# What was your first 911 call?



## Mitchellmvhs (Jun 28, 2020)

Just a little curious for what everyone’s first call was.

I recently just got hired by a company that’s owned by AMR in SoCal And I’m on my 5th field training shift and I’ve had 2 911 calls so far. Also my company is all BLS we don’t have any medics hired. When we get a 911 we work with fire and medics hop on our rig.

My first call was syncopal episode for a guy in the shower, wasn’t too crazy. C-Collar and flatted to gurney, code 2 all the way.

My second call I had yesterday is what I consider my first REAL 911 and man I feel like I was ****ing everything up. It was a Difficulty breathing/ sob. Fire was first on scene and we were code 3 from our post and too hospital. they had her on their monitor already but this lady was in really bad condition with a 77% spO2. When we get her in the rig she’s panicking and we’re not able to get a BP for her on their monitor. The medics had me start a 12 lead and I know anatomically where they go and each intercostal space, but I just ****ed the whole thing as I’ve never really done it for real so the medic had to help me. Mind you she was on cpap with abuterol and man I thought this lady was going to code. Since the BP wasn’t working bc she was a little panicked they asked me to palpate a BP and tbh I’ve never done it that way, but know how due to my emt school but I could not find her radial pulse. I’ve always done it with stethoscope. When we get to hospital she’s in a little better condition because it seemed like the albuterol helped a lot, but I just feel like I added to the **** show.The medics after were pretty cool since it was my first real 911 call and it really makes me wanna learn more and make sure I know my ****. It was a good experience and I’m glad I was with my FTO and not by myself lol.

Curious how it went for all of you.


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## mgr22 (Jun 28, 2020)

My first was some sort of minor industrial trauma in 1992 or '93. I don't remember the details. I was just glad to get it over with and maybe feel a little less stupid.


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## Rano Pano (Jun 28, 2020)

Doctors Ambulance?
Everyone has different learning curves, but it’s normal to be uneasy the very first time you see a certain type of call. You’ll take what you learned and apply it the next time you have a CPAP pt.

First 911 call was a “Auto vs Bicyclist”. Pt got knocked down by a car that didn’t stop behind the line at a red. Pt was stable and secondary was unremarkable...... I was still nervous.


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## Mitchellmvhs (Jun 28, 2020)

Rano Pano said:


> Doctors Ambulance?
> Everyone has different learning curves, but it’s normal to be uneasy the very first time you see a certain type of call. You’ll take what you learned and apply it the next time you have a CPAP pt.
> 
> First 911 call was a “Auto vs Bicyclist”. Pt got knocked down by a car that didn’t stop behind the line at a red. Pt was stable and secondary was unremarkable...... I was still nervous.


Yeah I work for doctors


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## E tank (Jun 28, 2020)

Can't remember my first call as the attendant, but I can my first driving call. Was a gsw to the head out of the local state prison. He got shot stabbing someone else to death. He was all loaded up and then arrested...I was so jacked up that I backed the ambulance into the fencing leading out of the place and sardine canned the right front fender. It was awful. Partner was really mad at me. 1984.


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## jgmedic (Jun 28, 2020)

MIne was in OC too. Auto vs scooter, compound tib-fib fx. Don't stress man, it gets better.


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## ffemt8978 (Jun 28, 2020)

Cardiac arrest of an elderly gentlemen who was out trying to shovel snow and was spotted by a passerby collapsed between his vehicle and a snowbank.  We arrive on scene to see PD doing compressions.  Grabbed the O2 bag and AED, then looked back for my partner.  He was still in the truck radioing the ambulance of patient status.

It was so cold our latex gloves actually cracked, but we worked him anyway.  Attached AED and got no shock advised, so dropped a CombiTube and bagged him till PD needed swapped out on compressions.

Once ambulance arrived and we got him inside the rig, they were able to get pulses back and he actually was conscious enough to speak with them.  PD went and informed his wife what was going on, and learned that he had gone out 30min earlier to shovel.

Unfortunately, he coded in the ICU later that night and passed.


