LiveForTheTones
Forum Crew Member
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Had a very dumb, but funny, moment not too long ago...
I’m a full-time EMT and a full-time medic student now This happened at one of the stations I ride at for class.
In my county, County Fire Rescue is the cream of the crop. It’s where everyone wants to be. Fire and EMS are combined, so all firefighters are also EMTs or medics or both (most often both).
Engine is where it’s at for most employees. It’s what they strive for, as not to get the all-night tones that Rescue gets. Also, most joined up the job to be firefighters, not medics. So a lot of them don’t want to be on the Rescue at all. But Engine is a spot earned here, by way of “serving time” on the Rescue.
On the front of the Engine at this particular house, is the phrase, “Look busy ‘til we get there.”
When I first saw it, I was under the impression it was meant for people experiencing structure fires. You know...look busy until the professional “badasses” get there.
So I’m on a ride at this house and we get toned out to a “difficulty breathing” call. We get there and the pt is unresponsive. We get her on the monitor and see the pt is in v-fib. So we hustle her to the rig to start ALS protocol. Long story short: pt codes. PEA and then asystole.
So the Recue Co and I are working this pt trying to bring them back. The rig doors are closed because all four of us are in the rear while still in the parking lot trying to get this pt back. Meanwhile, the pt’s family is outside, sometimes knocking on the side door to hand us the pt’s meds or confirm the hospital.
We’re doing compressions. Starting an IO because the veins were shot. Getting the scoop and the LUCAS device out. Pushing meds. Establishing an airway. The whole nine yards.
The back doors open and there’s Capt — who’s on the Engine — asking for an update. For a second, as I was bagging, I was stunned thinking one of the family had the balls to open the back doors on their own (this was my first code). So, one of the Engine guys gets in the cab and drives to the hospital while we’re still working the code.
We got the pt back — cardiac arrest secondary to respiratory arrest, back in SVT still needing ventilations — but as we were leaving the hospital after transferring care, it hit me:
“Look busy ‘til we get there.”
I never felt dumber than that moment.
I’m a full-time EMT and a full-time medic student now This happened at one of the stations I ride at for class.
In my county, County Fire Rescue is the cream of the crop. It’s where everyone wants to be. Fire and EMS are combined, so all firefighters are also EMTs or medics or both (most often both).
Engine is where it’s at for most employees. It’s what they strive for, as not to get the all-night tones that Rescue gets. Also, most joined up the job to be firefighters, not medics. So a lot of them don’t want to be on the Rescue at all. But Engine is a spot earned here, by way of “serving time” on the Rescue.
On the front of the Engine at this particular house, is the phrase, “Look busy ‘til we get there.”
When I first saw it, I was under the impression it was meant for people experiencing structure fires. You know...look busy until the professional “badasses” get there.
So I’m on a ride at this house and we get toned out to a “difficulty breathing” call. We get there and the pt is unresponsive. We get her on the monitor and see the pt is in v-fib. So we hustle her to the rig to start ALS protocol. Long story short: pt codes. PEA and then asystole.
So the Recue Co and I are working this pt trying to bring them back. The rig doors are closed because all four of us are in the rear while still in the parking lot trying to get this pt back. Meanwhile, the pt’s family is outside, sometimes knocking on the side door to hand us the pt’s meds or confirm the hospital.
We’re doing compressions. Starting an IO because the veins were shot. Getting the scoop and the LUCAS device out. Pushing meds. Establishing an airway. The whole nine yards.
The back doors open and there’s Capt — who’s on the Engine — asking for an update. For a second, as I was bagging, I was stunned thinking one of the family had the balls to open the back doors on their own (this was my first code). So, one of the Engine guys gets in the cab and drives to the hospital while we’re still working the code.
We got the pt back — cardiac arrest secondary to respiratory arrest, back in SVT still needing ventilations — but as we were leaving the hospital after transferring care, it hit me:
“Look busy ‘til we get there.”
I never felt dumber than that moment.