Most bizzarre or stupid call....
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Wingnut
EMS Junkie
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When I was working in our rich area of town we had a call at 2:45am for a 43y/o female with chest pain. All she had was a toothache and she almost refused transport because we wouldn't let her take her dog.
I had to bite my tongue on that entire call.
I had to bite my tongue on that entire call.
oldschoolmedic
Forum Lieutenant
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Picked up a MH patient one night who was all scratched up and when I asked what happened he said he had been having relations with a dog and it tore him up. That was the first lip biter of the call, I would be bleeding by the end. He then admitted to having relations with any small, furry mammals he could get to hold still long enough. Actively chewing lip now, trying not to laugh. My partner has lost it by this time, and she knows it's her ride. We load up and my partner asks me to give the radio report because of our short ETA. No problem, start the report and get the giggles so bad I cannot finish, finally just advise an ETA and signoff. Upon arrival at the ED people are actually coming outside (to smoke) and staring at us, but worse was coming in and having the entire command center of the ED full of nurses and doctors staring at us. I was good until I heard a doc say sotto voce,"So that's what a dog-f***** looks like..." I wanted to die, my lip was bleeding and my partner is about to have a seizure behind the stretcher, the patient who was oblivious behind his fog of alcohol just sat there grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I have yet to live that radio report down, and it has been 10 years.
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I was asked this by a ride-along a few weeks ago...she asked "So you've seen everything." My reply, echoed by my partner, was that I've seen lots of stuff, but I've never seen it all... someone is always waiting in the wings with a stupider stunt than the last guy.
I saw a good one in the Police News in Yesterdays paper... in my town, a mid-20's male was arrested EARLY Saturday morning (0100). He was seen by the PD walking down the street carring a borough street sign. PD attempted to stop the subject, but he ran, and was apprehended a short time later and found to be in possesion of a street sign, as well as cocaine. He is also being charged with resisting arrest. I really want to know HOW drunk that guy was. (I actually heard part of the incident on the scanner while driving home from a bar outside of town, and it really didn't make that much sense then... now it makes sense. PS - I wasn't totally sober, so I only had the scanner on so I didn't run into any police activity - I'm sure I was under the legal limit, but I had ETOH on breath and didn't want to deal with the hassles involved with getting stopped by the cops.)
As for ambulance calls... well... stupid college kids, right TCERT? Never an end to stupid college kids... espicially panicky fresmen girls when one starts having a minor allergic reaction...
I saw a good one in the Police News in Yesterdays paper... in my town, a mid-20's male was arrested EARLY Saturday morning (0100). He was seen by the PD walking down the street carring a borough street sign. PD attempted to stop the subject, but he ran, and was apprehended a short time later and found to be in possesion of a street sign, as well as cocaine. He is also being charged with resisting arrest. I really want to know HOW drunk that guy was. (I actually heard part of the incident on the scanner while driving home from a bar outside of town, and it really didn't make that much sense then... now it makes sense. PS - I wasn't totally sober, so I only had the scanner on so I didn't run into any police activity - I'm sure I was under the legal limit, but I had ETOH on breath and didn't want to deal with the hassles involved with getting stopped by the cops.)
As for ambulance calls... well... stupid college kids, right TCERT? Never an end to stupid college kids... espicially panicky fresmen girls when one starts having a minor allergic reaction...
gradygirl
TROUBLE
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Too right, Jon, too right. I've seen quite a few really bizarre and stupid calls, but I'm not gonna lie, the kid who set his room on fire is by far the most entertaining. Here's the thread.
Though I did love it when I was interviewing a pt. and he listed horses as one of his allergies and then told us to go puke without him, that it would be fun, we didn't need him to puke with us... (Kid was so drunk he was sitting there with 2 fingers down his throat and not gagging at all.)
Though I did love it when I was interviewing a pt. and he listed horses as one of his allergies and then told us to go puke without him, that it would be fun, we didn't need him to puke with us... (Kid was so drunk he was sitting there with 2 fingers down his throat and not gagging at all.)
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A wierd day
I was once doing standby at Orange County International Raceway (a long gone facility), a normally long, boring assignment.
It was for a filming of a commercial, and we were in the unit at the base of the tower.
OCIR was on the south approach to El Toro MCAS, and planes were departing over the raceway.
