Our boys in blue are the first line of defense in a world gone mad, but when a chance to avoid paperwork comes up, you better bet they jump at it. For example, if someone claims they've been hurt, the officers can have the person cited and taken to the hospital, virtually eliminating follow up paper work, for them that is.
THE EMERGENCY
A pair of regulars have decided, again, to hit each other repeatedly and then get drunk and pass out in a well frequented tourist area. Locals pass by simply noting the stench of urine and feet that haven't been washed in weeks but when someone from out of town happens upon our regulars, they do what every concerned citizen does. See if they need help? Offer some food? No, call 911 from 2 blocks away because, "It reaks over there y'all." The police officers that arrive see the locals and how dirty their cars will get when the urine soaked pants sit down and...wait...is that dried blood? YES! No this is an EMS problem, not a police matter! We're sent out on the "pd eval" and arrive to see our regulars, intoxicated as usual and complaining that we're breaking their rights to be "good buds" in public. Neither is able to stand and have no real injuries but because they're intoxicated they can not legally refuse treatment or transport, and the cop knows it.
THE ACTION
We of course load both into the back of the ambulance and start towards the local hospital where the ER doc will "Medically clear" them from across the room and kick them out for being intoxicated.
My favorite part of this story is not that they are regulars, or that they can even get that drunk that often, but that they are both from out of town. They came to my area because their Social Security checks are bigger here, $300 a month bigger and they can buy more wine this way. When I asked the one fellow still conscious why he doesn't go back to the midwest where he was from he told me, "And give up all the free booze? Besides you firemans always pick uus up before anything bad happens. There's a lot of crazies out there you know."
Out there?"
THE EMERGENCY
A pair of regulars have decided, again, to hit each other repeatedly and then get drunk and pass out in a well frequented tourist area. Locals pass by simply noting the stench of urine and feet that haven't been washed in weeks but when someone from out of town happens upon our regulars, they do what every concerned citizen does. See if they need help? Offer some food? No, call 911 from 2 blocks away because, "It reaks over there y'all." The police officers that arrive see the locals and how dirty their cars will get when the urine soaked pants sit down and...wait...is that dried blood? YES! No this is an EMS problem, not a police matter! We're sent out on the "pd eval" and arrive to see our regulars, intoxicated as usual and complaining that we're breaking their rights to be "good buds" in public. Neither is able to stand and have no real injuries but because they're intoxicated they can not legally refuse treatment or transport, and the cop knows it.
THE ACTION
We of course load both into the back of the ambulance and start towards the local hospital where the ER doc will "Medically clear" them from across the room and kick them out for being intoxicated.
My favorite part of this story is not that they are regulars, or that they can even get that drunk that often, but that they are both from out of town. They came to my area because their Social Security checks are bigger here, $300 a month bigger and they can buy more wine this way. When I asked the one fellow still conscious why he doesn't go back to the midwest where he was from he told me, "And give up all the free booze? Besides you firemans always pick uus up before anything bad happens. There's a lot of crazies out there you know."
Out there?"
Comments