Well, you've waited long enough, here are the details missing from the previous post. But first, I neglected to mention that this patient had nothing between him and the Lord except a pair of boxer shorts. No Shoes, no shirt, (no service) nothing.
Turns out our hapless patient made a phone call at about 0300 from the residence where he was staying. At 0330 he was found in the living room of a house about 2 houses down. The homeowner asked the patinet to 'please leave', which he did. At 0350 he returned to the same house, whereupon the owner threatened to have him arrested. Fearing the threat, the patient took off in haste, apparently into the woods and stumbled around for a while and somehow lacerated his leg.
Bleeding profusely, he looked for another place to get help and found a house which was unoccupied. He broke in and soaked several handfuls of paper towels with blood trying to stop the bleeding. He tried laying down (on the Judges bed) to see if that would help. Apparently, it did not, as he left several very large puddles of blood on the bed which soaked into the mattress and had still not congealed several hours later.
He then left the house and began walking up hill, down the middle of the driving lane in the opposite direction he had started from. After a half mile, the blood trail wanders around for quite a bit, then heads back down the road, this time mostly along the double yellow line until he passes the house he broke into (the second one) by a few hundred feet. At this point he is running out of juice and he sits on the side of the road in the cool tall grass. Someone driving to work sees him at 0500. He was found by a woman out taking her two small grandchildren for a morning walk at 0800.
Two counts of Criminal Trespass and one count of Burglary has him being held for bail in the County Lockup.
Now the thing that surprises me is that if you find somebody in your house, without your permission in the wee hours TWICE in the same night would you not call the police?! I believe I would have (right after my hearing came back from the shot I fired). I would also like to think that if I saw a mostly naked person sitting in the grass at 0500, I would most likely call a cop for assistance. But that's just me. Some folks might see it differently.
You just can't make this stuff up.
UU
Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A new year Begins
Like many folks around the world, this morning finds me groggy and with a bit of a headache and a clouded brain. Unlike many folks there was no partying for me or mine last night. No drinking and no excuse to feel the way I do. I hope it clears in an hours or so, because I fear I may have some kind of bug coming on.
I was on duty last night, as I always seem to be on the Holidays. I was covering for one of our younger members who feel he has the right, if not the obligation, to be out on New Years Eve. I don't mind. It's hard to make volunteers work on the holidays.
However, as we were responding from the Hospital to our second call at 2am this morning, it occurred to me that I have been "on" just about every major holiday for the last 6 years or so. Christmas, New Years, July 4th, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Easter. In the beginning, I volunteered for those days because it usually gave me some action and something worthwhile to do while everybody else was partying. I missed out on some nice family activities on many of those days. But my kids are grown and my wife and I are not big party people. We are more of the 'sit around the fire and tell stories' types.
Yesterday morning I chatted with my partner for the night and assured her that statistically in the last few years, we only get one call on New Years Eve, and that will come between 20:00 and 24:00 hours. It would be an easy night.
My wife is nursing a very painful back problem and went to bed early. As we had not yet had a call, I remained snoozing on the couch. Around 11:30 I looked at the clock and decided that I best wait a while longer before getting all comfy in bed. At 00:30 on 1/1/11, the tones dropped for an elderly female in siezures and off we went.
While enroute to the station, dispatch called for an Officer and when I answered up, they informed me that our seizure call was "now a cardiac arrest, CPR instructions being given". I must have made some kind of a face, keyed the mic, and said "Thank you for the update sir, could you please put out a second dispatch for our agency requesting additional EMS personnel to the scene?" Still, on New Year's eve, how many people are you gonna expect?
We got one additional EMT, 1 Chief, and some Firefighters, plus a double medic unit. It was more than enough.
As it turned out, CPR wasn't needed, but the elderly lady had something very strange going on and was in serious need of our help. The husband too, was a major concern for us, he was not used to all this stuff going on, did not understand any of the medical issues his wife had, and was scared, very very scared. He was breathing heavy, unable to calm down. flitting around looking for meds and phone numbers, and generally getting more and more worked up.
