Classic EMS pranks...

[Dustdevil]

Now to those who freak out about right and wrong let people make up there own minds and decide if they want to pay the price later.

Who gets to decide for the victim if HE wants to pay the price or not?

[dr_vfib]

What about the classic turning on the lights and sirens on at the ER and remove the knobs, when they get back in to leave everything goes haywire.... of course this might be a good time to inform your supervisor before hand because the general public is going to wonder why the ambulance is runing L/S to the station and not the ER.

-dr_vfib

[Fyrfytr1434]

You have to keep pranks in the station if you don't want problems:

At an old station, the bathroom door opened in, and was directly across from a bedroom door which opened in also. We had an ALS and a BLS truck at this station. The medic on duty was notorious for "smelling" up the bathroom for extended periods, so we tied the door knobs together so he could sit there and have to smell it for a while. When he found he couldn't get the door open, figured out what we had done, and called dispatch let them in and they toned us for a cardiac arrest at an address that didn't exist. We cut the string from the door knob and rushed to the "scene." Dispatch called my cell phone and told us what they had done, and we saw it was all in fun. The problem was there was a local LEO who was trying to help us find this "code," who didn't find it humorous.

[Dustdevil]

I had the door thing pulled on me when I got my first station assignment. Took me about 10 seconds to figure out what they had done. I took out my pocket knife and took the door off the hinges and walked out. Then when they told me to put the door back up I told them to F off.

Finally, the captain made the jokesters put the door back up and it took them half an hour. That pretty well stopped the pranks.

[bbbrammer]

I honestly hope people don't find any of these funny. If it's not an out and out assault (as mentioned by Rich), it could be construed as hostile work environment/sexual harrassment and would open you and your organization up to a whole laundry list of problems.

If any of my staff tried anything mentioned here they'd be terminated on the spot.

I realize that, as this is a high stress job, some stress relief is important. On the job, at the station, in the truck is not the place to do it. Relieve the stress at home. You want to be considered a professional? Act as a professional because you never know who's looking.

OH GROW UP! I would say that if any of your "STAFF" tried these practical jokes then they aren't any kind of professional that YOU hired and you should probably try hire 'more professional' people next time. Don't come down on stressed out people for flaunting with practical joke ideas or reading about them. I would never pull any of them but I still think they funny as hell to read about.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Let me tell a story about the lasix in the coffee prank

I was just that person who got the lasix in my drink but it was 120 milligrams of lasix. It was a horrible day, could not figure out why I was peeing so much, I did not eat at all that day, did not drink any fluids that day either but boy did I find every bathroom that was out there, even patients homes. (nice people)

well to make a long story short, after a 12 hour shift, I got off the ambulance and began to feel faint and lightheaded, chest pain and short of breath and the next thing I know, I'm on the same ambulances gurney that I drove to the station, bp of 80/40 pulse ox of 70% and irregular heart rate. being transported code 3 to the nearest cardiac center.

I was diagnosed with a severe electrolyte balance due to unknown causes. My sodium was critically low, my potassium was critically low. found out 3 days later that a paramedic playing a joke on the new guy put the lasix in the soda.

He was fired, he also lost his medic license and was charged with assault/battery on me.

so the lasix in the coffee is definately NOT FUNNY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It nearly killed me.

[Richard B the EMT]

RuffEMS, It's good to know you recovered. You just illustrated my point.

However, I will back off a little, as some of this stuff was done, and the folks know now, "Kids, DON'T try this at home" is in full effect.

[paramedic_lives_here]

In the work place there is no need for stunts that cause harm to someone's health. It is not funny it is foolish and dangerous. Paramedics of all people should know better! How professional can one be who obviously lacks common sense?

[rcmedic]

Holy cow, you guys are insane!

When I worked at the airport in Seattle, we'd send newbies out to other airlines to borrow equipment. "flight line" and "prop wash" were some of our favourites.. untill we sent a n00b over to Alaska Airlines and he actually came back with something. One of their mechanics was on to us and decided to answer the 'prop wash' one with some really nasty stuff he drained out of the lavatory system on a Boeing 737.

We quit sending people over to Alaska Airlines after that one.

[bandaidpatrol]

Listing somebody's house?

House?

Why not sell the station using your supervisors name and telephone number, and bill the ad to the city??

New, concrete two story house, built like a bomb shelter, six car garage, fifteen bedrooms, two kitchens, large closets, ten washrooms, ten showers, attic, electric heat, gas fire place, fallout shelter in the cellar, 500HP Federal Signal Alarm clock- set to any hour of the day, public address system.. $100,000.00 CASH. Call 000-000-0000 for info

Campers! For Sale..

Six of them, identical, two beds, one has wheels, heat & AC, siren for entertainment, white in color. $500.00 CASH. Call 000-000-0000 for info

Fake ads ran in the local paper. Telephone number was the home phone of the EMS Supervisor that we all disliked. Sometimes we would run personal ads for him looking for some man on man action, renting his wife or willing his oldest born child to someone.