Accidentally dispatched to Unsafe Scene

[uhbt420]

ok so one of my firemedic friends told me this story from when he did BLS 911 backup, like me. it really got me thinking and im not sure what i would do in this situation.

someone calls 911 and reports an argument next door, which included a woman yelling "stop hitting me". obviously a police officer should have gone right away, but by some ridiculous mistake, ems is activated instead for a "sick unknown".

bls makes it there first. the argument has abated at this point. my buddy knocks on the door. they enter in to see a woman w/ a black eye and tears in her eyes. husband had gone to his room. woman immediately beckons them in. at this point they are still assuming an ems call. but then the woman starts saying everytihng's okay, he just gets angry sometimes, he almost never hits me.

my buddy is kinda stunned, but things get even worse when the husband comes out cuz he sees the ambulance lights. he asks what the f is going on and seems very angry.

obviously this SCENE IS NOT SAFE. do you retreat to the ambulance and call PD asap, leaving the pt with an angry husband, or do you try to contain the situation and call PD?

 

[GoatMan165]

Retreat to ambulance with patient if she's willing, with my parter if she's not.

 

[MrBrown]

Hmmm, you could always try the lost art of talking with the guy?

Brown has been to gang houses, murder scenes, pub fights, domestics, assaults etc and never felt unsafe and you think some guy raising his voice is unsafe? How many people do you have there ... an ambulance crew plus a fire truck is what, six people?

Not adovacating strolling into every call with 30kg of gear and getting shanked or something but seriously bro ....

 

[Sam Adams]

Hmmm, you could always try the lost art of talking with the guy?

But Brown, if someone actually talks to people who is going to look after all the fancy equipment we have?

 

[MrBrown]

But Brown, if someone actually talks to people who is going to look after all the fancy equipment we have?

Being a good Ambulance Officer is 97% people skills, 2% good basic care and 1% fancy things like cardioversion, adrenaline and suxmaethonuum

 

[usalsfyre]

Attempt to defuse and retreat, with or with out the patient. Although the suxamethonium might be useful if the situation gets rowdy.

 

[Bullets]

First, you should have your flashlight wth you, like a 4d mag lite, second grab patient and run, while partner takes pt out, cover his rear and attempt talk down perp if nesseccary.

 

[usalsfyre]

First, you should have your flashlight wth you, like a 4d mag lite, second grab patient and run, while partner takes pt out, cover his rear and attempt talk down perp if nesseccary.

So I was with you right up until we launched a preemptive strike on the boyfriend...

 

[Bullets]

So I was with you right up until we launched a preemptive strike on the boyfriend...

Where did I launch a preemptive strike? I said cover your partner and patient while they exit, talk down the boyfriend if he shows

 

[usalsfyre]

Where did I launch a preemptive strike? I said cover your partner and patient while they exit, talk down the boyfriend if he shows

Misread on my part, very sorry.

 

[EMSLaw]

Look at the radio. See the little orange button. Push the little orange button. Set off warning flares at dispatch. Hopefully my driver remembered to call out on location.

Seriously, I would try to withdraw peacefully and wait for the po-po if I could. I'd call for emergency assistance as above if things looked to be going pear shaped fast.

 

[Shishkabob]

So I was with you right up until we launched a preemptive strike on the boyfriend...

Hey, your and my guidelines say Ativan and Versed for agitation.... it doesn't say WHO'S agitation



Honestly people, yelling does not instantly make a scene unsafe. You realize how many times I had customers yell when in retail? I don't freak out and run away.

 

[Chimpie]

Look at the radio. See the little orange button. Push the little orange button. Set off warning flares at dispatch. Hopefully my driver remembered to call out on location.

Seriously, I would try to withdraw peacefully and wait for the po-po if I could. I'd call for emergency assistance as above if things looked to be going pear shaped fast.

Our radios were all equipped with these magical buttons. It would open the mic for 15 or 30 seconds (I forget which) and every radio would hear what was going on.

 

[TransportJockey]

Keep in mind not all.of us carry something like that I know I sure wouldn't, too much wright not enough benefit

First, you should have your flashlight wth you, like a 4d mag lite, second grab patient and run, while partner takes pt out, cover his rear and attempt talk down perp if nesseccary.

 

[Veneficus]

First, you should have your flashlight wth you, like a 4d mag lite, second grab patient and run, while partner takes pt out, cover his rear and attempt talk down perp if nesseccary.

I have said it many times, but why not one more?

A weapon can be just as dangerous to the weilder as the antagonist.

A weapon makes a confrontation more likely.

The very presence of a weapon can lead to escalation of weapons. When you pull out your 4 D cell maglite. The opponent may see your club and raise you a gun.

