What was your most SPECTACULAR (or scarey) equipment failure yet?

What was your most SPECTACULAR (or scarey) equipment failure yet?

Critical engine failure while responding to hopsital with a pediatric arrest secondary to drowning.

2 year old later died.
 
Rear Right wheel on duals passed me on the freeway. I was driving, ok.

partner driving, drivers side front passed us, then we passed it. made it ok; but I was hanging out passenger window to keep us from tipping.

cot, and stair chair failures.

had a backboard break on us once; student FF was on it, so it was funny, but still scary.
 
I once had every single BP cuff, an EKG, a heart rate monitor, and a pulse ox all refuse to work at once. I tried about half of them before my partner started yelling at me for being totally useless and took over... only to find that they really weren't working.

So, I did what I could without them. Luckily, another crew had responded, so we just took their bag and equipment. When we got to the hospital, we tested everything again. And it was all totally fine, just like it had been when we started our shift.

Fortunately, it wasn't a very serious call, so the patient was fine. Still can't figure out what the hell could've happened, though.
 
We had been issued a spare truck while the regular was in for routine maintenance. Spare is code for "old, but not quite bottom of the barrel/ready for auction." Did my truck check and everything was fine, if perhaps a little rougher around the edges then normal.

Sent on a standby to a neighbouring station and as I turned the corner I caught a flash of something in the driver side mirror. Figured out it was the electronics compartment door and quickly pulled over to check and resecure it. This is a big door that had there been oncoming traffic it would have clipped on this narrow road.

I was confused as heck, b/c I could have sworn I'd shut it hard. Slammed it shut, got over the pucker factor and drove to the station.

Later I went out to the truck to grab something and as I climbed in I heard a creak as that same door opened. Shook my head, resecured the door and then tried banging on it and jumping up and down on the bumper to jar it open. Nothing and in both cases my partner didn't see it.

Ended up calling the District Superintendent anyways to report it (CYA) and took it to the local garage where they found the latch was gummed up.

I had another spectacular fail recently, but until all the dust settles on it, I'm going to withhold that one.
 
Helicopter doors popping open, especially when your momentarily out of your belts, do have a way of getting your attention...
 
RT CCT for a vent dependent patient going from SNF to the ER for something that wasn't critical. While holding the wall waiting for a bed, the alarm on the vent goes off.

Beep beep.
Huh... look at screen.
Beep beep.
Battery low ?!?!
Beep beep
Err... plug... wall socket is...
Beep beep.
There's one. Battery empty? Son of a...
:plug into wall::


When the Newports start beeping for low battery, it doesn't give you much of a warning.
 
I've had ambulance from a very large company that were too crappy to be able to go up a road with a bit of snow on it, even though every single other vehicle (Including a Chevy Lumina.) made it up just fine.

Other than that, not much besides a Zoll that decided it wanted to shock a patient who was fine. (No pads were on.)
 
The worst, by far, is a loaded stretcher failing as my partner and I were lifting it up. Happened a couple weeks ago and instead of my partner and I being SMART and letting it go, we both kept hold of it and lowered it, however the sudden failure jerked the heck out of our backs.

The most embarrasing, however, has happened more than once to me. Load a patient up into the ambulance, go to start the truck Aaaaand it wont start. Add that ontop of a patient and family who do not speak English and you've got an interesting couple hours waiting for another truck... because of course it only happens while you're at an out of area hospital. And the tow truck driver is always socially awkward.
 
Snowy winter many years ago. Walking into residence with monitor and first-in bag. Entrance to residence had supposedly sanded and re-finished their wood floors that week. Me being a cheap auss, also had boots that were worn essentially to the soles.

Anyways, carrying the equipment, I enter the residence with snow matted to my boots... the moment my feet hit the wood floor I slipped backwards... was told my body went parralel with the ground.

I hadn't released the monitor, and through the slipping motion (and attempting to regain balance?) it swung in my hand and cracked me in the face, with the back of my head simultaneously meeting the doors metal threshold. From what I'm told, I was dazed for at least a good 5 minutes... the first thing I solidly remember is yaking my brains out while in a stiff neck sitting next to my supervisor waiting for THIRD ambulance.

Adamant pt refusal of course... but the super lied and tooke me to hospital anywas in her vehicle... all the while calling me a stupid auss...
 
When they started making us wear those day-glo orange vests at road scenes, the first time I got out with one I was wearing it upside down and backwards. Didn't notice until we cleared. Fire had a ball with that.
 
I was sitting in the captains chair trying to turn it around. I kept turning and turning the knob, and the darn thing didn't want to budge after 5 minutes. My medic preceptor then PULLS the knob and the chair turned.

What... brain failure is pretty catastrophic!




What can I say, I'm a white cloud.
 
First time I ever drove an ambulance I forgot to unplug it from its power source. I thought people were just being friendly and waving at me. It wasnt until i got the the hospital when I realized i had been dragging a 20 ft extension cord along 10 miles of freeway.
 
Taking a patient's pulse. I looked at my watch. I looked at the patient. I looked at my watch and exclaimed, "Oh, Wow! For a second there I thought you were dead, but my watch just stopped!"

Critical equipment failure, but I think it was my brain.
 
firetender said:
Taking a patient's pulse. I looked at my watch. I looked at the patient. I looked at my watch and exclaimed, "Oh, Wow! For a second there I thought you were dead, but my watch just stopped!"

Critical equipment failure, but I think it was my brain.
Click to expand...

Totally had that happen, although I didn't say anything. I just grabbed my cell phone and used the timer function, only to have my medic yell at me for texting when I should've been getting vitals...
 
I've had the watch failure thing happen too.

My worst experience to date was pretty bad. I was flying a medevac in a helicopter with a TIA/Stroke patient with an astronomical BP, something like 280 over 160. Anyway, we had momentary electrical failure of the helio. There is nothing scarier than total silence in an helicopter that isn't on the ground.
 
Aidey, things start floating off the deck?

Hate it when they do that!
 
judoka5446 said:
First time I ever drove an ambulance I forgot to unplug it from its power source. I thought people were just being friendly and waving at me. It wasnt until i got the the hospital when I realized i had been dragging a 20 ft extension cord along 10 miles of freeway.
Click to expand...

I have heard of that happening before. HaHaHa.
 
mycrofft said:
Oh, yeah...I was showing some Boyscouts how a JAWS scissor shear can sever a foot long 4X4...luck they were standing back a little!
Click to expand...

During our EMT Rescue class at the local fire training ground, one of my friends was trimming a 4x4 for a T-shore with a skilsaw. The Chief of the largest FD in the area came up in his nice shiny new rig, to see how we were doing, so of course everyone was trying to look professional and hire-worthy. :)

My friend fired up the saw, trimmed the 4x4... and watched in horror as the trimmed end shot right towards the chief's Command Vehicle. It missed the back window by inches.

We still razz my friend about that.
 
i had considered a career doing medevac until reading this thread... thanks for crushing my dreams....

My second day as an EMT my partner and I were taking a pt out to some hospital, partner hit a pot hole and left the front driver side tire and half of the axle in it.... we've had the battery die numerous times. once had my foot go through the passenger side wheel well @ 75 mph.
 
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