Oh.

She met us at the door, with a suitcase in each hand, what we call a Positive Samsonite Sign. Angry Partner had been muttering to himself since we were dispatched. She was easily as large as both of us combined.

“I don’t feel safe,” [...]

The Handover

This month’s edition of the Handover EMS Blog Carnival is up at over at Medic999. This month’s topic is ‘Your First Emergency.’ Thanks to a guest post, we here at NfMH have two posts included! (Thanks, Mark.) Why not pop over to Medic999 and see what everyone else wrote about? If you enjoy what you [...]

Some Random Observations

A Powerstroke Diesel makes a cool ‘loping’ sound when running on only 7 cylinders.

It’s possible to waterski behind a fishing boat in shallow tidal water.

Shaving cuts do not need to be treated at the ER.

People will ask anyway. And be serious about it.

It’s possible to be suicidal and afraid of dying [...]

"It's 9 o'clock. Do you know where your children are?"

The big Sikorsky emerges out of the setting sun with a roar. Every head outside the hospital swivels to follow its gravity-defying progress as it circles above the helipad. Paradoxically, the sound of the twin turboprop engines increases as it slowly approaches the ground and the single waiting ambulance.

Stop Assaulting Me!

Firstly, my apologies to those who come here looking for my regular wit and wisdom. Normal programming will resume after this brief interruption.

I have a message for Corporate America: LEAVE ME ALONE!

It all started with the gas pumps. I remember [...]

Tyvek

“Ambulance 79, take the response, along with Ladder 2 and Sin City Medics. Report of a man fallen from the roof.”

It looked like it would be one of those days. My partner and I were 10 minutes into our shift, and we hadn’t finished checking out [...]

Cancel Truck 127

Captain Stanley is my hero. There, I’ve said it.

For those not of the generation to immediately recognize the name, Captain Henry ‘Hank’ Stanley was the fictional character in charge of Los Angeles County Fire Station 51 in the 1970′s TV series ‘Emergency!’ He guided Gage, DeSoto, Kelley, Lopez and Stoker through more than 100 [...]

More dangerous than drunk drivers (or at least more numerous)

It had been a hard year for my VFD. We’d had at least 4 fatal crashes and a number more where we’d had to use the Jaws of Life. We hadn’t had any big fires ourselves, but all of our neighboring cities had, and we’d been right in the middle of every one.

I was [...]

Just keep squeezing. . .

The ambulance lurches as we leave the parking lot of Local Suburban Hospital. Partner du Jour looks at me with resignation in his eyes. “You know how this ends?” he asks.

“Yeah, I know.” I squeeze another bagful of oxygen into the patient’s lungs.

The Show Must Go On

“We’ve got a fire on the stage!” I tore from the back of the Performing Arts office, sprinting for the Stage Right doors.

I grew up in a firehouse. I always knew someday I’d be not only a firefighter, but that special breed above all else, a ROWLEY [...]