status of the units responding as this should be a 10 minute response. And they aren’t even responding, the units have been toned for the call 3 times and the dispatcher is toning out the next closest station. 
The primary units finally come up responding and we are still doing CPR, by know we are maybe 10 minutes into the call. I continue to monitor the callers CPR and making sure he’s doing good compressions, all the while feeling useless. 
The caller starts yelling that she has a pulse, and after making sure, twice that it is true and is adequate (to the best knowledge I can) and instruct the caller on rescue breathing and trying maintain breathing until the units arrive on scene. 
Units are on scene for maybe 3 minutes and go hot to the hospital. I listen in on the radio report and the pt has a good pulse and rhythm, but they assist with ventilations all the way to the ED. 

The pt is transported to the local pediatric trauma center later that afternoon. (about an hour away) She died two days later. 

Come to find out her parents beat her to death. A child in the home had called 911 earlier in the night, and hung up. Local LEO went out and noticed the child was in her mothers arms on the floor but the parents denied needing any assistance and said the child as fine, the officer kept insisting to have medics come check her out, but the parents kept insisting she was just sleeping and was sick. The officer didn’t have enough evidence at the time to the contrary. 
The mother has been charged with multiple charges and is still awaiting trial. 
The worst part, is the parents adopted this child, and every child in their home.... They said they wanted this child... And could have given the child back to the State at any time. Yet they chose to murder her...


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## bigbaldguy (Apr 11, 2012)

EMSDude54343 said:


> I work in the Comm Center. Working nights at about 0400 I take a call for a 2 yof that fell in the kitchen. Go through Case Entry on the call and determine the pt is unconscious and not breathing, in her fathers arms, who is the caller. I calm him down enough to start CPR over the phone.
> We go through the first steps of CPR and I am able to keep him calm, and I start thinking in my head, the caller said she fell, in the kitchen, from standing position, something doesn’t sound right.
> About 6 or 7 minutes into the call, while the caller is starting CPR I look to the see the status of the units responding as this should be a 10 minute response. And they aren’t even responding, the units have been toned for the call 3 times and the dispatcher is toning out the next closest station.
> The primary units finally come up responding and we are still doing CPR, by know we are maybe 10 minutes into the call. I continue to monitor the callers CPR and making sure he’s doing good compressions, all the while feeling useless.
> ...



I hate calls like that. I really really do. I've never had a one that bad but I have had abuse calls and I find it nearly impossible to maintain a poker face.


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## EMSDude54343 (Apr 11, 2012)

bigbaldguy said:


> I hate calls like that. I really really do. I've never had a one that bad but I have had abuse calls and I find it nearly impossible to maintain a poker face.



Its still hard for me to keep my poker face bout this call, even after a couple years. The real bad thing about it was this call happened during a time where I was taking either some type of ped code every week, whether it was a still born, or cardiac arrest or a teenager commiting suicide. But I can say I am almost immune to those type of calls now,and alot better at keeping my poker face with them.

Im just glad I wasnt on scene with this call, I dont think I would have been able to hold my composure with the parents after finding out what they did....


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## titmouse (Apr 11, 2012)

EMSDude54343 said:


> I work in the Comm Center. Working nights at about 0400 I take a call for a 2 yof that fell in the kitchen. Go through Case Entry on the call and determine the pt is unconscious and not breathing, in her fathers arms, who is the caller. I calm him down enough to start CPR over the phone.
> We go through the first steps of CPR and I am able to keep him calm, and I start thinking in my head, the caller said she fell, in the kitchen, from standing position, something doesn’t sound right.
> About 6 or 7 minutes into the call, while the caller is starting CPR I look to the see the status of the units responding as this should be a 10 minute response. And they aren’t even responding, the units have been toned for the call 3 times and the dispatcher is toning out the next closest station.
> The primary units finally come up responding and we are still doing CPR, by know we are maybe 10 minutes into the call. I continue to monitor the callers CPR and making sure he’s doing good compressions, all the while feeling useless.
> ...



Thats a heavy one... damn... :sad:


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## EpiEMS (Apr 11, 2012)

beano said:


> called 911 because he ran out of his antibiotic.
> 
> "you know you could have called a taxi it would be a lot cheaper"
> "oh its ok i have medi-cal"  (medi-cal is the state welfare plan)



Wow. Talk about the third party payer problem.


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