The Medics arrived, and with them and my 2 techs on the patient I took the husband into the kitchen. The Chief and I explained what was going on and what we were going to do. The Chief asked if there was somebody we could call for him. I got some of the basic patient info and med list from him, and the Chief and I walked him through collecting his phone, phone book, coat, wife's purse, and helped him close up the house. My 2nd tech drove the ALS rig behind us and we kept both medics and my first tech in the back. The medics were perplexed on this one, not finding a good root-cause. The Husband rode up front in the ambulance with me on the way in and I took the opportunity to explain to him that he had a great crew working on his wife, that we do this all the time, and that she was getting the best care possible. He asked me a lot of questions and the answers seemed to calm him down. Knowledge is power, I thought. By the time we got into the E/D, he was in control and doing just fine. His wife, not so much, but she was beginning to come around and could answer a question or two with effort. The Doctor, I noted, was also not sure what her issue was. I chatted some more with the husband while everybody else was working on the patient. He was now asking forward thinking questions and I could see he felt more in control. We left feeling that everything would work out OK for them.
Returning from the hospital as a listened to another town's Squad being run ragged with all the bar fight, drunk, and auto-accident calls, my partner for the evening was berating me because my statistics had failed her. She said I promised her one simple call before midnight, and it came after midnight. I tried to explain about how statistics work in making predictions, but was interrupted by the radio:
DISPATCH: CONTROL TO UNIT 359
We all groaned in unison, this is never good.
ME: UNIT 359 ON
DISPATCH: UNIT 359, WE ARE TAKING ANOTHER CALL FOR YOUR DISTRICT FOR A 30 YEAR OLD MALE UNRESPONSIVE. ARE YOU ABLE TO HANDLE?
ME: UNIT 359, SHOW US ENROUTE FROM THE CITY LIMITS.
Now THIS was the call I expected 3 hours ago. On arrival, we find a conscious and VERY drunk male who had been drinking vodka since before sundown on New Years Eve, it is now 2am. The caller (quite sober) apologized for calling, said she could not arouse him, and could not feel a pulse at first. She didn't think a transport was necessary. He was awake now, could answer questions, etc. Vitals all check out good. Sense of humor intact. Patient refuses. I can see no reason to waste a hospital bed on somebody who is just plain drunk. Neither can anyone else in the room. We RMA'd (AMA) and went home after wishing the remainder of the assembled party a Happy New Year.
I got home at 03:00 and this time I went to bed. When I got up this morning, I realized that I did both those jobs with the wrong radio identifier. At midnight I changed from EMS Captain to Fire Lt.. I don't think anybody noticed, least of all the new Captain, who was at a party somewhere.
Tonight will be MY new Year's eve.
Tomorrow night I am on duty again on my regular night. Monday I will return to the paying job and everybody will ask what I did on New Years Eve. "Pretty much nothing, just the same old thing", I'll say.
In 2011 I think I will begin to enjoy some of these holidays like normal people, with friends and perhaps a couple of beers.
Here's to all the readers and fellow bloggers out there, may you have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year. May we all have a few laughs and get through the New Year smarter and better than last year, and may you all do some good for your fellow man.
UU
I was on duty last night, as I always seem to be on the Holidays. I was covering for one of our younger members who feel he has the right, if not the obligation, to be out on New Years Eve. I don't mind. It's hard to make volunteers work on the holidays.
However, as we were responding from the Hospital to our second call at 2am this morning, it occurred to me that I have been "on" just about every major holiday for the last 6 years or so. Christmas, New Years, July 4th, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Easter. In the beginning, I volunteered for those days because it usually gave me some action and something worthwhile to do while everybody else was partying. I missed out on some nice family activities on many of those days. But my kids are grown and my wife and I are not big party people. We are more of the 'sit around the fire and tell stories' types.
Yesterday morning I chatted with my partner for the night and assured her that statistically in the last few years, we only get one call on New Years Eve, and that will come between 20:00 and 24:00 hours. It would be an easy night.
