Traumaholic
Forum Ride Along
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What was your first 911 call?
- Thread starter Mitchellmvhs
- Start date
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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All of the ones I've had were BS calls.
VentMonkey
Family Guy
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If I were you, I’d be more concerned with a growing bitterness from “not getting good calls”. JS, frustrated? Sure, but it’s an easy rabbit hole to fall into.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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I’ll keep that in mind. It’s just that I really want to use what I learned in school.
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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to be totally honest, while the BS calls are frequently what I deal with, it's the "good" calls that I'd much rather forget. unhelmeted kid on a bike who went headfirst into a tree (had that one my first year), quite a few ped struck patients, the DOA that we worked because she was in a warm apartment when we were dispatched to a BS fall, the guy who had a massive MI, and collapsed on his colonoscopy bag, or any GI bleed.... I'll take a BS psych call any day now.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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I’m not looking forward to those horror calls or anything, I just want to well, treat. It was hard to do anything when there was nothing to do except for getting AMAs or taking vitals on someone who was just a drug seeker.
I did have two psych calls which I admit are kind of cool (used to be a psych major in college before I dropped out. I know just enough to know that I know that I’m not qualified to do anything), but even those my FTO did everything for. They’re sending me to do more transport so unless I get a job at another 911 place or into the local volly squad (we’ve been playing email tag for the past month or so) I won’t get anymore 911 for a while. Is it bad that I’m looking forward to narcaning someone? Pharmacology is so fascinating. In college I took a psychopharmacology class thinking it might help me in EMS. Turns out it most likely won’t help me. Still absolutely fascinating stuff. A&P in general is very fascinating. For example MS. Absolutely fascinating that the body attacks itself. Or transplants, even though the organ is a match the body still attacks it. Or anything neurological. Just so interesting
I did have two psych calls which I admit are kind of cool (used to be a psych major in college before I dropped out. I know just enough to know that I know that I’m not qualified to do anything), but even those my FTO did everything for. They’re sending me to do more transport so unless I get a job at another 911 place or into the local volly squad (we’ve been playing email tag for the past month or so) I won’t get anymore 911 for a while. Is it bad that I’m looking forward to narcaning someone? Pharmacology is so fascinating. In college I took a psychopharmacology class thinking it might help me in EMS. Turns out it most likely won’t help me. Still absolutely fascinating stuff. A&P in general is very fascinating. For example MS. Absolutely fascinating that the body attacks itself. Or transplants, even though the organ is a match the body still attacks it. Or anything neurological. Just so interesting
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from my experience, 70-80% of my calls are vitals, transport and that’s it. Narcan gets boring very fast and the post vomiting that’s always happens ( at least for me) is not fun.
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The first helicopter I ever (personally) called was for this.
PotatoMedic
Has no idea what I'm doing.
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Before I became an EMT when I did a ride along, I honestly couldn't tell ya. My first call as an EMT, dialysis transfer.
Fezman92
NJ and PA EMT
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How? Why?
CarSevenFour
Forum Crew Member
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My first 9-1-1 call was actually my first call as a "third man" trainee right out of EMT class #2 at Santa Ana College. I thought taking a night-school EMT course might help me deal with stuff I was bound to cover on the street as a police beat newspaper photographer. Third year student, flat broke, I just bought a Nikon-F with a 105mm f2.5 lens and now it and my other cameras were gone. I was assigned to an old red and white 1968 Cadillac hightop ambulance, Unit 299, owned by Bright Morgan of Morgan Ambulance Service in Santa Ana, CA. I couldn't sleep anyway, listening to the dispatch scanner echo down the hall, all worried about what I might be thrust into, in this strange world of private ambulance service-there might even be a story or two to tell. All I wanted to do was earn enough money to pay my books and tuition for my photojournalism training at Cal State Fullerton. My Nikons had been stolen from my apartment and I needed money, fast. That would have been in 1973, late fall, early December. A young lady got drunked up with her office friends out for a night on the town at a popular bar in the city. Got 86'd for being drunk and disorderly by the staff. She got in a tussle with an older cop who arrived onscene after reports of a combative female in the parking lot, and he would brook no disrespect. She got uppity and in his face; he whacked her upside the head with his nightstick, arrested her and transported to the jail. The