Off-the-Job Emergencies you've encountered

[njboy13]

What are some emergencies that you randomly happened upon while off duty? Most of mine are police related:

1. Coming out of a hockey game, we heard a few 'booms' that just sounded like firecrackers, but then I saw 8 police cars, a ALS ambulance, and a Medic truck all heading to where the sound was coming from. (Shooting)

2. This was while I was very young, my dad worked in the city, and took me to work one day. So we were walking down the street next to a street patrol cop, and hear what sounds like firecrackers. So the cop seemed scared and seemed like he didn't know what to do, so he pushed us into a doorway, pulled out his gun, said "You guys are gonna' wanna' stay here" and ran to the street where the shots were coming from.

3. Very icy day on New Hampshire highways, we drover over a patch of ice and were sliding all over the place. Thankfully we recovered from the sliding and were able to continue on, but we saw another car behind us roll over twice and down into the snowy ditch. (This was before I was an EMT, and my Dad was an EMT), he put on the blue courtesy light and pulled off into the snow, he put on his supervisor vest and went down to go help them.

4. (This is about a year after becoming an EMT) Vacation in Bermuda, me and some friends were eating lunch at a hotel, and I was watching as this very slow moving, elderly woman with a walker was coming down the hallway. I went back to eating, then suddenly, my friend stood up, yelled "Holy Sh*t!" and pointed at the hallway. The lady was laying on the ground at the bottom of the stairs. So I rushed over and assisted her. I gave treatment until the ambulance got there.

5. Driving to my aunts house for a fourth of July party. I see smoke coming from a roof of a house. Not really thinking, I just thought to myself "Odd time of season for a chimney". So I looked in my rear view mirror, and there was smoke coming out a window, and flames in another one. So I called in to the fire department, they responded, and I stayed for a while.

What are some of yours if any?

[2Bells Gaming]

I had one similar to your last;

I was coming home from a friends house, at about 2 o'clock in the morning, and I smelled smoke in the neighbourhood half-way home. It smelled like normal wood burning, but, I also smelled plastic mixed in. Well, I ended up walking around for a few minutes, and as I came back around the block, I noticed a little bit of smoke pushing out from nuder the roof in the back corner of this house. So, I jumped on my cell phone, got the Fire Department on the line, and then, while giving the dispatcher the info (including the nearest hydrant ), I'm thinking; "Its 2a.m. They're sleeping. Oh God."

So, I tell the dispatcher That there's no one out front, or out of the house, and she takes the info, and hangs up. As soon as I'm done with her, I run up onto the porch, and start thumping on the door as loud as possible. I'm hollering "FIRE!" at the top of my lungs, and I run around the house, sizing up the fire. Well, I guess my screaming and thumping woke up the guy that lived there, and he got out ok. One of the Fire Fighters told me later on that he had no working smoke detector, and that I probably saved his life.

Another time, prior to that, I was sleeping, even tho it was like, noon lol, but, I was sleeping, and the Tones woke me up. There was a 'smoke detector activation with smoke from the house' at Douglas and Murray. I'm thinking (still half asleep) "Wow, thats pretty close. Wait, holy sh*t! thats a block away!" I was dressed and out the house not 30 seconds after the call, and I was on the scene before the Fire Department acknowledged the call. I did a 360 of the house, and noted some light, wispy smoke from the kitchen window. I looked in all the windows, calling out for anyone. The beds were unmade, but I didn't see anyone in them. I didn't want to risk a law suit, so I didn't go in, but, I did check as to whether the door was locked or not for the Fire Dept. They showed up, and I told the chief I didnt see anyone, and that the back door was unlocked. They went in, and it turned out the couple had left eggs on the stove. Pretty funny though, my thinking it was close, and then it dawning on me lol

[Hoppah]

While driving my car I once saw a head-tail collision happening on the highway. I am an asshole, so I didn't stop to help. But it looked pretty serious though.

[theocd]

1. I was in my dad's car with my family and we were going down a bypass and 2 inches of haile fell in 3 seconds, never seen anything like it in England! About 4 cars just went into the ditch, luckily dad kept control. However, someone must have known it was coming because not two seconds afterwards a four man police bike patrol, again something that I've not seen over here, arrived on blues and twos.