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## Jim37F (Jun 28, 2020)

In Torrance, now defunct Gerber Ambulance, stroke call at a SNF across the street from the hospital. We responded code 2 and had patient contact before TFD arrived, I remember them walking in and getting a basic report before entering the actual patient room and saying "Let's upgrade Gerber to Code 3" and we were like "already here". Only other thing I really remember was the patient was some sort of contact Isolation that we had to gown up, and that transport was all of 30 seconds lol. This was back in 2012 or so.


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## Mitchellmvhs (Jun 28, 2020)

ffemt8978 said:


> Cardiac arrest of an elderly gentlemen who was out trying to shovel snow and was spotted by a passerby collapsed between his vehicle and a snowbank.  We arrive on scene to see PD doing compressions.  Grabbed the O2 bag and AED, then looked back for my partner.  He was still in the truck radioing the ambulance of patient status.
> 
> It was so cold our latex gloves actually cracked, but we worked him anyway.  Attached AED and got no shock advised, so dropped a CombiTube and bagged him till PD needed swapped out on compressions.
> 
> ...


I'm nervous for when my first cardiac arrest happens, I think about it all the time and how I need to react.


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## Rano Pano (Jun 28, 2020)

Jim37F said:


> In Torrance, now defunct Gerber Ambulance, stroke call at a SNF across the street from the hospital. We responded code 2 and had patient contact before TFD arrived, I remember them walking in and getting a basic report before entering the actual patient room and saying "Let's upgrade Gerber to Code 3" and we were like "already here". Only other thing I really remember was the patient was some sort of contact Isolation that we had to gown up, and that transport was all of 30 seconds lol. This was back in 2012 or so.


I forgot about my VERY BRIEF time at Gerber. My actual first 911 call was for a septic pt out of a SNF. It’s funny looking back at some of those CA FD’s I worked alongside with. Torrance really believed setting them up a lock was a honor and a bag needed to be stripped in seconds...... and I used to believe it.


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## Jn1232th (Jun 28, 2020)

I forget my first 911 call, but first one off training was at Doctors as well. Was a chest pain if I remember correctly


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## DesertMedic66 (Jun 28, 2020)

As a fire explorer: miscarriage. 
In EMT field training: SVT with synchronized cardioversion in the Costco food court. 
As a paramedic intern: 14 year old tib/fib fracture during a soccer tournament. 

No clue what my first calls were as a certified EMT or licensed Paramedic.


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## ffemt8978 (Jun 28, 2020)

Mitchellmvhs said:


> I'm nervous for when my first cardiac arrest happens, I think about it all the time and how I need to react.


Cardiac arrests are fairly straightforward as an EMT.  As a medic they are more involved but as an EMT it still boils down to the ABC's because realistically you can't do much more than any bystander can do.


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## RedBlanketRunner (Jun 28, 2020)

Most clearly remembered. 1960's. No standing orders. All rescue actions only by physician orders over radio. Radio failure common.  Man down, side of road, thrown from vehicle. No radio contact. Grab and run. Partially severed left leg, A bleed. About 10 minutes to hospital. Died en route. Ambulance, a retired Buick hearse, looked like it had been painted red inside. Blanket dripped a trail of blood into the ER.


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## Tigger (Jun 29, 2020)

I think some sort of psych issue that we running as overflow for Boston EMS. There were buckets of pee in the apartment and that's really all I remember, and that I had no idea what to do on psych calls. 

Later when I started working in Colorado for a county service the first call of my first shift was for nausea/vomiting. I remember this only by the fact that I got an IV started in a moving ambulance despite not having attempted one in 18 months since the class. Following that I missed a great many IVs. 🤣


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## DragonClaw (Jun 29, 2020)

I've been an EMT for like 8 months and haven't had a 911 call or run hot. :/

I'll let you know.


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## RocketMedic (Jun 29, 2020)

RedBlanketRunner said:


> Most clearly remembered. 1960's. No standing orders. All rescue actions only by physician orders over radio. Radio failure common.  Man down, side of road, thrown from vehicle. No radio contact. Grab and run. Partially severed left leg, A bleed. About 10 minutes to hospital. Died en route. Ambulance, a retired Buick hearse, looked like it had been painted red inside. Blanket dripped a trail of blood into the ER.


So which episode of Emergency did you crib this from?


