Saturday, January 31, 2009

Military oopsie

I love our military guys and gals, I really do.

This was just too funny not to post, I really hope the imbedding works.



Friday, January 30, 2009

So concerned

You'd think when your husband of however many years attempts suicide and writes a note, the wife would care.

She certainly came flying down the street and driveway like she cared a lot. She raced up the stairs to the room we were in, looked briefly at the note, and asked if anyone had seen the cat.

WHAT?!

She was more concerned with the stupid cat than with her husband's wellbeing. After asking if the cat was let out on accident, she went downstairs and didn't return. We had to hunt her down and get his ID and medications.

Meanwhile, the husband was out of it, but trying to make it seem worse. He failed a simple test we do when we think someone is playing possum. Not to say he wasn't in need of treatment though, as there was already IV access, and the other crews were working on a 4-lead as I put the guy on some high-flow oxygen.

Once we got him into the truck, the medic asked if I'd drive them in. I don't know if he was expecting the guy to crash, I think he may have just wanted to show the fairly new EMT some things.

We were a very short distance from the hospital (maybe 2 miles), so the ride was quick. As I was backing in at the ER, the EMT was placing a OPA (oral airway). The guy was some degree of conscious, because she later told me she'd ordered him to open his mouth more and he did. He did not gag on the airway device though.

He had some marks on his arms that lead us to believe suicide may not be a new idea to him.

I don't know what else happened or if there's any more to the story. This is where it ends for me. I returned to my truck, which had followed us to the hospital, and helped get it turned around so we could leave.

We picked up dinner on the way back to the station and didn't turn a wheel the rest of the shift. I was bored so I drew a some art for friends, chatted online a bit, then went to bed.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Changes

I just added an email address in case anyone ever feels the need to contact me.

I've also been changing things around and adding different gadgets the past few days. I never really took the time to try to figure out anything blogger offers, I just posted and read a few other blogs. Trying to get everything set up how I want it, so just bear with me.

Fondue anyone?

Yeah, so, I'm not the uber-trendy type, nor do I like to spend more than $20 on a meal unless it's a damn fine plug of meat.

Late this afternoon, I got a call from a friend to meet her and a few others at Dante's Down the Hatch. It's a fondue and jazz place in Buckhead. I've never tried fondue before and there's nothing going on here, so why not?

The place definately has a really neat ambiance about it. There's part of a ship inside. The moat around the ship serves as home to a few crocodiles, turtles, and fish. The live jazz band was very good, but not overpowering. There are life-sized versions of Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and others stashed in parts of the scenery. Check out the website for some really cool pictures. www.dantesdownthehatch.com

Anyways, the 6 of us decided to split 2 cheese fondues (with bread) and 2 mandarin fondues (sampler of each type of meat available). The food wasn't bad, I'm just not keen on paying $40 a person and walking away after 4 bites of meat, lots of bread, 1 drink (a sweet tea), and a small slice of fudgecake.

I'd rather drive for about 90 minutes and have what's been declared the best fried chicken in GA for many years running, at an all-you-can-eat homestyle restaraunt for $10 a person. It's more than worth the gas money to drive, even when gas was over $4 a gallon.

I might go back some day, but more for the chance to hang with my friends than to eat. I wasn't hungry, but I sure didn't walk out feeling very satisfied either.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

When even seatbelts don't work

This one took place maybe 3 years ago, maybe a little bit shy of that. I can't quite remember now.
********************************************

I'd been sent to another station to fill in as tailboard on their engine. It's a busy house, and we weren't disappointed.

We (the entire station, plus many other units from surrounding stations) were dispatched to a reported vehicle accident with injuries and possible entrapment. The location was on a short cut-through road that's known for a very sharp curve, as in practically 90 degrees.

Arriving onscene, there's a sedan upside-down in the very shallow creek. The driver, who we later learned was very drunk, straightened out the curve, bounced off a tree, and landed down there. I say down there because the creek was down a steep hill, with no easy access.

Here's where it gets fun. The hood and front bumper were in the dirt/creek, but the trunk was sitting atop the concrete tunnel where the creek crosses under the road. The driver was in her seat, still belted in, but unconscious.

Making the trek to the car was treacherous enough, it was made worse trying to lug the extrication tools down to the car. It certainly wasn't easy, but we did it. Meanwhile, one of our specialty units arrived and tried to secure the car from slipping off the wall by tying the rear axle to a tree.

I was under the car with 2 other guys. We started working on things like cutting away the seatbelt and trying to get IV access since we knew she was in such bad shape. Some genius who will remain nameless decided it'd be a good idea to cut her coat sleeve to get it out of the way for the IV. Should I mention she was wearing one of those damn down coats? I wasn't the only one picking feathers off their gear for a week.