girl was near hysterics. Partners said, "She's all yours, let's see what you can do." I was so young then, had hardly had any dates and now I'm bandaging up this pretty brunette woman who just got shocked back into the world of the sober. Big split in her scalp...somewhere under all that hair...perfume, sticky blood mixed with hairspray, mascara running down her cheeks-the details you remember... Got her calmed down and off we went. Code-2 into the night. When the guys unloaded the gurney at Orange County General ER, they were puzzled over what I said to make her cheerful and laughing when she went in sobbing uncontrollably just minutes before. They had left me alone with her in the back enroute to the hospital, with the partition window open so I could call for help, "If I needed it..." Crazy. I just talked to her while I bandaged her head, mostly so I wouldn't be so nervous. No judgemental words, I was learning to make humor work for me, just caring for someone in distress. We got her on the ER gurney, she thanked me for my help and seemed surprised when I told her she was my first call and she said she thought I found my calling. I'll never forget that call in all it's detail. The cool, misty night air, the PD jail sally port, the big chrome B&M Superchief wailing enroute to the scene, how it "burped" when we slammed into the road camber at each intersection. How had that beat-up Caddy managed to stay alive after all the abuse of ambulance work? And how the red lights from the rotating beacon bounced off in a blazing lightshow, reflected from highrise windows as we raced up the boulevard enroute to the call. "Bleeding head injury...," dispatch said, "You're rolling Code-3 for Santa Ana PD, second-in fire unit responding." Welcome to a busy Saturday night... The old cop saying he might cut her some slack if she behaved herself; he seemed like a decent guy. The crawling out of the rack for the first call on the first night on duty, the scanner blaring the FD "All Call." "Station-71 to all Santa Ana fire cars, female in custody with head injury, Santa Ana Jail sally port, Morgan Ambulance rolling Code-3..." Running down the hall to the unit, trying to get my shirt buttoned with nervous hands. Later, the ER nurse asking, "Who bandaged this patient?" Like I was already in big trouble. I fessed up. What could I have possibly messed up? Then she says, reading my nametag, "Well, Mr. Victor, nice job, I almost hate to cut it off..." Wow, I was hooked. Big time. I kinda forgot that I was only doing this thing temporally until I could scratch up the dough to finish my studies. Never regretted it a bit, I miss the job. I miss the life. I'll never forget that first call.
jeffcpr
Forum Ride Along
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Baby not breathing first call off probation at the start of my 24. Turned out great t was new parents and the infant had trouble passing a mucus plug after feeding. Babe was crying when the medic handed it over. Looking back now it was no big deal. But to hear babe not breathing call number 1 of your first on your own shift really makes you think. Like what they hell did I just get myself into.
Fastfrankie19151
Forum Crew Member
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My first ever call was a Doa was me 2 seasoned emt’s and a medic in a chase car. I started carrying all the standard stuff in the medic stopped me about half way and said put it away. He was already inside with his bag and confirmed. She was sitting in a chair mid 70s what a way to start a career.
The Possum
Forum Crew Member
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A code in the parking lot at the Oakland coliseum after an Oakland A's baseball game. We were a BLS unit working the game. No time to wait for ALS.
The Possum
Forum Crew Member
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I did that exact call. The call came down for not breathing child. When we got there the kid looked great and was just happy and babbling. That was when the salty older medic I was working with sat down to talk to the two 19-year-old parents.
Fastfrankie19151
Forum Crew Member
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Cardiac arrest turned out to be a doa second was a welfare check with Pd turned out to be deceased several days third same day was a cardiac arrest in a mall what a first day
Chris EMT J
Forum Lieutenant
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First one as a EMT basic or advance?
First one as a EMT basic I had a car vs tree trauma which was critical and I just drove as fast as I could. First one as a advance I messed up the ECG leads and got a unnecessary intercept so pretty bad start to both.
HardKnocks
Forum Lieutenant
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You'll change your mind the first time you apply NARCAN and the Patient reacts violently and physically attacks you. You either learn quick to Bob&Weave or else..lol
IsraelEMS
Forum Crew Member
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My first call after being fully certified? Terrorist Attack. A bus exploded and I treated the driver alone. He had a partial amputation of the lower leg. Don't recommend it for a first pt.
On another track, I don't understand what you mean by working but only having 2 911 calls. In the US are all ambulances not controlled by 911? Do you have emergency calls that come from somewhere else?
On another track, I don't understand what you mean by working but only having 2 911 calls. In the US are all ambulances not controlled by 911? Do you have emergency calls that come from somewhere else?