Rubberneckers, Lookie Loos, and other Civilian Interference Stories

[Mountain Res-Q]

After Hockey’s recent thread, I was wondering if any of you have any stories regarding passerby’s, family, or friends interjecting themselves (in an inappropriate fashion) into a scene? They can be about whackers on scene (I’m a lifeguard, and you should do this…) or just people who want to see what’s going on that get in the way or well meaning family and friends that feel helpless and don’t understand the need to let you do your job… but I really like the rubbernecker stories about people who jump into the scene and start asking FFs, Medics, and LEOs questions about what is going on.

Right now, about 800 FFs are fighting a 700 acre fire 10 miles north of my place, and despite the deputies shutting down all the forest roads, people are still finding their way into the fire lines to check it out. We have all had those in EMS… how did you handle specific instances of that?

 

[Medic744]

Last week I had a sorta interference on a CPR. We got toned out at the start of a shift for unknown major or minor MVA and about 2 min later they tell us its CPR in progress for approx 2 min. We arrive on scene (the side of a major highway during am workday rush hour) to see a cop doing compressions, and 2 women in scrubs bagging and checking pulses/BP. Sounds great right? Except there were about 6 other officers standing around talking and the 3 people working on the patient were passerbys. My partner and I jump in and start giving directions and doing our thing (intubating, line, drugs) when I swear one of the RNs (saw her name badge) starts to tell us what to do. She starts giving contradicting directions to the cop doing compressions and just generally in our way. Good thing for us one of the off going crew stopped to help out, along with a local wrecker driver, and the fire department. When we got the patient in the back of the truck the RN tried to get in with us and when my partner told her to get out she made a snotty comment about how the patient had no chance with us and was promptly escorted away by one of the local officers. Not sure what happened to her after that, I was a little busy.

 

[timmy84]

A few years ago I was at the gym when a man collapsed on the treadmill next to mine. I instinctively jumped off and pulled the safety key from his to stop it (and as a side not I always keep mine clipped to my shirt now), and put him on his back. He has a carotid pulse, and was breathing adequately, but was not responsive. I looked up and told the guy standing next to me to call 9-11, and just as he runs off this woman comes up and says she is a nurse. Being a good follower of my AHA BLS training I turned the situation over to her more capable hands. Unfortunately she immediately began doing chest compressions on the poor man (which fortunately were inadequate as she did not push down very hard). I shouted at her to stop, and just then he started to come to. She then told the man she saved his life by doing CPR (she maybe did 10 compressions at the most). When the paramedics arrived they asked what happened of the bystanders and the "nurse" went on and on, but one of the medics saw me roll my eyes and took me aside and I told them what happened. Once they were gone I asked the lady where she was a nurse at, she said a local nursing home, but before I could probe her more there were tons of people waiting to congratulate her on a job well done, the manager of the club even gave her 6 months of free dues. The man ended up at the hospital where I work, where it was determined to be a vasovagal episode, from his extreme dehydration. I met the nurse over a year later at the nursing home she stated she worked in while my grandma was in the rehab section of the place. Turns out she was a QMA (qualified medication aide, a CNA who take an 80 hour course to be able to pass meds in a nursing home). Well that is my story.

 

[redcrossemt]

Bad wreck with two engines, two rescues, three ambulances, lots of police cars. Freeway is down to one lane.

Guy stops in his Suburu, wearing shorts/t-shirt, runs up to us... "I'M IN A FIRST RESPONDER CLASS. WHAT CAN I DO?"

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Bad wreck with two engines, two rescues, three ambulances, lots of police cars. Freeway is down to one lane.

Guy stops in his Suburu, wearing shorts/t-shirt, runs up to us... "I'M IN A FIRST RESPONDER CLASS. WHAT CAN I DO?"

Reply, "Thank God you are here. Here's what I need from you. Turn around... do you see that Subaru over there that is contributing to this congestion? I was rumored that the driver is interferring with Emergency Personel in the act of performing their duties. If you could find that guy for us, the cops here would really like to tazer him..."

 

[Summit]

Reply, "Thank God you are here. Here's what I need from you. Turn around... do you see that Subaru over there that is contributing to this congestion? I was rumored that the driver is interferring with Emergency Personel in the act of performing their duties. If you could find that guy for us, the cops here would really like to tazer him..."

