Your Very First Call

[firedoc5]

Are you going to be working as a dispatcher?

Dispatchers take "calls". EMTs make runs.

And, although there have been some funny posts here, minus five for posting in the wrong forum.

Calls, runs, whatever.

I took my first EMT class during the summer between my Jr. and Sr. year of high school when I was 17. In the state of IL you had to be 18, like most states. But I made my first call/run the day before my 18th birthday. The coordinator talked with state director and they allowed me the one day. So at one time I was the youngest EMT in the state. It was a simple transport from a nursing home to have a CT done. But about five days later I had my first emergency run, which I was called out of school. Turned out to be a full arrest and at first it was just me and a "driver", my partner met us at the scene. I returned to school in time for typing class and the teacher was concerned how I would take loosing a patient. I just told her that it was something that came along with signing up for the job. It helped to run out of school that the principal took the EMT class with me. We'd occasionally get scheduled at the same time, and we had a blast.

It's OK to be excited and nervous before your first shift and call/run. Just stay calm, cool, and collected and you'll do fine. Have fun, but not too much fun, is what my first coordinator told me.

[Richard B the EMT]

Remember Iron Balls McGinnis?

Who is (or was) he (or she)? Never heard of the person.

[DwayneEMTP]

So how do I get my five points back, Dustdevil?

:bounce:

Tech, after you've been here a bit you'll come to understand that -5 is nothing to fret over...

On the other hand, a +1 will brighten my whole day!

-5 is just sort of a way of saying "Take note of this as it's a n00b mistake." Or, when you're more established it will come to mean, "What were you thinking?!"

So far I'm about....

-5,321,00

+3...or so....

Though I'm fortunate that the fine members here have very short memories for penalties, and limitless memories for home runs...so even I get by.

You're doing fine....just keep thinking, keep posting, and be better/smarter today that you were yesterday....and understand that we'll accept nothing less from you. It all evens out.

Dwayne

[terr0154]

Tech217

Don't sweat it man, you'll learn sooner or later that most EMS folks like to eat their own. Don't make the same mistakes and let your pride swell and cloud your judgement. I'm sure you'll be great, ask a lot of questions, if you get a lot of crap for it from people there, your at the wrong agency.

[emtpa802]

I actually remember my first emergency very well. Sitting at the station on the first night, during a crappy winter storm, we get hit out for a vehicle into a structure with injuries. When we pulled up, I can't even remember how many times my partner and I fell that night. It ended up being a B.S. call with one transported to the hospital to get checked out, no complaints of course. But during the transport to the hospital we were going down a hill (the whole damn town I live in is a hill) and my partner shouts "oh f**k" and next thing I know I'm being thrown across the patient as we slid sideways down the hill bouncing from curb to curb until we were sitting in the middle of the intersection at the bottom of the hill. So I remember my first one REAL WELL!

I've had a lot since then, as the Provider, Supervisor, Operations Chief, and eventually the Chief of Department. Don't worry, your gonna do just fine. Like I always told my employees, do your job, do your best, and have a little fun along the way.

[dougd]

Hmmmm, my first run was while doing my ride time with a suburban fire department. Everyone said, "Oh, you don't want to go there on a Sunday, you'll have nothing to do." 80+ yo male, abd pain. Arrive at the assisted living facility to find him curled in the bathroom, and he tells us he's had diarrhea since the previous night. This admission certainly didn't surprise any of us based on the condition of the bathroom and smell throughout the apartment. ER confirmed a GI bleed. Welcome to EMS, world of glamour.

We ran some BS trips after that, but finished the day with a high angle rope rescue for a little old lady with hx of confusion. Her property backs up to a valley, and she was out picking at the weeds on the edge of her property when she tumbled down 180 feet until coming to rest on a couple of trees about half way down. She was pretty lucky - A&OX4, denied LOC, possible radius fracture. As best we could determine, she had been down there between 3-4 hours before her son came over and found all the doors and windows open in the house and started searching for her.

[ConstanceGoodheart]

My first call I observed, was when I was actually on the bus on my way to EMT class. A passenger was having seizures and foaming at the mouth. 10 more minutes and he'd have been at a hospital (he always took the bus to a particular hospital to visit a family member).

1st call I managed to participate in care in, was a pipe stabbing. Not much blood, but was freaked out more by the chaotic scene with fire and pd.

1st call riding with a particular squad was to a family friend's house. It wasn't a good ending there.

[mrmeaner]

Don't sweat it man, you'll learn sooner or later that most EMS folks like to eat their own.

Anyone else tired of hearing this?

[mstovall]

My first call was for an unknown medical. The phone was off the hook following a 911 call. LE got there before us and kicked the door in and had the scene secured. An older man had evidently had a heart attack and lost conciousness while dialing. The crew I was orienting with was eating and said, "They better be dead or close to it." Ever since then I have told Julie to just be quiet until we get to the scene. I rode in the back of the truck and couldn't really see where we were going. Arrived at a house that looked familiar. Had tunnel vision and took turns between CPR and bagging the patient while transporting. Kept thinking the guy looked familiar. Upon arrival to the ED, was met by family and realized it was a high school buddies dad we were working on. It kinda hit me hard, but the best thing said to me was by the medic, Jenny, "You know we did everything possible and when God calls you home, you go home."

Whether you are religious or not, you will see some people walking away from things that no person should live through and other die from such little things. Just do your best and cause no additional harm.

Hope your first night went well.

Michael

[fishman]

Just remember the Basics.... then take it from there. OHH, don't fall into the trap from some of the "know it all's" who really don't. Those people will drag you down. remember, not all people are "fakers". No matter how minor the run, this just may be THE worst thing the Pt has had, and has no other way to get help they can think of.. Good Luck.