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## Aprz (Jun 29, 2020)

I did my paramedic internship first before I worked as an EMT on a 911 unit. My first call as an intern was a lady complaining of abdominal pain. It was very early morning, the shift had started at 4 am, and she was still in her night gown. Right in front of me, she had diarrhea in her front room. It just came straight out onto the carpet with her family around her.


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## Bishop2047 (Jun 29, 2020)

Fun topic. It was a MVC. Granny ran a light and t-boned a minivan. Nothing like starting off with an MCI (small town service). Nothing all too interesting but it was a great way to get thrown into the fire. 

At the time we were all Primary Care Paramedics (Canada) so there was no higher level of care to call, or help out. I had a blast, once I realised I was not a student anymore.


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## ElectricCPR (Jun 29, 2020)

Possible cop shot in the NYC projects


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## RedBlanketRunner (Jun 30, 2020)

RenegadeRiker said:


> So which episode of Emergency did you crib this from?


Emergency?


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## RocketMedic (Jun 30, 2020)

RedBlanketRunner said:


> Emergency?


And that’s how we know you’re faking it.


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## RedBlanketRunner (Jun 30, 2020)

RenegadeRiker said:


> And that’s how we know you’re faking it.


You do know that it was common for funeral parlors to operate ambulance services, yes? And once upon a time it was a common practice to pick up the dead bodies first. More money in it.


			https://funeralambulance.com/
		


BTW, I haven't watched the brainwash tube in well over 30 years. Excuse me for being slow on the uptake.

I wonder how many of our modern day medics would like to get sent out on runs in modified hearses with your equipment consisting of a stretcher and  first aid kit you were forbidden to use without physicians orders?


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## FiremanMike (Jun 30, 2020)

Man, I remember my first day as a student rider, I remember there were 3 runs and we were canceled on all of them..

I don’t remember my first run that we made it to the scene, but to be honest that was 24 years ago..


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## DragonClaw (Jun 30, 2020)

RenegadeRiker said:


> And that’s how we know you’re faking it.


I barely know the mention of that show and it's only cause one of the old timers always had it on.


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## FiremanMike (Jun 30, 2020)

DragonClaw said:


> I barely know the mention of that show and it's only cause one of the old timers always had it on.


Yeah but you don’t claim to have been doing EMS since the 60s.  I don’t believe for a second that anyone in EMS while the show was on (72-77) didn’t know about it.


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## hometownmedic5 (Jun 30, 2020)

I don’t know that I could recall the very first. I did a code my second day on the job about 17 seconds after I walked in the door, and that was memorable enough that I only remember my first day in the sense that I know I had one.

I was actually a code magnet as a basic. Not so much as a medic, but my last six months as a basic I did 9 cardiac arrests. Then, when I needed them for the new medic experience, crickets...


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## hometownmedic5 (Jun 30, 2020)

Mitchellmvhs said:


> I'm nervous for when my first cardiac arrest happens, I think about it all the time and how I need to react.



This will likely fall on deaf ears, but I’ll try anyway. Don’t worry about screwing up your first whatever call; not because you won’t but because you absolutely 100% will. It’s the nature of the beast. The first time you do anything it’s going to be a gong show no matter how many times you read the manual.

The goal isn’t to do everything perfectly the first time you do it, because that’s nonsense. The goal is to prepare to the best of your ability, make every effort to succeed, and learn from your mistakes. There isn’t one of us here(or anywhere else for that matter) that showed up on our first truck a rockstar. Like anything else, this is an acquired skill, not an inherent reflex. Stop trying to be perfect and just try to make progress.


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## DragonClaw (Jun 30, 2020)

FiremanMike said:


> Yeah but you don’t claim to have been doing EMS since the 60s.  I don’t believe for a second that anyone in EMS while the show was on (72-77) didn’t know about it.



I've been doing EMS since like 1415. A-hem.


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## hometownmedic5 (Jun 30, 2020)

RedBlanketRunner said:


> You do know that it was common for funeral parlors to operate ambulance services, yes? And once upon a time it was a common practice to pick up the dead bodies first. More money in it.
> 
> 
> https://funeralambulance.com/
> ...



You refer to TV as the “brainwash tube” and haven’t deigned to look at one in 30 years; but you’re on the internet/social media? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard and I went to public school.