I heard a strange sound, and looked up, and a Cessna twin was turning to make an approach to the raceway,after just taking off and I could hear no engine noise. As it headed toward where we were parked, we decided it was a good idea to leave quickest possible. (we bailed and ran like hell)
The pilot seeing people around the tower, put it down, gear up alongside the bleachers, he and his instructor left the plane which was burning furiously.
Neither were injured.
When all was said and done, the pilot lost an engine, and feathered the wrong one- common enough in an emergency, and the only injury was a marine on the crash truck who injured his shoulder driving through the chain link gate.
Same day, en route back home, we ended up at a fatal MVA- auto vs power pole.
We were not dispatched, we were almost home, and saw the flash light up the sky from him hitting the pole.
Victim was under the car, hot wires all over, and the scene came complete with a drunk, off duty firefighter wandering around waving a fire extinguisher.
The police were very happy to see him when they arrived.
There was some speculation the two were street racing.
I was once doing standby at Orange County International Raceway (a long gone facility), a normally long, boring assignment.
It was for a filming of a commercial, and we were in the unit at the base of the tower.
OCIR was on the south approach to El Toro MCAS, and planes were departing over the raceway.
I heard a strange sound, and looked up, and a Cessna twin was turning to make an approach to the raceway,after just taking off and I could hear no engine noise. As it headed toward where we were parked, we decided it was a good idea to leave quickest possible. (we bailed and ran like hell)
The pilot seeing people around the tower, put it down, gear up alongside the bleachers, he and his instructor left the plane which was burning furiously.
Neither were injured.
When all was said and done, the pilot lost an engine, and feathered the wrong one- common enough in an emergency, and the only injury was a marine on the crash truck who injured his shoulder driving through the chain link gate.
Same day, en route back home, we ended up at a fatal MVA- auto vs power pole.
We were not dispatched, we were almost home, and saw the flash light up the sky from him hitting the pole.
Victim was under the car, hot wires all over, and the scene came complete with a drunk, off duty firefighter wandering around waving a fire extinguisher.
The police were very happy to see him when they arrived.
There was some speculation the two were street racing.
Epi-do
I see dead people
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This may not be the most bizzare call I have every been on, but since it just happened last night, it is the first one that comes to mind.
Dispatched to an inpatient phych/addiction facility for an injured person. The engine arrived first and had a chance to talk to staff, but hadn't made patient contact yet. I didn't hear it, but apparently the medic off the engine told my partner "This one is Lisa's. Just watch." I was then told that the patient had impaled himself. I really should have asked for more details at that point.
The staff brings out a 15 yo boy wrapped up in a sheet and they tell him to show me what he did. He opens up the sheet and I don't see anything so I ask him what he did. I was expecting a pencil in the stomach or something along those lines. He is a pudgy kid and nothing is blatantly obvious. He lifts up his shirt and I am thinking, ok, I still don't see anything. The next thing I know, he is dropping his shorts.
The kid took the spring out of the toilet paper holder and uncoiled about 3-4 inches of it and inserted it into his...well....ummm.....ya know..... The medic winks at my partner and they all wait for my reaction. I thought I handled it rather well. A quick, "Ok!" and I had him cover back up and get on the cot.
We got him out to the truck and I was told by the officer onscene that my partner would be teching it in to the hospital because the kid had a tendancy to get violent. The ER we were going to wants every ambulance to call and give them a heads up that we are coming regardless of what is going on with the patient. (Totally stupid if you ask me. Why do I have to tell you I am bringing in an idiot with a stubbed toe? Anyway...) All I can say is I am soooo glad I didnt' have to give that report!
Apparently this wasn't the first time this kid had done this sort of thing either. Weird!
Dispatched to an inpatient phych/addiction facility for an injured person. The engine arrived first and had a chance to talk to staff, but hadn't made patient contact yet. I didn't hear it, but apparently the medic off the engine told my partner "This one is Lisa's. Just watch." I was then told that the patient had impaled himself. I really should have asked for more details at that point.
The staff brings out a 15 yo boy wrapped up in a sheet and they tell him to show me what he did. He opens up the sheet and I don't see anything so I ask him what he did. I was expecting a pencil in the stomach or something along those lines. He is a pudgy kid and nothing is blatantly obvious. He lifts up his shirt and I am thinking, ok, I still don't see anything. The next thing I know, he is dropping his shorts.