Anyways, we removed the front windshield and I was fortunate enough to be tasked with holding the lady's limp body off the A-post so it could be cut. It was a crappy job to have, but I did it, and was extremely sore by the end of the call. Once the post was cut enough so we could get her out, we had to figure out how to actually get her up and over the steering wheel and dash. We couldn't risk compromising the car's stability any more.

C-spine and other immobilization precautions had to go out the window for a few moments, but once out of the car, we packaged her (with all precautions) and trekked her up the hill.

The ambulance crew had be ready and waiting, and they were gone less than a minute after getting her loaded it seemed.

Last I ever heard was that she was well over the legal limit and still unconscious. I never heard if she survived, and if so, what condition she's in nowadays. I did hear a rumor that she later died, but I wasn't able to confirm it.




Seatbelts definitely save lives. But why not tip the odds even more in your favor by staying sober when driving, don't straighten out curves or argue with trees, and keep the rubber-side down.

Friday, January 23, 2009

One more thing...offtopic

Forgot to mention, I discovered the blog Laginappe's Lair last night and stayed up way too damn late reading it. It's just got too much interesting information and too many cool excursions in there. Not to mention a German Shepherd who's "dog food provider" seems to be a neat guy. He flys, dives, hikes, loves his gun collection, and more, all while on 1 foot.

Hey Laginappe's "dad", if you're reading this, I salute you.



As I was reading last night, more than once it was mentioned about laying in a hammock, tossing back a few cold ones. I dunno about the cold ones (not in the mood right now), but it put the bug in my head to break out my hammock and a Dr. Pepper. Especially after trying to run.

I'm a lot closer to the city than I'd care to admit, but at least I have a yard. My house is on a bit of a hill too, so I look out the front and see the trees in the lower part of my neighbor's yard (those houses are above mine, so I can't really see them). Behind my house are power lines and a hill, so I get to look over the houses of those on the street behind mine.

I don't really want to move, and can't afford to right now, but I'd eventually be perfectly content with a big enough piece of land so I could keep my horse at home. Having some type of trails that won't ever be at risk of being developed would be nice to...but I do have a small side-by-side bumper-pull trailer if all else fails.

I digress...I'm still sitting here, watching the last bits of color from the sun before heading back inside. Currently the temperature is 62, with a 6mph wind. Now that the sun's gone, it's feels a lot colder. Hard to believe that just 3 days ago it was in the low 20's during the day. But still no snow! I want a good dusting, just enough to have a decent snowball fight in.


Looks like the sun is gone, and I'm getting chilled. Time to break it down and head back inside. I'm in a writing mood, so don't be suprised to see another post tonight.

A good kind of hurt

All 4 days at training, something has been blown up, which is awesome. Losses were kept at a minimum, 1 gas gun was destroyed and 2 fingers sliced today while busting windows. Could've been worse.

When I get super-interested in something, I tend to jump into it headlong and focus much more of my energy that I probably should. I really need to stop this because then when things don't move as fast as I wish they could, I feeel let-down in a way. I know it's stupid, but it's something I've done for so many years I don't know what to do about it.

All week, I've tried to stay close to the group and listen to them talking about how to do something and why you do it "this way" and not "that way".

I feel like I'm trying to blend in and I really hope I'm not pushing it, but I can't wait to feel like I'm really a part of the group. Right now, I just feel like a shadow. Sure, they are talking to me, and I don't single myself out like the other medics, but this is what sucks. Just like changing stations at work, waiting to be truely accepted just drags you down a bit.

After everything was wrapped up today, a couple guys were going running and I decided it'd be wise to join them. After all, what's 2 miles? I used to run a helluva lot more than that in the academy.

Heh...yeah, right.

My chest wanted to explode by the time I made the first half mile, but I kept pushing. About a quarter mile up the road, I had to slow to a brisk walk. The guys continued without saying a word to me. Dammit, they have the guns and I have to be unarmed this time.

I tried to jog as much as I could, and relinquished myself to at least keeping the guys in sight. Which I managed to do, no thanks to the one really big hill.

I did manage to catch up to them as they went back in the gates, they'd slowed to a walk the last 1/10th of a mile.

Of course I got a little ribbing about "where'd you go?" And how my face was so red they thought my head might explode.

I responded honestly, I haven't run since the fire academy, because nobody made me do it anymore.


I need a runnin buddy, or a human to run with. Either one would do.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Important Lessons

I learned a few very important things today.