I just laughed out loud in class and am getting funny looks.

That said, we do encourage firm but professional dissuasion of overzelous good samaratins before resorting to being a smartass. These are the people most likely to speak of us to the community because they view themselves as a part of the actionor wish to be part of it. They can speak well of us or say "those guys are a bunch of arrogant rude asses." That said, sometimes you have to be extremely :censored::censored::censored::censored:ing blunt and funny helps.

 

[Hockey]

Not a negative incident but rather a positive

I had an anesthesiologist (patients wife) who just finished her ACLS stuff a week prior doing compressions when we walked in. She witnessed the arrest and started CPR immediately. First full arrest I was on so wasn't as useful as I should have been.

My partner took over compressions as I was readying up BVM and all that other good stuff.

I gave it to her and she took over that. She told me "Alright, get the Combi-Tube and lets go"

She knew her stuff and was damn good at directing orders. She knew we knew too but was just helping.

When our medic arrived, she was helping her with the drugs and all that good stuff (had a bunch of problems on that call)

The guy was a save. PD beat us on scene (was right down the street) (so were we) and they were on scene in under a minute of 911 being called. Shocked him.

Talked to the guy a few weeks ago and is back out being his normal self. Had a central mi, and pe and still survived. Hot damn

 

[redcrossemt]

Reply, "Thank God you are here. Here's what I need from you. Turn around... do you see that Subaru over there that is contributing to this congestion? I was rumored that the driver is interferring with Emergency Personel in the act of performing their duties. If you could find that guy for us, the cops here would really like to tazer him..."

We were less sarcastic, but I didn't laugh like I just did either. I need to interject more humor into my work.

 

[timmy84]

We were less sarcastic, but I didn't laugh like I just did either. I need to interject more humor into my work.

My instructor once told me that that a man of Romani (more commonly known as a 'Gypsy') descent pulled a knife out on him and told him to deliver his baby, but not to look at his wife's vagina. Fortunately another unit was dispatched with a female medic.

 

[usafmedic45]

Reply, "Thank God you are here. Here's what I need from you. Turn around... do you see that Subaru over there that is contributing to this congestion? I was rumored that the driver is interferring with Emergency Personel in the act of performing their duties. If you could find that guy for us, the cops here would really like to tazer him..."

That gets my vote for the best post EVER on this forum. Well done sir, well done.

 

[usafmedic45]

One of my personal favorite calls was the guy who decided we were taking too long getting the motorcyclist who was run over (and I mean that literally, he was pinned uder the SUV) out of the way and traffic flowing again. Sheriff's deputies and state police were on their way but had not got there yet. So here we are trying to work on this guy with the road completely blocked by the SUV and our rescue truck and the idiot (a 20 something guy dressed like your stereotypical frat boy in a Mazda Miata) starts honking and screaming obscenities at us. That's when I noticed that behind him was a group of bikers- like Hell's Angels bikers, not like "Wild Hogs" bikers- and one of them apparently got tired of hearing this tirade and walks up to the driver's window. Mind you, the biker was roughly 6'2" and probably 300 lbs (to quote Boondock Saints, "One huge ****ing guy"). He reached in, grabs the driver by his shirt and pulls him out the seatbelt (it was still fastened) and out of the car and goes "SHUT THE **** UP. NOW. If I hear another word out of your ****ing mouth I will feed your balls. Those guys are trying to help a fallen biker and I don't like that you're being disrespectful. Do I make myself clear?"

I think the guy promptly ****ing AND ****ing his pants could be taken as a definite "Yes, I heard you and plan on complying." The biker dropped him on the ground and stood over him until the ambulance crew left the scene. The state trooper got there and asked what the angry looking biker and the scared "frat boy" (exact words from the trooper) was all all about and one of my coworkers goes "Oh, our big friend there was nice enough to give the kid a very eloquent lecture of proper respect for EMTs and firefighters." The trooper seemed quite confused by all of this.

 

[Hal9000]

Car vs tree with ejection at night.

Pt. is bleeding and not doing as well as we would have liked. He kept asking about his dog. Of course, we didn't know how his dog was doing. Out of the dark a lady runs up and throws down a mass of fur and blood and yells, "HIS DOG IS DEAD! IT'S DEAD!"

