1st full arrest = 1st save

While working a 24 hour shift the other day, I had my first student on the truck with me. She is taking EMT classes online when she had to ride with us. It was her first time stepping in the back of an ambulance, first ride out, first call, first everything.. and I was her FTO..... Holy crap. That's scary.

I had just got off shift at dispatch and went to the medic station. After checking off my truck, my partner from dispatch calls me up saying how his relief was in a car accident and he will have to hold over. He had been working all night so he was a bit cranky and said I wouldn't be getting any first responders, not on P1s, P2s.. Full arrests.. Nothing! He was joking of course but...... 10 minutes after we hung up, my tones dropped.

64 YOF full arrest. CPR in progress.
My 1st full arrest. Family members were doing compressions when we got on scene. We applied pads and shocked her. I jump on compressions, my medic was attempting an IO, and I was trying to talk my student through hooking up a BVM. The IO was unsuccessful, and he began to attempt intubation, also unsuccessful- last resort, king airway. Once he got the airway, first responders showed up and one just happened to be a flight medic with our company, he got an IO and started some atropine and epi. Other FROs took over compressions. We shocked again, when we got a pulse and was able to get a BP!!! We then called for an air craft. We maintained a patent airway, fluids and drugs.

Aircraft landed, and transported the pt. She ended up dying later on a the hospital, but it was a save in my book!

I'll never forget the feeling of ribs breaking beneath my hands...
The rookie didn't do half bad, definitely a first call worth telling about.


Until next time, be safe out there.