# Clown Car



## Seirende (May 27, 2017)

At one point, my sister and I were both volunteering for the same service. Neither of us are at that service anymore, which is a story that's been told elsewhere. I did get a few good chuckles out of that time, however, including the following anecdote relayed to me by my sister.

The service was dispatched to a possible overdose. Since the call came out right when on-duty groups switched off, everyone from both groups showed up, just to be safe. Fine and dandy, the problem was when everyone decided that since they were there, they might as well respond. Apparently they were halfway to the call with 6-7 people in the ambulance before someone thought to ask, "Where are we going to put the patient?"

Funnily enough, I had responded to the scene since I was driving directly past the area on my way to my paying job. When I arrived, the pt was alert and first responders/law enforcement were gathering his info. I walked in, did an about face when I saw that the situation was well in hand, and walked out just as the ambulance filled with EMTs pulled up. I have never seen so many providers on a non-MCI. 

My mom was an EMT (waaaaay back in the day, as I like to tease her) and has a similar story about arriving to a scene and EMT after EMT piling out of the ambulance.

At this point in my career, I am perfectly happy to let someone else take the call if they feel like it.


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## Medic27 (Aug 10, 2017)

On-duty groups switched off? Can you clarify?


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## ThadeusJ (Aug 10, 2017)

THAT would have been a funny scene.  Along that thread, when I was doing my RT training and I doing a NICU rotation at a "Big City" hospital, I was paired up with an experienced RT who was assisting a RN with a routine equipment change on a very sick baby.  Before we could start, the poor babe had an episode and crashed before our eyes.  Code Blue was initiated and before you knew it, every staff physician, anaesthesiologist, intern, resident, fellow and their cousins showed up to "assist".  As a student I was pushed further away from the patient, but I was able to count everyone who responded...24 people around an isolette.  I think they limited the number of docs that could bill for a code response shortly thereafter.  If it wasn't so tragic, it would have been pathetic.


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## DrParasite (Aug 10, 2017)

Medic27 said:


> On-duty groups switched off? Can you clarify?


I'm guessing it was shift change for the volunteer agency he works for.  so day crew goes off duty at 7pm, and night crew comes on at 7pm, but in this case, both crews went in the ambulance.

as to the OP, to the question of "where are we going to put the patient," the proper answer is "on the stretcher."    If you have a crew member sitting on the cot, than you have other issues to address.

And I'll take too many responders over not enough help any day.


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## bakertaylor28 (Aug 10, 2017)

Seirende said:


> At one point, my sister and I were both volunteering for the same service. Neither of us are at that service anymore, which is a story that's been told elsewhere. I did get a few good chuckles out of that time, however, including the following anecdote relayed to me by my sister.
> 
> The service was dispatched to a possible overdose. Since the call came out right when on-duty groups switched off, everyone from both groups showed up, just to be safe. Fine and dandy, the problem was when everyone decided that since they were there, they might as well respond. Apparently they were halfway to the call with 6-7 people in the ambulance before someone thought to ask, "Where are we going to put the patient?"
> 
> ...



Send in the Clowns!


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## Seirende (Aug 10, 2017)

DrParasite said:


> I'm guessing it was shift change for the volunteer agency he works for.  so day crew goes off duty at 7pm, and night crew comes on at 7pm, but in this case, both crews went in the ambulance.
> 
> as to the OP, to the question of "where are we going to put the patient," the proper answer is "on the stretcher."    If you have a crew member sitting on the cot, than you have other issues to address.
> 
> And I'll take too many responders over not enough help any day.



First, I'm a female. 
Second, yes, it was shift change. Providers at that service respond from their homes to the station.
Third, the question of where to put the patient wasn't one that I needed an answer to. I wasn't on that call and have since left the service due to issues with lack of professionalism in the leadership.
Fourth, agreed on your last point, especially for a cardiac arrest or MVC.


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