1. 2 pants, 3 shirts, 1 hoodie, gloves, and packs of hot hands...are not enough when it feels like it's 3* outside

2. Explosive entry is Awesome.

3. Flashbangs are loud, even from far away.

4. CS gas sucks, big time.

5. It sucks even worse when the tank runs over the gas gun.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Singing AS the Lord??

A few months ago, we were called out to assist PD with a 10-13. Keep in mind, 10-13 is the number assigned to the form used to do a mandantory psych. eval. here.

We arrive on scene and learn that PD has been there nearing 90 minutes. Car 1310 has also been there a while (1310 is the car with a cop and nurse, s/he can "ok" the 10-13...aren't we original with numbers?).

Standing in the front yard and surrounded by 5 cops is a big guy, maybe 6' and weighing 300 lbs. His left arm is bandaged up from the wrist to the shoulder, supposedly he was shot not long ago. The family swears he's never had any mental problems, but they think he took all his painkillers at once. The guy is ranting and raving, not about doing the Lord's bidding, but that he IS the Lord.

We walk up and Mr. Emergency himself introduces himself. The guy responds by repeating his name, then spelling it. Mr. E. asks the patient his name, which he gives, then spells, then does the same with his address. At this point, we're all in WTF mode.

Then he started singing.

He was convinced that he died and became the Lord. He was doing his damndest to preach to us, it really was quite entertaining.

For about 15-20 minutes, we played by his rules. Then Mr. E and the rest of us got tired of it. We asked him nicely in as many ways as we could to get on the stretcher. He was at the point he'd sit on it, but when we tried to help him put his feet up, he got pissed and said we'd have to start over again. We messed it all up. WTF???

Each of the officers has had either their spray or ASP in their hands the entire time. I was staying out of the way of the bigger guys on my crew. I don't really have the intimidation factor unless I'm fussing at you, and that wasn't needed at all. The last time the guy got off the stretcher, he wouldn't sit back down.

And then he charged me.

I just happened to be pinned between a tree and the stretcher. Honestly, I jumped and ducked as close to the tree as I could. He ran past to the other part of the yard. **whew**

He picked up a wrought-iron chair and was spinning around, swinging it with his good arm. We sat back and let PD handle it now. I thought they would wait and he'd fall over, but no. He stopped spinning for a moment and the biggest of the cops was on him in a flash. With one arm around him in a chokehold and the other cops moving in fast, they all went to the ground. The guy immediately gave up the fight, even saying "I'm done, I'll be good now."

We strapped his happy lil ass to a backboard and onto the stretcher. Once in the truck, he was a perfect angel, and even started singing for us again. Needless to say, he got a big ol' dose of Haldol.

I was ribbed about ducking out of the way, but nobody blamed me. They didn't even have an answer when I asked what they would have done. I was the smallest person there, what exactly did they want me to do?

The 1310 nurse finished filling out the 10-13 form and handed it off to our ambulance crew. I think he even called the hospital for them.


We thought the guy may have been acting weird from sepsis or some other infection, but his temperature and other vitals were in the normal range. I never did hear anything more about the guy so I guess all is well now.

Fun times ahead

Friday night I'll be doing a ride along with Lil-city PD. I don't have a clue who I'll be riding with, but I'm hoping it'll be a SWAT officer. They've only had 1 training event since I joined and it was too short of notice to get my shift covered for the couple hours needed. Because of that, I have yet to meet any of the guys. I'm still really excited about it, if nothing else I'll cross paths with a couple at roll call and maybe on calls.

It's been a few years since I've ridden with PD. The last time I did, I was helping spot traffic violations during slow(er) moments. It got to the point the officer laughed, handed me the ticket book and a list of the codes to be used, and said "here, have fun." The best part was getting to write "in custody" on the signature line.

I was very good last time. I stayed in the car on traffic stops until the officer motioned it was ok, and then I still stayed far out of the way. On domestics and other calls, I babysat the door pretty much. Just because god knows what stupid people will do, and me without my gun! Lil-city PD has cameras in the cars I believe, so I may be privvy to all the audio if I stay put. I'm honestly not sure yet.


For a little city, Lil-city PD definately has their stuff together, SWAT team, multiple K-9's, traffic units, CID, etc. Their signals and codes are different than what I'm used to, so I'll need a lil help in that aspect, but at least I'm used to listening to a radio. They've got a bunch of toys in their cars and on their belts, so I'm sure we'll play traffic nazi or find something to get into if not on a call. Those guys are always stopping on other unit's calls and traffic stops even when not needed.

I suppose I should bring some kind of lunch, since it's an overnight shift and almost everything will be closed.




Is it Friday yet?


No?







DAMN.......