In addition I have transported a handful of LE officers who tried to "rescue the damsel in distress" and when LE started beating down the man, the female feeling sorry and responsible turned on the LE officer. With things like cast iron skillets. Sure sometimes they both go to jail, but on one occasion the officer, bought himself disability with a serious brain injury.

I have also transported more than 1 security guard who felt a Dcell maglite was a respectable weapon. One of those guards is no longer with us.

For your own safety, please seriously reconsider the use of force. In the fog of war, a win is never assured.

 

[Bullets]

I have said it many times, but why not one more?

A weapon can be just as dangerous to the weilder as the antagonist.

A weapon makes a confrontation more likely.

The very presence of a weapon can lead to escalation of weapons. When you pull out your 4 D cell maglite. The opponent may see your club and raise you a gun.

In addition I have transported a handful of LE officers who tried to "rescue the damsel in distress" and when LE started beating down the man, the female feeling sorry and responsible turned on the LE officer. With things like cast iron skillets. Sure sometimes they both go to jail, but on one occasion the officer, bought himself disability with a serious brain injury.

I have also transported more than 1 security guard who felt a Dcell maglite was a respectable weapon. One of those guards is no longer with us.

For your own safety, please seriously reconsider the use of force. In the fog of war, a win is never assured.

yes, and thats why its not in my hand, but on belt at the back, so its not visible to the person who may pose a threat. should i be confronted with a person who may pose a threat, has shown a penchant for violence, he would never know the presence of the light unless i turned my back, which is asking for an attack. face him at all times, do not turn your back until your in the ambulance.

its less threatening then walking in with an ASP in my belt...

Did i say i would walk in and immediately whack the guy? i keep reading my post and i dont see where i said bludgeon the boy until dead. But faced the possibility of an unsafe scene at any time, i take a page out of boy scouts, Be Prepared. i dont advocate force, if i can diffuse the situation with speech then that is my go to option. but if SHTF i want to be able to defend myself should force be indicated per my County Use of Force Policy.

 

[mcdonl]

Had a "similar" but different call recently....

Called for "Alchohol Poisoning....."

Turned out to be an OD of prescription meds mixed with ETOH, with no real life threats but a ton of psychological effects.

So, the pt was "in and out of consciousness" I called ALS (Got my service chief, a medic...) and had this uncooporative pt in a basement, with steep stairs and just me and the driver (another basic....) No PD, never considered it to be honest....

Well, got the pt to the ambulalance, picked up the medic and during our ride home we discussed the call....

Patient was Pink, Warm and Dry with normal respirations and PERRL. Medic Got on board, told the pt to knock it off and the pt snapped out of it.

Also I was told it is illegal to attempt suicide, so this was a crime scene. I should have retreated to the ambulance and waited.

 

[STXmedic]

There aren't a lot of situations that can't be talked down. I work in our city's most highly gang saturated area and we get put in situations like these nearly every shift. If the pt/family member/whoever is just yelling... really not too big of a cause for concern. Try and calmly talk the agitated person down (or even just ignoring him and talking to the patient works pretty well, too). If he starts becoming hostile, make some bs up to get the pt into your ambulance. "Ma'am, lets get you in our unit so we can evaluate you a little better." Once your out of his ear shot, get dispatch to send you PD. It's not you they are agitated with, its the situation/pt/whatever. Make it clear you aren't the cops, and they're usually good. The biggest thing is to stay calm. You being hasty and agitated will only make the situation worse. The only time I've ever had to leave a scene because of hostility was a shooting where the shooter was still on scene. He told us to not touch the pt; we gladly obliged and pulled around the corner. And I agree with Veneficus, leave the "weapons" out of it. The only thing it will do is make the situation that much worse because now they're threatened by YOU.

 

[feldy]

Had a call recently where we were called to a home for a siezure for a 30 y/o M. Turned out pt had major ETOH. Turns out he was faking a siezure and as soon as we tried to assess him, he starting swinging at us. Family was able to calm him down but we called PD and stepped outside. (it was our third highly combative pt of the night and didnt want anything to escalate). There were a lot of other people in the room too. PD got there, he calmed down, we restrained and transported. That is our protocal, not to say that we havnt had to take down a pt before in the middle of transport, but we did not need that on a busy night.

 

[Outbac1]

As Brown said, "people skills". Thats when your mouth becomes your best weapon. Talk the situation down and exit, preferably with the pt. If not, exit and let the PO PO deal with it.

"Although the suxamethonium might be useful if the situation gets rowdy." usalsfyre
Wouldn't sux in an epi pen type dispenser be nice


"The opponent may see your club and raise you a gun." Veneficus
Or see his raise of a gun, shoot first and get a good lawyer.