2. When I was very young, were in the village bookshop that ajoined to the village hall. We heard a scream and a series of thumps and ran into the hall. This old lady had been preparing the hall for a festival, she had fallen off a step ladder, landed on a 4'x4' bit of satin cloth and skidded the length of the room (12 metres) before hitting a door frame. First time I've had to call an ambulance in my life.

The OC-D

[kyle308]

hmm the only one I have is me and my dad were driving home from helping this guy on his farm(me and my dad are both EMTs) and as we came into this small town we saw a woman hit a man on a moped with her car. he flew up and hit the windshield. wasnt wearing a helmet. the woman was so shaken up I had to talk to 911 for her. we stayed with the guy and tried to keep C-spine straight and his airway open as he was choking on his own blood. had a massive open head wound, skull fracture, and an eye socket fracture. once the ambulance arrived I assisted the man with ventilations and stayed with him until the chopper arrived. He ended up dieing a few days later at the hospital.

[iktah]

A couple of years ago me and my dad were driving home from the place where he comes from. We live in Trondheim, which is basically in the middle of Norway, and he comes from about 1000 KM north of that. So a lenghty drive in other words, and not the widest and straightest roads. Lots of turns, mountainpasses and such.

About halfway home, we're driving down a mountain at about 100 Kmh when a VW golf with a caravan passes us, going about 150. We both say that this is going to fail, they're gonna crash on the way. About 10 mins later we're discussing where to stop to get dinner when we're coming out of a really sharp turn and we see two cars on the side of the road with emergency lights on. We look to our right and in a small grass field, we see the golf giving a tree a good hug and the caravan smashed. I throw on the lights and park as car number 3 and get out. The elderly german couple is still in the car attached to the tree, both alive, in shock and really minor injuries. I call for help, but we're between two small towns smack in the middle of nowhere. I explain the situation, ask for police and ems. While I'm on the phone someone manages to rip open the passenger door which is stuck and get the germans out of the car. The woman is in such a shock that she starts to clean up their stuff from the caravan, which is spread over a 20 m radius. They were lucky they hit that tree, caus about 2 m further was a really thick pine tree which wouldn't have bent or snapped.

So, right now the peeps are safe, in shock but under care while awaiting cops and ems. Now, as I mentioned, the road ain't wide, so me and my dad had to start directing traffic, considering one lane is open. About 20-40 mins later a fire engine arrives, ems 5 mins after that and 15 mins after the fire engine, here comes the cops.

Aparantly their caravan slid off the road and pulled the car with it. Lucky peeps tbh, could have gone waaay worse.

[Shadylasse]

1. I saw a guy getting robbed with a knife, five minutes later 6 patrol cars was driving around the whole area code 3 and you could hear sirens in the background

2. (Not really an emergency): The police was making an event where they demonstrated a takedown of two suspects.

3. A car chase passing me when I went home from school.

4. A car crash at an intersection, pretty serious. Two vehicles, one passed red and rammed into the side of the other car.

[MCERT1]

1. Watched a domestic dispute in a bar parking lot. The woman ended up hit her ex-husband with her truck. Luckily he ended up flying into a fresh snowbank. Me and several other tried to help, but his friends were a little too aggressive so we kept back till the cops showed up.

2. In high school I had a classmate flag me down when he broke his arm skateboarding (One of the nastiest breaks I've ever seen). I didn't have a phone with me, but luckily, he knew where a friends house was a block away. I had a newspaper with me so I rigged him a little splint till we could get to the house, since he refused to stay still.

3. Lots of car crashes(the glory of lake effect snow). I stop depending on severity, weather, and location (last thing I want is add to the accident).

4. Two times I've had medical emergency happen right in front of me at church.

5. I've heard a shoot out with the cops. I was on a high school band trip in a hotel at the time.

6. Personally I've been emergencies a couple of times. Last fall I was standing at the top of our college bleachers. I slipped, fell, and rolled backwards down the bleachers head first. I fell about 10 feet and rolled down another 10 or 15. Luckily I had a cymbal bag on my back, which the doctors said probably is all that kept me from snapping my neck.

[Ami89E1234]

Saw an accident happen while on the way to school once. Was raining and at the Tesson Ferry/East Concord intersection a car like stopped (or crashed into another car or whatever) and then a car crashed into him from behind, then an SUV smashed into him from behind which made the car in front of the SUV go under the SUV so the back was in the air lol.