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## ffemt8978 (Jun 30, 2020)

Get back on topic and knock off the personal comments.


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## EMDispatch (Jul 2, 2020)

First EMS call:
CVA while working casino security... the guy was more concerned about his slots than being assessed. He literally was playing with his left hand since he had major right deficit... It was more awkward than bad, but I had a good experienced crew guiding me.

First "Fire" call:
... forgot to clear the seatbelt from the SCBA  before stepping off the truck, didn't check the purge valve and lost plenty of air... and of course couldn't control breathing so burned my tank in like 15 minutes.

First "Disptach" call:
Cannot remember, but that comes with the call volume... but I'm sure it was awkward and slow, etc. I will say I ended my probation period with a building fire with 23 trapped, a pediatric arrest, and fatal car fire.

Bottom line was all 3 got better with experience.


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## Scott33 (Jul 3, 2020)

First EMS job was back in 2001 for an obese male cardiac arrest crumpled over in his tiny bathroom at home. While I was flapping about trying to figure out how to get access to him, forum member mgr22 backed my crew up and casually pronounced him expired for quite some time. I still emphasize the importance of ‘assessment before treatment’ to anyone I precept, due to this, and other similar calls.


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## mgr22 (Jul 3, 2020)

Scott33 said:


> First EMS job was back in 2001 for an obese male cardiac arrest crumpled over in his tiny bathroom at home. While I was flapping about trying to figure out how to get access to him, forum member mgr22 backed my crew up and casually pronounced him expired for quite some time. I still emphasize the importance of ‘assessment before treatment’ to anyone I precept, due to this, and other similar calls.



Hey, Scott33, good to hear from you. Looks like you've done a few things I wish I had. 'Course then I might have missed my chance to make all that Tennessee-medic money.  😄


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## SoCalCanuck (Jul 11, 2020)

My first call was a vehicle vs bicycle. Thirteen year old kid with massive trauma, and as we log rolled him onto the backboard his skull collapsed a bit in my hands. That was 25 years ago and I still remember that sensation. Not a pleasant intro into the world of EMS.


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## johnrsemt (Jul 24, 2020)

I had 4 calls in a 48 hour shift this last week at PT job, and had a problem remembering what the 1st call of the week was.


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## DragonClaw (Aug 7, 2020)

My first 911 call was a disregard.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Aug 7, 2020)

If I remember correctly, it was a lady who crashed her mobility scooter. Very USA


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## ffemt8978 (Aug 7, 2020)

DragonClaw said:


> My first 911 call was a disregard.


Those are the best types of calls.


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## Carlos Danger (Aug 7, 2020)

Don't remember my first 911 call as a EMT / driver, but my first call as a cleared paramedic working on my own was a vehicle rollover on a city street with no serious injuries.


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## Traumaholic (Aug 12, 2020)

Mitchellmvhs said:


> Just a little curious for what everyone’s first call was.
> 
> I recently just got hired by a company that’s owned by AMR in SoCal And I’m on my 5th field training shift and I’ve had 2 911 calls so far. Also my company is all BLS we don’t have any medics hired. When we get a 911 we work with fire and medics hop on our rig.
> 
> ...


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## Fezman92 (Nov 19, 2020)

All of the ones I've had were BS calls.


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## VentMonkey (Nov 19, 2020)

Fezman92 said:


> All of the ones I've had were BS calls.


If I were you, I’d be more concerned with a  growing bitterness from “not getting good calls”. JS, frustrated? Sure, but it’s an easy rabbit hole to fall into.


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## Fezman92 (Nov 19, 2020)

I’ll keep that in mind. It’s just that I really want to use what I learned in school.


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## DrParasite (Nov 19, 2020)

Fezman92 said:


> I’ll keep that in mind. It’s just that I really want to use what I learned in school.


to be totally honest, while the BS calls are frequently what I deal with, it's the "good" calls that I'd much rather forget.  unhelmeted kid on a bike who went headfirst into a tree (had that one my first year), quite a few ped struck patients, the DOA that we worked because she was in a warm apartment when we were dispatched to a BS fall, the guy who had a massive MI, and collapsed on his colonoscopy bag, or any GI bleed....   I'll take a BS psych call any day now.


