I am a big skeptic of putting the 2 people with the least ability to assess a situation in charge of the system's response to a reported emergency, but until we change things they can only code what they are told, right? And the caller is never, ever, EVER, wrong. Especially when describing technical rescue.
THE EMERGENCY
A caller is reporting he has fallen over 50 feet and is unable to walk.
THE ACTION
I had to read it twice too. First party caller has fallen 50 feet, unable to walk. Should be unable to do most things after that fall, especially when he would have hit the ground at a decent pace, then suddenly stopped. Stranger things have happened, right?
The dispatch rounds out, after us in the engine, the truck, medic, Battalion Chief and Captain, with the Rescue Squad. Further questioning suggests the patient is trapped. Never before have I wanted the TV version of EMS to be true so they could patch me directly through to the caller and figure this all out.
Arriving on scene my firefighter and driver are grabbing some hand tools and a long spine board when we all look around the address for a second, an old habit of sizing up burining buildings. None of the surrounding structures, trees, even light poles are more than 20 feet off the ground.
Something doesn't smell right.
The balance of the assignment arrives as we head inside, ready to treat trauma.
We found drama.
A middle aged man is sitting on a chair still on the cell phone with the call taker, no apparent injuries. He is inside a single story building and the folks standing around him seem confused as to why so many firemen have arrived. The rest of the units are cancelled as we begin to learn the tale of the "long fall."
This gentleman tripped on the sidewalk and would like to know who he can complain to after we take him to the hospital.
"Why would you goto the hospital?" I asked, already knowing it was a mistake.
"For my injuries, of course. I must be hurt if the ambulance took me in. I'm on disability already and can't be expected to get around on my own all the time." Was his response as his cell phone rang.
The caller on the other end wants to speak to "whoever is in charge over there" and I LOVE these calls so as the EMT confirmed the appearance of non-injury I spoke to the patient's wife who also heard what our call taker heard.
"He says he fell 50 feet! He needs to be taken to a hospital or something, he could die!"
"Sir?" I was embarased it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together, "Where did you trip on the sidewalk?"
"50 feet up the block! I couldn't walk! Go look at that crack!"
He kept giving the distance TO the fall, not OF the fall, hence all the confusion. GIGO.
After refusing to listen to our reassurances that an ambulance ride was not only unnecessary but would end up costing HIM money, he was taken to the local ED "to get checked out."
While loading up the gear the engine boss decided to go have a look at the crack in the sidewalk that could end up being a killer. About 25 feet up the sidewalk we saw a slightly raised seam that someone could indeed trip over.
So we taped it off.
Tragedy averted.
THE EMERGENCY
A caller is reporting he has fallen over 50 feet and is unable to walk.
THE ACTION
I had to read it twice too. First party caller has fallen 50 feet, unable to walk. Should be unable to do most things after that fall, especially when he would have hit the ground at a decent pace, then suddenly stopped. Stranger things have happened, right?
The dispatch rounds out, after us in the engine, the truck, medic, Battalion Chief and Captain, with the Rescue Squad. Further questioning suggests the patient is trapped. Never before have I wanted the TV version of EMS to be true so they could patch me directly through to the caller and figure this all out.
Arriving on scene my firefighter and driver are grabbing some hand tools and a long spine board when we all look around the address for a second, an old habit of sizing up burining buildings. None of the surrounding structures, trees, even light poles are more than 20 feet off the ground.
Something doesn't smell right.
The balance of the assignment arrives as we head inside, ready to treat trauma.
We found drama.
A middle aged man is sitting on a chair still on the cell phone with the call taker, no apparent injuries. He is inside a single story building and the folks standing around him seem confused as to why so many firemen have arrived. The rest of the units are cancelled as we begin to learn the tale of the "long fall."
This gentleman tripped on the sidewalk and would like to know who he can complain to after we take him to the hospital.
"Why would you goto the hospital?" I asked, already knowing it was a mistake.
"For my injuries, of course. I must be hurt if the ambulance took me in. I'm on disability already and can't be expected to get around on my own all the time." Was his response as his cell phone rang.
The caller on the other end wants to speak to "whoever is in charge over there" and I LOVE these calls so as the EMT confirmed the appearance of non-injury I spoke to the patient's wife who also heard what our call taker heard.
"He says he fell 50 feet! He needs to be taken to a hospital or something, he could die!"
"Sir?" I was embarased it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together, "Where did you trip on the sidewalk?"
"50 feet up the block! I couldn't walk! Go look at that crack!"
He kept giving the distance TO the fall, not OF the fall, hence all the confusion. GIGO.
After refusing to listen to our reassurances that an ambulance ride was not only unnecessary but would end up costing HIM money, he was taken to the local ED "to get checked out."
While loading up the gear the engine boss decided to go have a look at the crack in the sidewalk that could end up being a killer. About 25 feet up the sidewalk we saw a slightly raised seam that someone could indeed trip over.
So we taped it off.
Tragedy averted.
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