My wife is nursing a very painful back problem and went to bed early. As we had not yet had a call, I remained snoozing on the couch. Around 11:30 I looked at the clock and decided that I best wait a while longer before getting all comfy in bed. At 00:30 on 1/1/11, the tones dropped for an elderly female in siezures and off we went.
While enroute to the station, dispatch called for an Officer and when I answered up, they informed me that our seizure call was "now a cardiac arrest, CPR instructions being given". I must have made some kind of a face, keyed the mic, and said "Thank you for the update sir, could you please put out a second dispatch for our agency requesting additional EMS personnel to the scene?" Still, on New Year's eve, how many people are you gonna expect?
We got one additional EMT, 1 Chief, and some Firefighters, plus a double medic unit. It was more than enough.
As it turned out, CPR wasn't needed, but the elderly lady had something very strange going on and was in serious need of our help. The husband too, was a major concern for us, he was not used to all this stuff going on, did not understand any of the medical issues his wife had, and was scared, very very scared. He was breathing heavy, unable to calm down. flitting around looking for meds and phone numbers, and generally getting more and more worked up.
The Medics arrived, and with them and my 2 techs on the patient I took the husband into the kitchen. The Chief and I explained what was going on and what we were going to do. The Chief asked if there was somebody we could call for him. I got some of the basic patient info and med list from him, and the Chief and I walked him through collecting his phone, phone book, coat, wife's purse, and helped him close up the house. My 2nd tech drove the ALS rig behind us and we kept both medics and my first tech in the back. The medics were perplexed on this one, not finding a good root-cause. The Husband rode up front in the ambulance with me on the way in and I took the opportunity to explain to him that he had a great crew working on his wife, that we do this all the time, and that she was getting the best care possible. He asked me a lot of questions and the answers seemed to calm him down. Knowledge is power, I thought. By the time we got into the E/D, he was in control and doing just fine. His wife, not so much, but she was beginning to come around and could answer a question or two with effort. The Doctor, I noted, was also not sure what her issue was. I chatted some more with the husband while everybody else was working on the patient. He was now asking forward thinking questions and I could see he felt more in control. We left feeling that everything would work out OK for them.
Returning from the hospital as a listened to another town's Squad being run ragged with all the bar fight, drunk, and auto-accident calls, my partner for the evening was berating me because my statistics had failed her. She said I promised her one simple call before midnight, and it came after midnight. I tried to explain about how statistics work in making predictions, but was interrupted by the radio:
DISPATCH: CONTROL TO UNIT 359
We all groaned in unison, this is never good.
ME: UNIT 359 ON
DISPATCH: UNIT 359, WE ARE TAKING ANOTHER CALL FOR YOUR DISTRICT FOR A 30 YEAR OLD MALE UNRESPONSIVE. ARE YOU ABLE TO HANDLE?
ME: UNIT 359, SHOW US ENROUTE FROM THE CITY LIMITS.
Now THIS was the call I expected 3 hours ago. On arrival, we find a conscious and VERY drunk male who had been drinking vodka since before sundown on New Years Eve, it is now 2am. The caller (quite sober) apologized for calling, said she could not arouse him, and could not feel a pulse at first. She didn't think a transport was necessary. He was awake now, could answer questions, etc. Vitals all check out good. Sense of humor intact. Patient refuses. I can see no reason to waste a hospital bed on somebody who is just plain drunk. Neither can anyone else in the room. We RMA'd (AMA) and went home after wishing the remainder of the assembled party a Happy New Year.
I got home at 03:00 and this time I went to bed. When I got up this morning, I realized that I did both those jobs with the wrong radio identifier. At midnight I changed from EMS Captain to Fire Lt.. I don't think anybody noticed, least of all the new Captain, who was at a party somewhere.
Tonight will be MY new Year's eve.
Tomorrow night I am on duty again on my regular night. Monday I will return to the paying job and everybody will ask what I did on New Years Eve. "Pretty much nothing, just the same old thing", I'll say.
In 2011 I think I will begin to enjoy some of these holidays like normal people, with friends and perhaps a couple of beers.