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## Fezman92 (Nov 19, 2020)

I’m not looking forward to those horror calls or anything, I just want to well, treat. It was hard to do anything when there was nothing to do except for getting AMAs or taking vitals on someone who was just a drug seeker.

I did have two psych calls which I admit are kind of cool (used to be a psych major in college before I dropped out. I know just enough to know that I know that I’m not qualified to do anything), but even those my FTO did everything for. They’re sending me to do more transport so unless I get a job at another 911 place or into the local volly squad (we’ve been playing email tag for the past month or so) I won’t get anymore 911 for a while. Is it bad that I’m looking forward to narcaning someone? Pharmacology is so fascinating. In college I took a psychopharmacology class thinking it might help me in EMS. Turns out it most likely won’t help me. Still absolutely fascinating stuff. A&P in general is very fascinating. For example MS. Absolutely fascinating that the body attacks itself. Or transplants, even though the organ is a match the body still attacks it. Or anything neurological. Just so interesting


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## Jn1232th (Nov 19, 2020)

Fezman92 said:


> I’m not looking forward to those horror calls or anything, I just want to well, treat. It was hard to do anything when there was nothing to do except for getting AMAs or taking vitals on someone who was just a drug seeker.
> 
> I did have two psych calls which I admit are kind of cool (used to be a psych major in college before I dropped out. I know just enough to know that I know that I’m not qualified to do anything), but even those my FTO did everything for. They’re sending me to do more transport so unless I get a job at another 911 place or into the local volly squad (we’ve been playing email tag for the past month or so) I won’t get anymore 911 for a while. Is it bad that I’m looking forward to narcaning someone? Pharmacology is so fascinating. In college I took a psychopharmacology class thinking it might help me in EMS. Turns out it most likely won’t help me. Still absolutely fascinating stuff. A&P in general is very fascinating. For example MS. Absolutely fascinating that the body attacks itself. Or transplants, even though the organ is a match the body still attacks it. Or anything neurological. Just so interesting


from my experience, 70-80% of my calls are vitals, transport and that’s it. Narcan gets boring very fast and the post vomiting that’s always happens ( at least for me) is not fun.


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## Tigger (Nov 20, 2020)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> If I remember correctly, it was a lady who crashed her mobility scooter. Very USA


The first helicopter I ever (personally) called was for this.


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## PotatoMedic (Nov 20, 2020)

Before I became an EMT when I did a ride along, I honestly couldn't tell ya.  My first call as an EMT, dialysis transfer.


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## Fezman92 (Nov 20, 2020)

Tigger said:


> The first helicopter I ever (personally) called was for this.


How? Why?


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## CarSevenFour (May 14, 2021)