I don't know what we'd have done if she hadn't thrown the carcass at our feet. :glare:

 

[Sasha]

Nothing too terrible... I've had a family member (This is one of the "OH THANK GOD YOU ARE HERE!!!!" patients) insist the patient could walk to the stretcher (She didn't want us to "drop him" so wanted him to walk, probably because we were both small looking females.) That's all well and good, BUT the patient had multiple fx and according to their charts and orders was non weight bearing AND if they walked they were going to foot the bill because medicare would reject the claim. We tried to reassure her and such but eventually just found two strong looking males, one tech one nurse, to sheet lift him over.

 

[Sail195]

I wish I had a good story for this thread but i am too new lol but this has just made my morning!!!!!!!!

 

[Fireguy]

Well they really didnt interfere but it bothered the crap out of me. Cardiac arrest inside a resturant. I was on the first arrival piece(rescue-engine), and we walk in and start CPR and prep for the AED. These two guys are sitting at the table right next to us, watching and still enjoying thier meal like they were watching TBS "Dinner & a Movie".

Hal9000, we had the same kind of thing. PT in bad condition but refused care until we found her dog who ran away after the crash. Luckily for us it had just snowed so we just had to follow the paw prints.

 

[NC13]

Working up at the local ski area as a ski patroller on a teenage kid who had a snowboarder vs. tree head on collison (literally head first into the tree) no major trauma but a good size knot on his forehead (no helmet ofcourse) and was AOCX3. We were getting him on the backboard and all that and out of nowhere this middle aged man skis by an says "Do you need a Doctor? Im a doctor." We politley refused and said we could handle it. After getting the pt down and handing him off to the medic, I was walking to the locker room and saw the doctor. He recognizes me and explains that hes a gynecologist.:unsure: Not sure what he could have done for a teenage boy w/ a head injury.

 

[NJN]

After getting the pt down and handing him off to the medic, I was walking to the locker room and saw the doctor. He recognizes me and explains that hes a gynecologist.:unsure:

I can't quote the exact rule # but one of the rules of EMS is that every doctor on scene is assumed to be a gynecologist until proven otherwise.

 

[Mzcr]

Because obviously gynecologists never learn anything about medicine beyond looking at vaginas. I don't even know what they do the other 9 years of school.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Because obviously gynecologists never learn anything about medicine beyond looking at vaginas. I don't even know what they do the other 9 years of school.

Not saying they don't know anything about medicine, but how much do they know about street EMS? A Dentist gets called "Doctor" same as a Trauma Surgeon does, but who should be trying to put you back together after a MVA? If it is a childbirth call, then I defer all pt. care to the first Doctor who identifies themself as a OB and wants to assume pt. care. If this OB had demanded that NC13 reliquish pt. care to him, then fine... he has that legal right. But, I too have experienced those people who show up on your scene and identify themselves as Doctors who turn out to be Dentists... great... his teeth are fine... Sure he has medical knowledge that is superior (in some areas) abd different to mine; but I train and work in Field Emergency Medicine, a setting that differs from what s/he does. In most cases, people who identify themselves on scene and try to assume pt care are more of a hinderence who are only there becasue they have some medical liscence. A phyciatrist is a Doctor, but I would rather have a Paramedic working on me on scene of an accident... wouldn't you? Cae in point... at the snow park 2 years ago we had a midshaft humerous fracture on a 40ish female. As we are treating, she identifies hereself as a Doctor. To which we said to lighten the mood, "Oh, well then you should tell us what to do." (Tone was conversational. She was nice an we were bring good providers - physically and emotionally.) To which she said, "Im and OB/GYN. I would have no clue how to handle this. You guys know what you are doing." Bingo! Thanks! Yes, her knowledge is far superior to mine, but I know EMS and have been doing it in that environment for years... something she acknowledge and let me treat her.

 

[NC13]

I agree that an ob/gyn has far superior knowledge to myself, but as MtnResQ said its completely different performing emergency medecine in a tree well at dusk compared to a comfortable office where you get a lollipop after your done. Theres a reason that our patrol requires everyone to go through their medical course (OEC-Outdoor Emergency Care). This has included in the past, doctors, firefighters and emt's. its a whole different ballgame out in the cold and snow. Its pretty hard backboarding someone as your slipping down the snow.