Bruised my elbow bone once when I was 5. In New York I was running back to our 2 story apartment on a path that was one of those outlined in brick with the middle just concrete with random stones just like dumped in it so pretty uneven. Needless to say I tripped and landed on my left elbow. So I was at the hospital till midnight on a school night and had to wear a cast and sling for a while. Good thing is I had a bitch to do some things for me (but I'm right handed so not like writing). lol

Once (in our 2 story apartment) I was leaning over the edge of the banister near the second story and I went a little too far and fell 12 or so feet and landed; my back hit the edge of a stair but luckily their was only initial shock and some back and a bad but small rugrash.

[Newfoundking]

I've been headed home many times and I've come by car accidents, usually EMS or fire is on scene, any they'll have the situation under control, however once or twice I've been out and about and we were the first to see the accident, so we'd end up calling 911, and providing medical assistance, (we are all at least first responder medical trained in my family) until the paid guys show up, then we just basically bring them up to speed and continue on with our lives. Never had to deal with something bad, usually it's like font to front or rear enders.. Only minor stuff.

I was at my friends once when his step sister managed to catch the stove on fire. Got to meet the fire department again that day, this time on less than ideal terms. We had the fire almost completely extinguished before the trucks arrived though, so it was again nothing major.

What else is there?

My dad had the brilliant idea of working on the truck and he didn't secure it, so it fell off the jack and landed on top of him. He managed to get out from under it while 911 was being called, then he just kinda waited for the ambulance, he was still breathing and all that, all I could really do was wait for the paramedics, and get his drug info ready for them. He has a high pain tolerance.. Apparently he should be missing half his foot but he managed to get out before any major damaged could be done. His foot is still blue and purple though. He jokes some people paint their toes, he paints his foot from the inside out.

The rest I've encountered has just been like passing out, minor medical problems.. well I consider it minor, but keep in mind I saw the paramedics at my house so often over a three year period, they all knew me by name and vice versa, and I even got a birthday gift from one once

A lot of my friends and family will end up passing out or requiring an ambulance at least once a year, nothing major, but like if they pass out and strike their head, or are unresponsive after 5 minutes(a chronic condition a friend has) then we need to call an ambulance, so I'll usually deal with paramedics once or twice a month.

[Forensics]

1. My car (Not with me in it) came in-contact with one of these: (It was a bit bigger)

But luckily the spikes were high up in the air.

2. I went to visit a explosion not long after it happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/8439935.stm

I'm nosey and wanted to see what was going on.

3. Saw a huge house fire and called 999, turned out 2 people died in it.

4. Witnessed 8 RTA's (Some have been very small) but one with 4 fatalities.

5. Been in huge crowds with lots of riot police surrounded us.

6. Was right behind a biker who got shot (dead) on a motorway, stuck in jams for about 6 hours.

7. Watched CO19 raid a house.

8. Saw bomb squad at beach. (I guess they were dealing with a washed up war bomb)

9. Been near to a murder site and saw a huge amount of police.

10. Saw customs raid a pub. (It was full of illegal chinese immigrants)

I think they are all the major ones.....

[njboy13]

I'm sort of cheating with this one, because I was on duty, but we found the emergency first, there was no dispatch prior to us reporting it over the radio to fire department.

I find this absolutely disgusting looking light colored slime-like substance all over the highway below us while we were driving over an overpass. So we pull off into the grass and go onto the highway through our secret gate, guess what we find....

A porta-potty waste tanker, tipped over, and all of the contents spilled out.

(I'm getting sick as I type this )

So we called into the state police, the county HAZMAT, then to our town fire/police. The driver was fine, and there were no injuries, but, I thnik that was the first call were I actually got sick in the bushes along the highway.

It was terrible.

[joachimnor]

Ok, this was two years ago.... Just finished a 24 hour shift as traffic controller and im talking to another security guard (that was where i was gonna go to work the day after xP) and i turn around and i se this guy stiffen up like a tree and just falling to the ground and started shaking... Luckaly the gurd had a handheld so we could call the festival medics, turned out he was epileptic and hadnt had a seizure in over 15 years

[Tian318]

I am an asshole, so I didn't stop to help.

You and 7miljon other car drivers are that way

(Yes including me)

Had a few off this off-duty things to:

1. Cruise missiles dropped on a co soldiers foot.

2. Amputee From CNC 4 line saw mill(guy lost arm and leg).

3. Car crash(some idiot tuner had his brakes manually bled, but forgot to get them air free. Went straight over the roundabout).