My first 9-1-1 call was actually my first call as a "third man" trainee right out of EMT class #2 at Santa Ana College. I thought taking a night-school EMT course might help me deal with stuff I was bound to cover on the street as a police beat newspaper photographer. Third year student, flat broke, I just bought a Nikon-F with a 105mm f2.5 lens and now it and my other cameras were gone. I was assigned to an old red and white 1968 Cadillac hightop ambulance, Unit 299, owned by Bright Morgan of Morgan Ambulance Service in Santa Ana, CA. I couldn't sleep anyway, listening to the dispatch scanner echo down the hall, all worried about what I might be thrust into, in this strange world of private ambulance service-there might even be a story or two to tell. All I wanted to do was earn enough money to pay my books and tuition for my photojournalism training at Cal State Fullerton. My Nikons had been stolen from my apartment and I needed money, fast. That would have been in 1973, late fall, early December. A young lady got drunked up with her office friends out for a night on the town at a popular bar in the city. Got 86'd for being drunk and disorderly by the staff. She got in a tussle with an older cop who arrived onscene after reports of a combative female in the parking lot, and he would brook no disrespect. She got uppity and in his face; he whacked her upside the head with his nightstick, arrested her and transported to the jail. The girl was near hysterics. Partners said, "She's all yours, let's see what you can do." I was so young then, had hardly had any dates and now I'm bandaging up this pretty brunette woman who just got shocked back into the world of the sober. Big split in her scalp...somewhere under all that hair...perfume, sticky blood mixed with hairspray, mascara running down her cheeks-the details you remember... Got her calmed down and off we went. Code-2 into the night. When the guys unloaded the gurney at Orange County General ER, they were puzzled over what I said to make her cheerful and laughing when she went in sobbing uncontrollably just minutes before. They had left me alone with her in the back enroute to the hospital, with the partition window open so I could call for help, "If I needed it..." Crazy. I just talked to her while I bandaged her head, mostly so I wouldn't be so nervous. No judgemental words, I was learning to make humor work for me, just caring for someone in distress. We got her on the ER gurney, she thanked me for my help and seemed surprised when I told her she was my first call and she said she thought I found my calling. I'll never forget that call in all it's detail. The cool, misty night air, the PD jail sally port, the big chrome B&M Superchief wailing enroute to the scene, how it "burped" when we slammed into the road camber at each intersection. How had that beat-up Caddy managed to stay alive after all the abuse of ambulance work? And how the red lights from the rotating beacon bounced off in a blazing lightshow, reflected from highrise windows as we raced up the boulevard enroute to the call. "Bleeding head injury...," dispatch said, "You're rolling Code-3 for Santa Ana PD, second-in fire unit responding." Welcome to a busy Saturday night... The old cop saying he might cut her some slack if she behaved herself; he seemed like a decent guy. The crawling out of the rack for the first call on the first night on duty, the scanner blaring the FD "All Call." "Station-71 to all Santa Ana fire cars, female in custody with head injury, Santa Ana Jail sally port, Morgan Ambulance rolling Code-3..." Running down the hall to the unit, trying to get my shirt buttoned with nervous hands. Later, the ER nurse asking, "Who bandaged this patient?" Like I was already in big trouble. I fessed up. What could I have possibly messed up? Then she says, reading my nametag, "Well, Mr. Victor, nice job, I almost hate to cut it off..." Wow, I was hooked. Big time. I kinda forgot that I was only doing this thing temporally until I could scratch up the dough to finish my studies. Never regretted it a bit, I miss the job. I miss the life. I'll never forget that first call.


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## jeffcpr (Jun 14, 2021)

Baby not breathing first call off probation at the start of my 24.  Turned out great t was new parents and the infant had trouble passing a mucus plug after feeding.  Babe was crying when the medic handed it over.  Looking back now it was no big deal.  But to hear babe not breathing call number 1 of your first on your own shift really makes you think.  Like what they hell did I just get myself into.


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## Fastfrankie19151 (Jun 21, 2021)

My first ever call was a Doa was me 2 seasoned emt’s and a medic in a chase car. I started carrying all the standard stuff in the medic stopped me about half way and said put it away. He was already inside with his bag and confirmed. She was sitting in a chair mid 70s what a way to start a career.


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## The Possum (Aug 31, 2021)

A code in the parking lot at the Oakland coliseum after an Oakland A's baseball game. We were a BLS unit working the game. No time to wait for ALS.


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## The Possum (Aug 31, 2021)

jeffcpr said:


> Baby not breathing first call off probation at the start of my 24.  Turned out great t was new parents and the infant had trouble passing a mucus plug after feeding.  Babe was crying when the medic handed it over.  Looking back now it was no big deal.  But to hear babe not breathing call number 1 of your first on your own shift really makes you think.  Like what they hell did I just get myself into.


I did that exact call. The call came down for not breathing child. When we got there the kid looked great and was just happy and babbling. That was when the salty older medic I was working with sat down to talk to the two 19-year-old parents.


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## Fastfrankie19151 (Dec 22, 2021)

Cardiac arrest turned out to be a doa second was a welfare check with Pd turned out to be deceased several days third same day was a cardiac arrest in a mall what a first day


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## Chris EMT J (Apr 24, 2022)

Mitchellmvhs said:


> Just a little curious for what everyone’s first call was.
> 
> I recently just got hired by a company that’s owned by AMR in SoCal And I’m on my 5th field training shift and I’ve had 2 911 calls so far. Also my company is all BLS we don’t have any medics hired. When we get a 911 we work with fire and medics hop on our rig.
> 
> ...


First one as a EMT basic or advance? 
First one as a EMT basic I had a car vs tree trauma which was critical and I just drove as fast as I could. First one as a advance I messed up the ECG leads and got a unnecessary intercept so pretty bad start to both.