The kid took the spring out of the toilet paper holder and uncoiled about 3-4 inches of it and inserted it into his...well....ummm.....ya know..... The medic winks at my partner and they all wait for my reaction. I thought I handled it rather well. A quick, "Ok!" and I had him cover back up and get on the cot.
We got him out to the truck and I was told by the officer onscene that my partner would be teching it in to the hospital because the kid had a tendancy to get violent. The ER we were going to wants every ambulance to call and give them a heads up that we are coming regardless of what is going on with the patient. (Totally stupid if you ask me. Why do I have to tell you I am bringing in an idiot with a stubbed toe? Anyway...) All I can say is I am soooo glad I didnt' have to give that report!
Apparently this wasn't the first time this kid had done this sort of thing either. Weird!
Airwaygoddess
Forum Deputy Chief
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Like my old paramedic supervisor used to say, "It is because of the stupidity of others we stay gainfully employed!" B) 
FF/EMT Sam
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This call was one of my first, back from when I was an EMT student. It took me a while to find the PPCR this call, but the following is copied verbatim from it. Items in [brackets] were added. (And, yes, I did have fun filling it out)
Though a pre-student EMT-B, I've grown up around EMS, FD, PD, etc. I remember stories told by an old aquaintence I use to go on calls with. There are two shortie stories I can add here.
One early morning at about 2am, there's a call of a one car accident and was nearby to where we lived. So we go. We arrive to see a big crumpled ball of steel (which use to be a nice old camaro) wrapped around a telephone pole. A young kid walks out with minimal scratches crying and begging not to let his dad know he wrecked the car (surely a typical story...but cracked me up).
Another call involving a MVA...one of the victim's legs was bent and twisted in several places looking like a stiff and broken grass stalk wrapped around your hand in different directions, and his leg was caught up under the seat. This was a very bizarre looking injury and had EMTs scratching their heads. As the EMTs were consulting each other about how to deal with this person's leg, the vicitm overheard their concerns and reassured them the leg was fake.
What a relief that was!!
One early morning at about 2am, there's a call of a one car accident and was nearby to where we lived. So we go. We arrive to see a big crumpled ball of steel (which use to be a nice old camaro) wrapped around a telephone pole. A young kid walks out with minimal scratches crying and begging not to let his dad know he wrecked the car (surely a typical story...but cracked me up).
Another call involving a MVA...one of the victim's legs was bent and twisted in several places looking like a stiff and broken grass stalk wrapped around your hand in different directions, and his leg was caught up under the seat. This was a very bizarre looking injury and had EMTs scratching their heads. As the EMTs were consulting each other about how to deal with this person's leg, the vicitm overheard their concerns and reassured them the leg was fake.
What a relief that was!!
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Fake leg, huh?
Never seen that before... I imagine it could happen, though.
Never seen that before... I imagine it could happen, though.
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I've had calls for jammed fingers, hanging file folders stuck up noses, and O2 tubing stuck up a lady's uhhum. All in a days work.
trauma1534
Forum Captain
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Well... here is one. I was working one night and a call came in for an "attempted murder of female's daughter". I thought, Oh my! Hope law enforcement is enroute. So I got on the radio and asked dispatch to go ahead and confirm that PD was enroute and that we would be staging. So we got to our staging point a couple blocks away from that address. Dispatch came back to us after about 10 min of stand by and stated that the scene was secure, we could continue in, and to be advised that the "mother" was needing to be checked out because she was having dificulty breathing. As we arrived at the scene, my partner and I found PD approching the ambulance. He said, the patient is on the porch, but watch your step. I scratched my head and looked at my partner and we both puzzled, got out, grabbed our bag and 02. As we approached the porch, we saw a sheet spread across something in the yard in front of the porch. The patient, who was crying and hyperventilating histerically was rocking back and forth saying "oh my Spot! Poor baby! Do something for her!!!" Continueing to screem, I was still alarmed until PD explained that "spot" was her female dog which she had just gotten 2 days ago, and was killed by another neighborhood dog! OMG! This lady was a psych case. We got her in the back of the truck and tried to keep her calm, it was hard for my partner and I to hold our composure... you had to have been there... it was freeking halarious!!! We took her to the ER. She calmed down enroute, and then when we started rolling her out of the truck and she saw people standing out side the ER, she started acting crazy again!!! What a night! HA!
jeepmedic
Forum Captain
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I once use the Jaws of Life on a walker. (Then got a refusal)
Pt. fell and got his leg stuck in his walker and we could not back it out no matter how hard we tried so used the jaws to snip the walker and he got up and walked away stating that he would never use a walker again.