4. Ambulance hitting a car on the freeway(A-58 Near Roosendaal is a EMS lane, both drivers did not look that well, The EMS unit has right to go first.)

But the guy driving at 60mp/h did not see him in time, hitting him in the side,(closed the highway down for 3hours)

5. Strong winds at industrial ground,(The shape and placement of the buildings made a storm wind in to a man made hurricane(Phillip Morris in Bergen op zoom)

Give or take 75 people got hurt, from small to serious injuries

[Forensics]

I am an asshole, so I didn't stop to help.

The law may be different in the Netherlands, not stopping at the scene of an accident (incident) is an offence in the U.K. if witness anything you must stop and wait for police to arrive and take a statement, I knew someone who didn't stop they got a £500 fine and 6 points on their driving licence.

[Tian318]

The law may be different in the Netherlands, not stopping at the scene of an accident (incident) is an offence in the U.K. if witness anything you must stop and wait for police to arrive and take a statement, I knew someone who didn't stop they got a £500 fine and 6 points on their driving licence.

It depents,

If you are actively involved you need to stop.(otherwise it is Hit and run)

If you are a witness but not see the crash it self, you can drive on(cause stopping would glog up the highway even more)

If you saw the accident happening, they will urge you to stop and report to police and ems(if not done yet call them to the scene)Or call in later if they need witnesses to find out the cause of the accident.

But as far as i know there is no need to stop for seeing it (but i can be wrong about that)

[Forensics]

The only reason they do it in the UK is to get as many witnesses, so they can build up a clear picture of what happened, and who/what's to blame.

[Tian318]

The only reason they do it in the UK is to get as many witnesses, so they can build up a clear picture of what happened, and who/what's to blame.

yeah that would be logic to

But as you know, the dutch do not have that many logic in the system

[joachimnor]

in norway you can get up to 2 years in prison for not helping an helpless person in need

[Voodoo_Operator]

I've seen my fair share of fires over the years... 3 houses, a restaurant, a van, and quite a couple of brush fires.

Before you ask, no, I didn't light them.

[usmc123]

I've seen my fair share of fires over the years... 3 houses, a restaurant, a van, and quite a couple of brush fires.

Before you ask, no, I didn't light them.

Lies.

[Newfoundking]

In Canada I can walk past an emergency and not help, it is nice if I call 911 or emergency but I am not required...

Just like even when I was just emergency first aid certified I could walk past any scene and not help.. Icould if I wanted but I was not required too.. Obviously higher training requires that you help, but it is not so much for basic first aid

[njboy13]

In Canada I can walk past an emergency and not help, it is nice if I call 911 or emergency but I am not required...

Just like even when I was just emergency first aid certified I could walk past any scene and not help.. Icould if I wanted but I was not required too.. Obviously higher training requires that you help, but it is not so much for basic first aid

Same, when I pass a scene I don't have to help, but at the same time a feel bad, because I have the blue courtesy light, and EMT patch, and a "__[My Town]__ Volunteer Ambulance Corps." plate attached to my license plate. So especially if people are looking at my car in particular, I will help.

[2Bells Gaming]

I've seen my fair share of fires over the years... 3 houses, a restaurant, a van, and quite a couple of brush fires.

Before you ask, no, I didn't light them.

Christ, compared to you, I've seen thousands. I've seen 12 or so residential fires, 6 commercial buildings, an abandoned railroad deisel shop (more than 10 times), 4 or 5 car fires, and countless brush fires and 'possible' building fires. Plus, I watched a 5 alarm fire in Buffalo (across the river) from my city for 3 1/2 hours. And I watched aerials (that was all I could see) in Buffalo suround a house fire that ended up injuring 5 BFD Fire Fighters. Listening with the scanner, it was the first and ONLY (thank God) fire I've ever heard a mayday transmitted at. That gave me goose bumps..

[james23222000]

With my FA qualifications I am obliged to stop and help and call 999/112.

I haven't had any first aid jobs outside of St John yet but I have had to call the police. This is because during snowy conditions, there was a large amount of traffic, a domestic dispute was happenign by one of the cars, the man took his girlfriends handbag and started shouting aggressively at her, he kept trying to open the locked door. I called the police but couldn't make out the number plate so by the time they arrived they had gone.

So if that ever happens to you, look for the number plate!