That’s what I am calling what I worked today for lack of a better term.  First thing this morning we were called out into the county for a one car MVC with entrapment.  The call was located right on the edge of the two counties and in a gray area…

It seems as though most of the calls we have been involved with over the past few shifts have all been related to Hydrocodone use in one way or another.  There was the man who took 26 of them just because he could, the teenager who combined two with a…

This is all I have to say right now.  According to Huntsville Police, the death of the three-week-old girl was suspicious and a 17-year-old male has been charged with capital murder. A suspicious death of a baby, a 17-year old charged with capital murder, and the investigation is…

Breaking the news to someone that a loved one has passed is always difficult.  However, when confronted with a “Death in the Field” situation its even more difficult.  I never get used to it and rarely know how to react.  Those of you in the healthcare field will be familiar…

This is the ECG of a 57 year old who started experiencing chest pain about 6 hours before we received the call. The pain had been coming and going , and he waited until it got severe…

So, as promised here is the rundown of yesterday’s shift.  I am currently on shift again and will recount today’s adventures when I have time. <strong>MVC - Two Patients:</strong> A driver ran a redlight striking this car and another onscene before running off.  We had three patients total, one of…

So I debated for a long time about whether or not to even tell this story.  This is one of those stories that will be unbelievable, but a great ancedotal tale to tell students. We ran a possible CVA today.  The patient was an elderly male who was very active…

was sitting in my chair yesterday browsing the net and waiting on the next days planning session when the phone rang. “We need a helicopter over here now Someone has cut off thier thumb.” “Amputated their thumb?” “Yes.” “Ok. I’ll get one coming now.” More » The foreman…

The more I think about this incident, the more I realize exactly how long I have been a Paramedic.  This particular incident took place just before I received my Paramedic License, when I was working as an EMT-Intermediate.  That would have been eight years ago or so. In our system,…

A few experiences from today’s tour at Station 1: Driving from one end of the county to the other twice for coverage.  About a 30 minute trip. At Station 1, a car with those $3000 chome rims being pushed down the road by another car.  The Pimpmobile’s paint job…

Have protected me from the bitter cold while treating the homeless, Have stood and witnessed the joy of a mother at her newborn baby, Have felt the tears of a daughter at the loss of her mother,

...a frequent flyer when the ER Doc says: <em>“She’s Back!!! She was just here!”</em>

My partner and I were having a moderately busy Sunday.  We were stationed out in one of the suburbs. Churches had just let out, and the sun was shining. It was cool, but not cold.  We had just returned from lunch when the pager went off. “Medic 119, need you…

The streets are our purview and scope of practice.  Butting in where you aren’t wanted or needed only hinders patient care and makes an already stressful situation worse.  So unless you are a trauma surgeon and have all the necessary equipment to manage a patient on scene, LEAVE ME THE…

Long before I was involved in EMS as a full-time job, I was volunteering at the local Rescue Squad.  At the time, EMT Basics and Intermediates were rarely hired at the ambulance service.  So I figured the best way to get my feet wet was to respond as a member…

It was one of those nights when the ambulance never stops moving.  Call after call and it was already into the wee hours of the morning.  My partner and I had barely had time to eat, shoving it into our faces on the way to yet another call. “Medic X,…

I was working a regular 24 hour shift with an Intermediate level EMT in one of the busier stations in town. It was early on a Sunday Morning when the call came out. “Medic X, need you Code 3 to City Church. Possible Full arrest.” We hopped into our truck…

“Medic X, I need you enroute for an unknown medical.” Yet we hop in our truck and head off to the call, arriving within minutes. A large, worried mother runs from her house screaming “My Baby! My Baby! He don’t stop cryin’!” So we grab our jumpkit and head for…

This episode happened to me about a year ago.  It spread throughout the company grapevine and now it seems I am infamous for it.  Although some people don’t know exactly who it was, they all know what happened.  I can deal with most aspects of this job, but one.  The…

The following story still ranks as the most tragic call I have ever run.  One of the worst things involved in being a Paramedic, the traumatic death of a child, took place. If that might bother you, please read no further. This incident occurred during my last days as a…

I glance out my window to the right. A couple of homeless people walk quietly along the sidewalk. Carefully, they climb over the guardrail and disappear under the road. The strip mall behind them is deserted. Two police officers pull in, headlights on bright. They stop, and their beams illuminate…

So there we were, the two of us sitting quietly at Taco Bell eating lunch.  We had both been Paramedics for about 6 months and were starting to get our “legs” having recently been transferred to the ALS crew.  We were having a relatively slow day and had not even…

EMTs and Paramedics generally go through 3 distinct phases of training: Basic, Intermediate, & Paramedic. Each phase is terminated with an exam known as the National Registry. Even in states that don’t participate in the National Registry, the exams are comparable. This exam is a torture to every one who…

If you absolutely, positively, have to be off on time, a call is going to come less than five minutes before you get off. Time 19:45 Place: Book Store. Two Paramedics sit at tables outside the bookstore, relaxing a little and enjoying the fresh, cool air that Thunderstorms have…

This article is my personal diatribe about nurse’s attitudes towards paramedics and EMTs.  I have completed both educations and cannot understand why nurses feel they are better than paramedics and take every opportunity to try and derail any attempts to improve the profession.  By no means does this encompass all…