FF/EMT Sam
Forum Lieutenant
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Last night at about midnight, we were dispatched to an MVA with unknown injuries. I live closer to the scene than I do to the station, so I went directly to the scene. Upon arrival, I found one car that had lost control on a large sheet of ice, rolled over quite a few times, and landed in the ditch. The patient was slumped over the steering wheel and did not repond to my shouts. Witnesses were not sure if he was breathing, and I couldn't tell from where I was, either. The closest fire or rescue unit was still about 10 minutes away.
The ditch was too wide to jump across, but there was a culvert in front of me, and a driveway over it about 100 yards away. Given the possible severity of this patient's injuries, I carefully walked across the culvert. At the very end, I slipped, getting one foot wet and falling forward onto the ground. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt. I walk over to the patient, and discover that he is not hurt, does not want to go to the hospital, and, all in all, is in better shape than I am.
He insists on getting out of the car, so I point out where he can safely step. He gets out of the car, loses his balance, shoots out his hands at the closest thing (me), and pushes me backwards into the ditch. Me, my brand new jump bag, my radio, cell phone, and pager all go for a swim. He, on the other had, stays standing. I get out, fuming, and escort him to the ambulance to warm up. I try to get back in my car to go home and dry off, but it's been blocked in by the chief of another station. He lectures me, stating the obvious: that I'm wet and need to dry off. He also refuses to move his truck out of the way of my car, but is more than willing to give me a lecture on not rushing into scenes, since he assumed that I jumped in the ditch to get to the patient. (Keep in mind that it's about 20 degrees out the whole time this is going on, and I'm still soaked.)
I politely refrain from pointing out that the last time we had an accident in this stretch of the highway it was the chief now lecturing me who drove his truck into the ditch in his haste to reach the patient, whereas I went for an unscheduled swim at the hands of our patient.
I finally get in my car, go home, get warm, and discover that my cell phone still works. In fact, it works so well that I have three phone messages warning me not to rush into scenes, since the chief has told everyone on scene his assumption.
I should have left that patient's sorry :censored: in his car. I do, however, take solace in the fact that it was a rental car that the bozo totaled, and that he just bought himself a totaled 2006 Chevy.
The ditch was too wide to jump across, but there was a culvert in front of me, and a driveway over it about 100 yards away. Given the possible severity of this patient's injuries, I carefully walked across the culvert. At the very end, I slipped, getting one foot wet and falling forward onto the ground. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt. I walk over to the patient, and discover that he is not hurt, does not want to go to the hospital, and, all in all, is in better shape than I am.
He insists on getting out of the car, so I point out where he can safely step. He gets out of the car, loses his balance, shoots out his hands at the closest thing (me), and pushes me backwards into the ditch. Me, my brand new jump bag, my radio, cell phone, and pager all go for a swim. He, on the other had, stays standing. I get out, fuming, and escort him to the ambulance to warm up. I try to get back in my car to go home and dry off, but it's been blocked in by the chief of another station. He lectures me, stating the obvious: that I'm wet and need to dry off. He also refuses to move his truck out of the way of my car, but is more than willing to give me a lecture on not rushing into scenes, since he assumed that I jumped in the ditch to get to the patient. (Keep in mind that it's about 20 degrees out the whole time this is going on, and I'm still soaked.)
I politely refrain from pointing out that the last time we had an accident in this stretch of the highway it was the chief now lecturing me who drove his truck into the ditch in his haste to reach the patient, whereas I went for an unscheduled swim at the hands of our patient.
I finally get in my car, go home, get warm, and discover that my cell phone still works. In fact, it works so well that I have three phone messages warning me not to rush into scenes, since the chief has told everyone on scene his assumption.
I should have left that patient's sorry :censored: in his car. I do, however, take solace in the fact that it was a rental car that the bozo totaled, and that he just bought himself a totaled 2006 Chevy.