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## johnrsemt (Apr 26, 2022)

Fast Frankie;  please tell me your Black cloud has greyed out a little.  lol


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## HardKnocks (Apr 27, 2022)

Fezman92 said:


> Is it bad that I’m looking forward to narcaning someone?


You'll change your mind the first time you apply NARCAN and the Patient reacts violently and physically attacks you.   You either learn quick  to Bob&Weave or else..lol


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## IsraelEMS (Apr 28, 2022)

My first call after being fully certified? Terrorist Attack. A bus exploded and I treated the driver alone. He had a partial amputation of the lower leg. Don't recommend it for a first pt. 

On another track, I don't understand what you mean by working but only having 2 911 calls. In the US are all ambulances not controlled by 911? Do you have emergency calls that come from somewhere else?


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## Chris EMT J (Apr 28, 2022)

IsraelEMS said:


> My first call after being fully certified? Terrorist Attack. A bus exploded and I treated the driver alone. He had a partial amputation of the lower leg. Don't recommend it for a first pt.
> 
> On another track, I don't understand what you mean by working but only having 2 911 calls. In the US are all ambulances not controlled by 911? Do you have emergency calls that come from somewhere else?


In the US we have 911 service ambulances, private ambulance service for like dialysis treatments, and some can call the private service for a transfer to the hospital and it could be a emergency.


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## Jim37F (Apr 28, 2022)

IsraelEMS said:


> On another track, I don't understand what you mean by working but only having 2 911 calls. In the US are all ambulances not controlled by 911? Do you have emergency calls that come from somewhere else?


A lot (most even?) US ambulances aren't a part of the 911 System. They solely do IFT (Inter Facility Transport). Things like ER discharge to Nursing homes, transfers from Nursing homes to the hospital, transports between the various tertiary care facilities (cancer clinics, stand alone MRI offices, etc).

Usually non-emergency, often pre scheduled, though a lot are "call and they'll send a unit".
There are emergent transfers, CCT (Critical Care Transport, often staffed with a Nurse and/or Repiratory Therapist alongside the EMTs, I've even seen CCT with an MD...) are usually all considered IFT. 

Dialysis transports alone are a huge chunk of the IFT business, and that keeps a lot of private ambulance companies in business just doing these transports.


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## IsraelEMS (Apr 30, 2022)

Interesting. So how does 911 decide which ambulane to send? Are there ambulances that only do 911 calls? Does this differ by state?


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## Chris EMT J (Apr 30, 2022)

IsraelEMS said:


> Interesting. So how does 911 decide which ambulane to send? Are there ambulances that only do 911 calls? Does this differ by state?


Yes there are some ambulances that only do 911 calls. Also some companies are mix and take some 911s and IFT


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## IsraelEMS (Apr 30, 2022)

Does 911 dispatch you directly? 

In Israel there is only 1 national dispatch that answers 101 (our version of 911 calls) and dispatches ambulances. Its a national ambulance service so no different companies.  Also, all of our dispatches are also field medics. This helps in getting the right info from callers or walking callers through cpr. Do the people who answr 911 calls also have ems training? Can the dispatch the closest ambulance across state lines (like if the caller is in Nevada and the closest ambulance is in California)? So curious how it works there.


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## Chris EMT J (Apr 30, 2022)

IsraelEMS said:


> Does 911 dispatch you directly?
> 
> In Israel there is only 1 national dispatch that answers 101 (our version of 911 calls) and dispatches ambulances. Its a national ambulance service so no different companies.  Also, all of our dispatches are also field medics. This helps in getting the right info from callers or walking callers through cpr. Do the people who answr 911 calls also have ems training? Can the dispatch the closest ambulance across state lines (like if the caller is in Nevada and the closest ambulance is in California)? So curious how it works there.


Yes essentially 911 only companies. We get direct if close enough if not they will find someone else.


