Recorded for Quality Assurance

“[Redacted] Ambulance Company, your call is recorded. What’s the nature of the emergency?”

“Hey, Favorite Dispatcher, it’s M505. Can I get the dispatch time for our last?”

“[chuckles] Geezer Squeezer?”

Oh crap. Much of our equipment has nicknames. Some are silly, some are offensive. Most of them would be understood, if not appreciated, by the public. The rig is a ‘bus’, the stretcher is a ‘rack.’ We sometimes ‘light up’ patients with the defibrillator. The drug box is a ‘suitcase.’

The competing CPR machine is a Thumper; ours has a ruder epithet. I try not to use it.

“FD, please, PLEASE tell me I wasn’t sitting on my radio mic. Did that go over the air?

“Nope, you’re safe. Open phone line though. I listened to the whole resuscitation. You guys sounded pretty good, except for the squeezer comment. By the way, your time out was 0036. Have a good night. [chuckling, and a click.]”

Your call is recorded, indeed.