What is that smell?

Some folks, when given instructions by 911 dispatchers, follow those instructions. Others follow them to the extreme and have a negative impact.

THE EMERGENCY

Security is reporting an employee with burns from the fryer.

THE ACTION

Racing down the freeway towards the casino at the northernmost exit, ours is the ALS ambulance and my driver has decided he can't let the BLS unit responding behind us to beat us to the scene. To anyone coming the other way, it must have looked like an ambulance race instead of an emergency response. All I could think of was the scene from Mother, Juggs and Speed.

We arrive at the casino and are led into the tiny security office off the main lobby to a most peculiar smell. In the corner is the cook (They make nachos and chicken wings so Chef doesn't cut it) we always make a nod to when we pick up dinner on some nights. The look on his face is one I would later learn is true excruciating pain.

He was emptying the grease from the deep fryer when it spilled out and splashed on his lower leg, which is still smoking ever so slightly. As we made quick movements to do the first important thing when treating burns, removing the source of the burn, the security supervisor explained he was told by the dispatcher not to put anything on the burn.

Um...yeah...about that. That excludes removing the oil with a towel or perhaps cool water, right?

Soon after the 2% area was cleared and wrapped the Manager burst into the office asking why the kitchen (snack bar) was closed. She actually asked if he could finish the last 4 hours of his shift before getting treated. The guy could barely stand up the pain was so bad so there was not even a hint of a possibility of letting him stay.

Enroute to the hospital, a 40 minute haul, we talked about the Manager's plans to expand the kitchen (snack bar) into a real restaurant and hire him a staff. Then he could make one of them empty the fryer.