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## Jim37F (Apr 30, 2022)

So there's no single central 911 system. But the phone system is designed to route a 911 call to the appropriate local 911 center . It may be regional in rural areas, or cities like LA may have a dozen different ones. They have their 911 providers (either the Govt provided Third Service EMS or Fire Dept ambulance or they call the contracted private company who dispatches their unit) 

Otherwise the non 911 IFT calls, the hospital or whoever calls the ambulance dispatch directly. Some facilities will "shop around" and call different companies


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## jjyi24 (Jul 7, 2022)

First call was for an ankle fracture at a soccer game. First real call was an aortic dissection. Couldn't wrap my boot-brain around how it wasn't a CVA for the whole call.


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## DrParasite (Jul 7, 2022)

IsraelEMS said:


> Does 911 dispatch you directly?


most of the time, yes... sort of.  almost all 911 systems have some type of emergency ambulance system.  Sometimes the 911 center dispatches the ambulances directly; other times they will pass the call information (and often caller) to the ambulance dispatch center with an automatic computer transfer and/or a one touch phone transfer, who handles all communication between the 911 center and the ambulance.  Smaller towns have 911 dispatching directly, larger cities have dedicated police, fire, and EMS dispatchers.


IsraelEMS said:


> In Israel there is only 1 national dispatch that answers 101 (our version of 911 calls) and dispatches ambulances. Its a national ambulance service so no different companies.


That's not how it is in the US.  Each town or county has their own Ambulance service, or contacts out with a private service or 3rd party non-profit company to provide EMS services to the area.  Some places have multiple EMS agencies providing EMS services to a  give town, city or county.  In theory, all standards are similar.


IsraelEMS said:


> Also, all of our dispatches are also field medics. This helps in getting the right info from callers or walking callers through cpr. Do the people who answr 911 calls also have ems training?


Sometimes... but not always.  Some dispatchers are former field providers, and some are EMTs.  However, there is not requirement to have EMS training, aside from Emergency Medical Dispatcher training (and even that isn't required in every state).  Some EMS dispatcher centers require dispatchers to also be EMTs, but not every 911 call taker has EMS training


IsraelEMS said:


> Can the dispatch the closest ambulance across state lines (like if the caller is in Nevada and the closest ambulance is in California)? So curious how it works there.


As a general rule, ambulances don't cross state lines, even if they are closer.  In some areas, they won't cross county or municipal lines either, unless requested.  There are historical reasons, funding reasons and political reasons for this, as well as regulatory reasons.  

You also need to remember that Israel is the size of NJ, so it's not exactly a fair comparison.  For example, MDA handles 2.7 million requests for service a year, and that's for the entire country; in NYC, the FDNY EMS system handled 1.7 million request for service in 2018, and that's just for one (albeit very large) city.  I know of cities that handle 75,000 calls for services just within their city limits.  I'm not saying NYC's EMS system is anything to admire (in fact, I've ranted about it on this website), but there are certain quirks about the US system that make it an apples to pineapples comparison to how other countries do things (not saying its right or wrong, just different and hard to replicate)


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## IsraelEMS (Jul 10, 2022)

So how do your dispatches determine what's an emergency and what's not? Can you see a difference in the calls dispatched with people who have EMS training and those who don't (or do you have limited interaction with the dispatchers? What happens if someone calls 911 for something that is not an emergency (like a transport request)? 

@DrParasite I'm not really comparing the US with Israel. Aside from size there are so many other differences that it would be impossible. I am simply trying to understand the differences and since all my experience is here I guess that's the only frame of reference I have.


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## Jim37F (Jul 10, 2022)

There's always specific protocols and lines of questioning and what not the Dispatchers (whether EMD or not) have to follow. Generally speaking if they request an ambulance, they're going to dispatch an ambulance.


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## EMTrook (Aug 31, 2022)

Trying to keep a diary of runs I make as Im just starting out (volunteering).

My limited experience so far... I've done 2 ED shifts and 3 ride alongs. Not much excitement on first shift - notably standing around in bullet proof vest for 2.5 hrs (was 90 degrees outside and who knows what it was in the house) while police tried to talk an AMS patient out from barricaded room. Second/Third ride alongs - 2 codes - my first real CPR scenario and an elderly patient fall - skull fracture.

A few more a bit less notable (minor car accident, syncope episode), but all great learning experiences. So much to learn, but lucky to have been along side super competent and experienced EMTs and Paramedics who patiently and professionally helped guide me through, providing feedback after each call was over.


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