Here's to all the readers and fellow bloggers out there, may you have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year. May we all have a few laughs and get through the New Year smarter and better than last year, and may you all do some good for your fellow man.
UU
Monday, December 13, 2010
On being Faceless
This being my one hundred and first post, I thought I would get something off my chest that has been sitting there for a while.
Anonymity, more specifically, MY anonymity and why I choose to present myself this way.
Over the past several years I have heard many decry the dreaded "faceless bloggers who HIDE behind their anonymity". Every time I hear this, I shudder, but remarkably I hear it quite often from some pretty well respected people, particularly the Doctors and EMS experts that appear on several of the pod casts. I find it hard to believe that those who are so well educated and respected maintain such a narrow point of view.
I understand that in the professional world you need to put your name, face, and reputation behind your work and your words. I get that. Believe me, I would love to go toe to toe with these guys, but I can't because I am anonymous, and therefore do not matter. I am persona non grata. I would give anything to change that, but I can't.
My Department has forbidden ANY and ALL internet activities on the (dreaded and dangerous) Internet that can be associated in any way to the department. Whether you mention the department or not, does not matter, if you put your name on it then it can be traced back to the Department and is therefore prohibited.
We are in a rural area, and everybody knows almost everybody. Your name and face carries the associations you maintain. In addition, our members are forbidden from writing or speaking with the media and in many cases public officials. There have been a lot of cases over the years where loose cannons have done a lot of accidental damage to the agencies.
Obviously I don't agree with the policy and would love to see something more responsible put forward, but try as I might, it's not going to happen. So here I sit, the faceless Captain.
The truth is, I would love to have my name on my work. I would love to be able to participate in some of the pod casts as another voice, but I really can't. Many months ago, one of the fire pod casts was doing a call in on a subject that I have some interest and opinions on. I was chatting away on the chat screen with comments and the host asked if I would call in and participate. I wanted so much to fill in what I felt the conversation lacked, that I called in. I used my rank and first name as an identifier. I also gave my state and a description of the type of services we have here. After the show ended I realized that my comments would be easily identified by anybody who knows me and heard the session. Instead of feeling good about making my points, I had a feeling of dread that I might get 'caught'.
I watch the activity stats on this blog pretty closely. As yet, nobody within 100 miles of my District has found my blog. That doesn't say much for the folks around here and their thirst for knowledge, but it keeps me safe. I also have a very low readership compared to folks like Justin, Marc, Chris, Mick, and those super bloggers. I like it that way.
I want all those people out there who think I am hiding because I am not willing to put my name behind what I write to know that they are wrong. Nothing would make me happier then to take credit for what I do. Coming out would allow me to write about things that matter. I am a Fire Instructor. Don't you think I would like to be able to use my credibility to make my points? Don't you think I would like to be able to put some work up here on the blog and then use it as references during my classes? "Yes, if you want to read more about this, go look at my post from last week." Don't you think I'd like to attend one of these meet-ups that take place? Being anonymous does not mean I can write whatever I want without repercussions. I still parse all material as if I were delivering it locally in a class. It just means that I can't put my reputation behind what I say. In the event that I actually present an idea worth discussion or something of real value, it will have to pass through without proper credit being given to the true writer.
So all I'm asking is that those who think we are 'hiding' would realize that in many cases we are 'trapped', or 'locked' in this closet.
Anybody who wants to disagree with me, correct me, or debate my postings is welcome to do so in the comments section or via email. I welcome the input with an open mind. I wish I could show you who you are talking to, but I can't. That's just the way it is.
Stay safe.
UU
Anonymity, more specifically, MY anonymity and why I choose to present myself this way.
Over the past several years I have heard many decry the dreaded "faceless bloggers who HIDE behind their anonymity". Every time I hear this, I shudder, but remarkably I hear it quite often from some pretty well respected people, particularly the Doctors and EMS experts that appear on several of the pod casts. I find it hard to believe that those who are so well educated and respected maintain such a narrow point of view.
I understand that in the professional world you need to put your name, face, and reputation behind your work and your words. I get that. Believe me, I would love to go toe to toe with these guys, but I can't because I am anonymous, and therefore do not matter. I am persona non grata. I would give anything to change that, but I can't.
