EMS superstitions?

[scratrat]

Never eat a meat ball sandwich. It's a code sandwich. Every SINGLE time I've eaten a Wawa meatball sub, it was immediately with a code. And it was always, ALWAYS, a code from hell with vomit everywhere. Maybe it was WaWa....

Hi BOB!

How's life up there?

[Christopher.Collins]

I dont have any one lucky pair but the day I forget my shears (usually when Im wearing a nice clean RIGHT out of the laundry, running to behind to put everything back in them, pair of pants) I get stuck with plenty of decent (in need of clothes ripping) traumas.

[Christopher.Collins]

1- Never take your gear out of the ambulance before relief has arrived

2- Never laugh when you hear another crew getting slammed, this will anger the EMS gods and they will be swift and terrible with their retribution

3- Never, Ever, Ever make solid plans for after work, it's a surefire ticket to the 10 minutes to go home, relief is nowhere to be seen job at the other end of your coverage area.

All true right down the every word of it... Ill add however that making solid plans even off duty dosnt always work. Sure you can turn down being called in (if your not on call) but with todays economy who can afford to do that? Always make time for friends and family, lol unless you know your assignment when you get called in (and its a good one) :twisted:

[cosgrojo]

Every time there is an Aurora Borealis visible in the sky my shift turns into a complete game no-hitter. 24 hours... no calls. To be fair... I've only worked during an Aurora Borealis once... but it was weird.

[mark]

Some I'm sure you can all relate to...

-If you didn't sleep well the night before, you get slammed all morning.

-If you are well rested for your shift, you won't get a call until it's time to go home.

-Nothing all day, and when you finally get into the truck to go for food, you get hammered for 4 hours straight.

Now a few that are more specific to my service and me...

-Lately, if I notice a drug is about to expire, we end up using that drug (usually on the first call). So far this month, We've used Adenosine, 1:1000 Epi, and Mag. No good. I have my partner check the drug pack now.

-We have an indian reservation about 45 minutes south of town and we're the closest service. This is one scary place. No cell service...no radio contact...nothing that even resembles Law Enforcement for close to an hour (due to jurisdiction and other crap), and it always involves at least two of these factors: ETOH, MVA with ejection/rollover, assault, horrible directions b/c the streets aren't named, and occasionally some sort of code/immediate life threat with flight/first responders not available. If you didn't get a good picture from that, then come visit me and I'll take you with me on my next trip. Anyway, we call it the P-word. It never fails, if someone calls it by name, a truck is going down there.

[Don1977]

It is what it is.

What may be, will be...

Nothing I say, do, or not do will change whatever call is about to come my way. It is human nature for us to pay closer attention when the tones go off, catching you in the moment of whatever you were doing and then freezing that instant in your brain.

That bite of food almost in your mouth, that food order just placed/paid for but unable to wait for, the belt loosened for a healthy grunt, or your head touching the pillow. None of those have ever, nor will they ever affect the nature of calls during your shift.

However, it is understandable to have these superstitions as our life is based on them from infancy to death.

I agree.

I dont personally believe in that stuff, but there is a certain truck that comes to my base and we get the DOA's and the arrests, I dont get calls anymore Im convinced im a white cloud....lol When Im off they get calls, oh well.

[Richard B the EMT]

Someone mentioned what I refer to as the "Payback Factor".

This is when you do your 8 hour tour (we have 3 tours per unit per 24 hour period), and get a "No Hitter", the next tour you have, you get slammed, starting before you can check the vehicle at the sign on, to a call that takes you into overtime on the end.

I also note that the Payback Factor will have you either getting slammed on your first day back from any extended time off, like a week of sick time or vacation. If you don't get slammed in that first tour, you will get hit with mandated overtime, and will get slammed there.

[Wags]

Sonofabitch!

My crew and I went for Applebee's tonight and sure enough, we got a cardiac arrest about 6 minutes after we left the garage. We ended up getting back to the food almost 4 hours later.

[firedoc5]

Just the one time you go into work just a "little" hung-over, BAM, you're slammed the entire shift...So I'm told.

[jsadin]

God's way of telling you ya done screwed up.