dead guys, fires and buttheads

Ok, yesterday could've been better, or it could've been worse. Some of the calls were interesting, others weren't. That's just the way things go. But I didn't really expect to get into an argument with one of the guys at my station. I went in to work in a fairly good mood, but I wasn't in the mood to put up with anyone's BS.

The whole argument was a bit out of context, and it could've been handled better, I admit to that. The guy I was battling with is arrogant and egotistical (in my opinion). He made a few smartassed and rude comments to me in front of everyone at the station...including our Battalion Chief. I retaliated with a few remarks and it was kinda dropped. I told Chief and everyone else that I was tired of his comments and from now on, I planned to "check him" when he's disrespectful.

A little while later, I was still pretty pissed, but I was thumbing through a brigade quartermaster catalog and minding my own business. Mr. Ego was sitting across from me eating his lunch and looking at ads in the newspaper. He made some comment about when was I gonna buy him whatever he was looking at in the paper(I really wasn't paying much attention). I responded "whatever" each time he asked.

Now, let me pause for a moment and say that I know I have a temper. I also know that my inability to control my mouth has gotten me into trouble on a few occasions. I did the only thing I could to prevent me from saying something I'd really regret. I stood up, pushed in my chair, and went to the bunkroom to sit at the desk and finish looking at the catalog.

A few calls and hours later, I was sitting in the dayroom watching TV. He came in supposedly to apologize. He went about it all wrong. The way he started made it feel like an attack and I went on the defensive.

Like I said, it could have and SHOULD have been handled better, on both sides of the argument. I'm just tired of his comments and attitude toward me. It's one thing to be funny and make jokes, but there is a line that was crossed.

On a slightly lighter note, we had quite a few interesting calls yesterday.

We started off with our very first call being a cardiac arrest. Actually, the call was over before it even began, the person was DOA.

Later, we were dispatched to a MVC with entrapment a couple territories over. As we pulled out of the station, the engine was dispatched to a car fire. The fire was given out as being at the corner of Younameit Dr and Younameit Cir. Well, enroute to our call, we passed the car fire and didn't really think much about it, we were already committed to a different call. A few moments later we were cancelled. We turned around to head back to the station and figured we'd help the engine crew if they needed us. Much to our suprise, the engine wasn't onscene. I flipped on the lights and pulled over so my truck was blocking traffic.  Turns out the address given was wrong, it was at Younameit Ct...not Cir. Me and my partner hopped out, he put on his bunker pants and grabbed an  extinguisher while I got into full gear and ready to breathe air. W pretty much had the fire out as the engine pulled up. They grabbed the booster reel and soaked the car down while I got all the needed information from the owner and explained why we passed the car at first.

Next was another cardiac arrest/DOA. I guess it was just the day for folks to pass away.

Then we ran a rollover MVC. The van jumped the curb, went through a fence and rolled down a 20-30 foot embankment, coming to rest upside-down. The guy reeked of ETOH or alcohol. He had minor injuries from what we could see but was otherwise ok.

We jumped a call for our engine at the jail intake. The idiot was drunk and had grabbed the steering wheel while his son was driving, causing the car to wreck. His complaint seemed to be BS, except he had a sustained heartrate that was too high. He was transported, after being told that the officer was taking out a state warrant for his arrest.

Our last call was down at the state youth correctional center. A fight broke out and 2 guards took a good "pop" in the face. We didn't even see any of the kids there. Not like it breaks my heart, those kids are convicted murderers and rapists.

It was a long day, but the silver lining to this cloud is that we got to sleep all night without running any calls.

Seizures

Not too many interesting things to report. I took my best friend horseback riding a few days ago. It was his first time on a horse and I believe he's hooked now. I couldn't resist getting a "bad cop, no donut" sticker in his honor (when I finally found a store that had one).

With the exception of being at work, my Valentine's Day was uneventful. My Mom gave me a box of chocolates and some other candy, and my buddy gave me a metal rose and a teeny-tiny little teddy bear. The "EMS Gods" gave me a peaceful night's sleep during a full moon. We got back to the station around 2200 (10pm) and I figured I'd go on to bed since we'd been running all day. We didn't get up until 0600 for our next and last call.

But, on to the seizures.

First off, let me just say that I HATE running pediatric calls. I can deal with all the blood and guts you can throw at me, just keep the kids out of it.

We were heading back to the station and passed a car on the opposite side of the road. There was a lady standing outside the car, but she didn't start waving at us so I figured it was just another "stranded motorist" and kept driving. Moments later we were toned out to respond to that car for a 2 year old having seizures. 3 toggle-switches, a quick blast of the siren, and a U-turn later, we were onscene.

The little one was a bit lethargic (sleepy or slow to respond), but he opened his eyes as soon as I reached into the car to pick him up. We moved him into the rescue and got Mom to give him a little Tylenol since he had a high fever. I had to drive, but the ride in to the hospital seemed uneventful.

Arriving, we let Mom carry the little one into the ER. They were packed and had 20 or so patients in the Triage area, including ours.

I missed a little bit of the action when I went back outside for a couple minutes to clean my truck. When I went back inside, there's our little guy in one of the trauma rooms, stripped down to his pajamas. Apparently, he started seizing in triage and the trauma rooms had the only open beds. I couldn't see everything, but they started an IV and gave some medicine to stop the seizing.

I got busy and ran out of time, but I'm going to try to call up there today and see if I can find out how he's doing.

My only real issue, other than the fact that it was a kid, is PLEASE put your kids in a carseat! If they would've needed to brake hard, I might have spent my day picking the kid up off the road. I know some kids can't stand those carseats, but which is worse...Listening to your child whine and complain...or planing their funeral?

Be safe

Rainy Day

Nothing much of great interest at work lately. The past few shifts I was up all night running calls.Yesterday, I was swapped over to the engine. We didn't have very many calls, we were expecting the calls to really start as soon as the super bowl ended. "My team lost but they're better than your team." Anything ranging from drunkenness to shootings and stabbings was expected. We were able to watch 95% of the game uninterrupted.

We had a call sometime after midnight for a stabbing, but there wasn't anything to it. All of our units went inservice just a couple minutes after getting onscene.

The only call of real interest was a "smoke in the area of." For whatever reason a full house fire assignment was dispatched. We were the 2nd unit onscene and there was quite a bit of smoke pouring out of a small house on the corner. The first-in crew already had a quick knockdown so me and my Capt backed out for a moment to put on our masks and open up our SCBA's.

Searching the house, there wasn't anyone to be found so we went back to the room where the fire had been. We found out that there had been some boards blocking the doors shut and the fire appeared to be arson.

We pulled a little sheetrock and nosed around in the crawl space under the house, then went back in service.

On the funnier side of things, we have this stuffed animal that's supposed to be on one of the trucks to give to a child onscene to make him/her feel better. Well, this little piggy has made it's rounds in the bunkroom and been in everybody's bed. I guess it got bored last night and made it's way to the bay, just outside the bathroom door. The engine had a call and right as we came back, the "stalkee" came out of the bathroom and locked eyes with his stalker.

 

Be safe and have fun