My Department has forbidden ANY and ALL internet activities on the (dreaded and dangerous) Internet that can be associated in any way to the department. Whether you mention the department or not, does not matter, if you put your name on it then it can be traced back to the Department and is therefore prohibited.
We are in a rural area, and everybody knows almost everybody. Your name and face carries the associations you maintain. In addition, our members are forbidden from writing or speaking with the media and in many cases public officials. There have been a lot of cases over the years where loose cannons have done a lot of accidental damage to the agencies.
Obviously I don't agree with the policy and would love to see something more responsible put forward, but try as I might, it's not going to happen. So here I sit, the faceless Captain.
The truth is, I would love to have my name on my work. I would love to be able to participate in some of the pod casts as another voice, but I really can't. Many months ago, one of the fire pod casts was doing a call in on a subject that I have some interest and opinions on. I was chatting away on the chat screen with comments and the host asked if I would call in and participate. I wanted so much to fill in what I felt the conversation lacked, that I called in. I used my rank and first name as an identifier. I also gave my state and a description of the type of services we have here. After the show ended I realized that my comments would be easily identified by anybody who knows me and heard the session. Instead of feeling good about making my points, I had a feeling of dread that I might get 'caught'.
I watch the activity stats on this blog pretty closely. As yet, nobody within 100 miles of my District has found my blog. That doesn't say much for the folks around here and their thirst for knowledge, but it keeps me safe. I also have a very low readership compared to folks like Justin, Marc, Chris, Mick, and those super bloggers. I like it that way.
I want all those people out there who think I am hiding because I am not willing to put my name behind what I write to know that they are wrong. Nothing would make me happier then to take credit for what I do. Coming out would allow me to write about things that matter. I am a Fire Instructor. Don't you think I would like to be able to use my credibility to make my points? Don't you think I would like to be able to put some work up here on the blog and then use it as references during my classes? "Yes, if you want to read more about this, go look at my post from last week." Don't you think I'd like to attend one of these meet-ups that take place? Being anonymous does not mean I can write whatever I want without repercussions. I still parse all material as if I were delivering it locally in a class. It just means that I can't put my reputation behind what I say. In the event that I actually present an idea worth discussion or something of real value, it will have to pass through without proper credit being given to the true writer.
So all I'm asking is that those who think we are 'hiding' would realize that in many cases we are 'trapped', or 'locked' in this closet.
Anybody who wants to disagree with me, correct me, or debate my postings is welcome to do so in the comments section or via email. I welcome the input with an open mind. I wish I could show you who you are talking to, but I can't. That's just the way it is.
Stay safe.
UU
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Time to Change Brains
For the first time in a long time I have to leave town for more than a couple of hours. I was sitting here relaxing and thinking about the upcoming drive to a neighboring state to visit family I haven’t seen in about 20 years. We’ll probably be gone for 8 hours or so, but that is enough to lose touch with what is going on in ‘the District’ and possibly miss a big job. It has been a lot longer than I realized since I left town. Usually I have the occasional 1-3 day business trip, a visit to the State Fire Academy for several days, or some sort of weekend vacation or activity. I don’t think I have been out of pager range in the last 6 months now.
I’ve been in town so long now that it’s hard to drop out my brain and relax. Spending the day with civilians that have no idea of what I do back at home makes me feel a little awkward and it is at times like this when I realize that his job has a profound effect on me and the way I see the world. Each time I go away it gets harder and harder to change brains. Every time I find myself in the Academy Dorm, or a hotel room in Texas or Chicago I relax because I know if nothing else, I will get to sleep through the entire night without the pager waking me up.
I have cousins 2 states away that I visit every couple of years (not the subjects of today’s trip), but even when I visit them I am mostly in my normal alert status because one of my cousins is Chief of the local Fire Department and he understands me better than most, as I do him. In addition I have been visiting that area since we were all kids and spent the summer days in jeans, work boots and no shirt out in the fields cutting and baling hay. Good times, and it feels like home when I go there even though some of the fields are growing condos now. The last time I visited him was for an LODD funeral of one of his people. I will be seeing him for a weekend next month and maybe this time I will hop a ride on one of his calls.