Had a teenager who had ate some jimsing root talk to his reflection all the way to the hospital one night.
Pt. fell and got his leg stuck in his walker and we could not back it out no matter how hard we tried so used the jaws to snip the walker and he got up and walked away stating that he would never use a walker again.
Had a teenager who had ate some jimsing root talk to his reflection all the way to the hospital one night.
FF/EMT Sam
Forum Lieutenant
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I had one general illness patient who walked out of hsi house to meet us at the curb, got in the ambulance, no problems, we began a normal BLS transport, and everything was doing fine until he decided that there was someone else in the back of the ambulance with us. It would have been really nice for him to mention that he was schitzo when I asked him if he had any medical problems.....
yowzer
Forum Lieutenant
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The three I posted about yesterday, of course.
The teenager with a pimple on his ***. He was kind of upset that he got shoved out into the waiting room at the ER. (I wish that happened more often than it does.)
Any number of teenage girls who 'cut' themselves with a dull pair of scissors in an effort to get back into the inpatient mental health facility they were released from a few days ago, because they like the staffers there better than their parents. I get deeper scratches from my pet rats' claws than these chicks give themselves.
The guy at an AFH who threw up something that the staff insisted was blood, shortly after eating a piece of blackberry pie. Last time I checked, blood doesn't have seeds in it.
This is waaaay too easy.
The teenager with a pimple on his ***. He was kind of upset that he got shoved out into the waiting room at the ER. (I wish that happened more often than it does.)
Any number of teenage girls who 'cut' themselves with a dull pair of scissors in an effort to get back into the inpatient mental health facility they were released from a few days ago, because they like the staffers there better than their parents. I get deeper scratches from my pet rats' claws than these chicks give themselves.
The guy at an AFH who threw up something that the staff insisted was blood, shortly after eating a piece of blackberry pie. Last time I checked, blood doesn't have seeds in it.
This is waaaay too easy.
Ahha, Datura Stramonium, a long time favorite among country folk and nature lovers. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimsonweed
Pretty nasty stuff.
BossyCow
Forum Deputy Chief
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The teen girls post reminded me of a recent call. Walk in to the local ER, 19y/o female. Complaining of a hangover. Wanted the ER to give her an IV because it was Saturday and she was going to another party that night and was planning on getting drunk again. The ER doc on duty informed the admitting staff that everyone else had a higher priority than this kid and should be shown to a room before her. If they ran out of patients, then and only then could she be shown to an exam room. After about 2 1/2 hours of cooling her heels in the waiting room, she left.
I gotta wonder what their dictionary definition is of 'emergency'
I gotta wonder what their dictionary definition is of 'emergency'
Ignacio_emt_vn
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I had one when i was first doing my ride along with AMR in cerritos station. First code call of the day for them. It was for a SOB pt in an apartment unit. We get there to see her sitting on her lazy boy trying to catch her breath. All through out the ride she never changed. When we got to the hospital all of a sudden, her breath normalized and screamed out to one of the doctors "HELLO DOCTOR!!!". That pretty much was my first call and impression......luckily it wasn't indicative of what my future calls were like ahead.
macinfire
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severe pain
We were called to "a 20 y/o in severe pain". Engine was stuck on the road, we made our way to the house, see 15 guys running out of the house, 2 pit bulls.... They said their friend had been shot. They were very agitated and we didn't know which one might be the shooter. One guy said the shooter was in the woods, which was approx. 50 feet away. The severe pain was in the back seat of the car with 5 gsw from abdomen to head, needless to say he didn't make it. I don't think he had much time to feel any severe pain....strange, scary call. :wacko:
We were called to "a 20 y/o in severe pain". Engine was stuck on the road, we made our way to the house, see 15 guys running out of the house, 2 pit bulls.... They said their friend had been shot. They were very agitated and we didn't know which one might be the shooter. One guy said the shooter was in the woods, which was approx. 50 feet away. The severe pain was in the back seat of the car with 5 gsw from abdomen to head, needless to say he didn't make it. I don't think he had much time to feel any severe pain....strange, scary call. :wacko: