what was your first call

[rock_shoes]

My first call on ambulance as an EMR (roughly equivalent to an EMT- was for an unsuccessful suicide attempt alongside the local PD. This fellow had slashed his own throat (not his first bout of self-mutilation). He was extremely fortunate as it turned out. The laceration was deep enough to see his carotid pulse without actually nicking any major blood vessels. Needless to say he took a trip to the closes psychiatric facility shortly thereafter.

[spenac]

I am still surprised at the high percentage of posters that got that one in a million first call when 90% of all EMS calls are just taxi rides. Are we all sure that it was that cool call or is that just the first one that stuck in your minds?

[rock_shoes]

I am still surprised at the high percentage of posters that got that one in a million first call when 90% of all EMS calls are just taxi rides. Are we all sure that it was that cool call or is that just the first one that stuck in your minds?

I know what you mean. I certainly wasn't expecting my first call as an attendant to be something like that, but sure enough that's how it worked out. It was literally my second day after being hired. Prior to that I had only been on ambulance as an observer during which "taxi-rides" were common. It was also immediately after New Years increasing the likelihood of suicide type calls.

The other thing that bears mentioning is that I started out in rural BC. The "Taxi" call percentage is notably less in most rural areas. In my experience rural people are far less likely to call an ambulance for a "Taxi" ride. When people in these areas call an ambulance most of the time they actually need an ambulance. Not to say I've never done a "taxi" type call. I remember doing a call once with a 2 hour response time (because of distance and road conditions not a slow call to tires rolling) where the “patient” met us at the door with bags packed. I strive to be a professional in all my patient interactions but I must admit it was rather difficult having spent the last 2 hours driving in poor conditions using one of approximately 10 4x4 ambulances in the entire province. Fortunately it was night-time and the patient hadn’t embellished the details to dispatch with regards to their condition or it could have meant tying up one of our few (as in 3 dedicated rotary units in the entire province) Air-Medical units.

I did spend a few years working as a first aid attendant prior to working on ambulance. My first "First Aid" call was the classic "Dust in the eye." A sterile saline flush with an eye-cup later all was well.

I’ve quickly found that I absolutely love working rural/remote areas due to a number of factors. Frequently you’re on your own and contacting medical control isn’t even an option. This and longer transport times make knowing your stuff inside out and backwards all the more important. You have to be competent and confident in your assessments while developing much longer, more inclusive, treatment plans. For these reasons, among others, I’m seriously considering an extended tour in the Canadian territories after these next 2 years in school.