Today I’m going into a city-suburb environment that is very foreign to me (hell, they have hydrants ALL OVER their district!). They have lots of traffic and strange driving habits ‘down there’. Lets see if I can still change brains and fit in.
UU
I’ve been in town so long now that it’s hard to drop out my brain and relax. Spending the day with civilians that have no idea of what I do back at home makes me feel a little awkward and it is at times like this when I realize that his job has a profound effect on me and the way I see the world. Each time I go away it gets harder and harder to change brains. Every time I find myself in the Academy Dorm, or a hotel room in Texas or Chicago I relax because I know if nothing else, I will get to sleep through the entire night without the pager waking me up.
I have cousins 2 states away that I visit every couple of years (not the subjects of today’s trip), but even when I visit them I am mostly in my normal alert status because one of my cousins is Chief of the local Fire Department and he understands me better than most, as I do him. In addition I have been visiting that area since we were all kids and spent the summer days in jeans, work boots and no shirt out in the fields cutting and baling hay. Good times, and it feels like home when I go there even though some of the fields are growing condos now. The last time I visited him was for an LODD funeral of one of his people. I will be seeing him for a weekend next month and maybe this time I will hop a ride on one of his calls.
Today I’m going into a city-suburb environment that is very foreign to me (hell, they have hydrants ALL OVER their district!). They have lots of traffic and strange driving habits ‘down there’. Lets see if I can still change brains and fit in.
UU
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Stuff, Things, and Background
So if you’re a blog reader and stumbled on this one, you will immediately recognize that this is the ‘necessary background post’. One of those posts you, the reader will need to understand the writer’s point of view. If anything of value is written, you are bound to ask yourself “what is this guy’s angle?” (or “what is this guy’s Problem?”) You need a post like this to fill in the blanks.
I do a short introduction of myself every class I teach for the benefit of the students that may not know me. I should do no less for you, the reader. Well, I have to do a little less. I can’t tell you my state, but I can tell you we have 90+ Degree (F) in the summer time and -5 or more Degree days in the winter. Yeah, it snows, and we get thunderstorms, hurricanes every few years, tornados from time to time, but I don’t think we’ve had more the a few small earthquakes in my lifetime. We are only about 20 miles from the nearest (very) small city that has a career department, and about 90-100 miles from the closest major city. This is an anonymous blog so I need to be somewhat sketchy or elusive on most points, but I’ll try to give you enough to give you an honest, if general, picture.
I’m a Firefighter. I’m an EMT. I’m a pro-board Fire Service Instructor. I am a volunteer. I am a line Officer. I’m getting near the end of my game (aging out), but I love this job. I also have a career that provides me with a livelihood and that involves working as a professional in the Engineering field. My job also permits (or demands, it’s a fine line) that I travel from time to time. I have a few kids, all growed up and sort of on their own.
Everybody knows there is a lot of disparity between the Volunteer and Career Fire Service. The same holds in the EMS world. Most volunteers think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I do not. Most career folks think they are the only professionals. I do not. I have seen a lot of poor work, bad training, ugly decisions, sloppy tactics, lazy approaches, and downright unprofessional behavior from both sides to convince me that we ALL have enough problems to keep us busy. I have also seen glaring examples of extreme skill on both sides, be they paid or not. In the coming posts I intend to explore some of these issues in depth.
Some time ago I was at our State Fire Academy
So what I learned that night was that it’s all about respect for each other. Since that day I have made a point of carrying that idea forward in how I teach, train, and work with others. The jobs are tough enough, why make them harder?
Some days I feel like I’m in a cosmic void, stuck between planes of different existence. Career doesn’t play with Volley, EMS doesn’t play with Fire, and Battalion doesn’t play with the Line Officers. I want to scream “Does ANYBODY here realize we are all here with the same goal?!
Anyway, more of that stuff to come in the future.
Got to run, the pager’s dropping tones….
UU
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