Arrested for trying to help.

[jdsilvia]

Earlier this year I was arrested for supposedly touching a patient on the shoulder on an EMS call.

What really happened (the short version)
-Lady flipped out over nothing
-I tried to calm her, so I placed my hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
-she said i pushed her
-I got arrested
-Went to court
-The judge threw it out
-I am sick of trying to help stupid people.
-EMS SUCKS

THE END

[ntvilleff]

I agree, there is a lot of B.S. to deal with in EMS, but your case is why in EMT class, a lot of emphasis is put on the fact that you cannot touch a patient without their consent, no matter what. Unfortunately, your not the first one to be arrested for assault while trying to help someone, and probably won't be the last.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

A few questions to clear up the situation..

Where you on duty?

Where you with other fire/rescue/police/ems personnel on this call? If so, why didn't they come to your defense in the situation?

How is your personal and Department's relationship with the Police Department?

Was your patient in a rational state of mind at the time of the call (apprehensive, bi-polar, etoh, drugged up?)

Was she threatening to harm herself or others?

Are you going to let one bad experience get the best of you? For every nitwit who threatens to sue you or have you arrested, there are hundreds that are grateful and say "thank you".

I agree with Capt.Gonzo. Were you in your district? Were you on duty? Were you in uniform? Were you asked to step back and didn't? There are a lot more questions here as you can see, so the short doesn't give a whole lot of information.

Think about the last time you were on a call and someone you didn't know came up and tried to give you help. What did you do?

Just for the record I'm not EMS nor do I want to be.

Stay low - be cool


[ 07-27-2001: Message edited by: T. Barreca, Jr ]

[MikeDeVuono]

Hey at least it all worked out in the end. Don't let one incident keep you from doing what you like to do.

[ggtruckie]

I let my EMT run out this past month, at my home station. i have 2 years to take the reentry exam without having to take the whole course over. If things improve in that time i will take the test.

Im with you, but of course i have NEVER liked EMS. especially when we have 6 retirement homes in our first due, and not a one uses private ambulance services for routine transport. can we say 911 abuse.

[NozzleHog]

Yet another example of why they call it "the last three letters in PROBLEMS."

Anyone who does that job day in, day out and is able to maintain a caring attitude certainly has my respect.

[ 07-27-2001: Message edited by: NozzleHog ]

[Smoke286]

I guess the answer to your question was no to all of the above Gonzo

[hctrouble25]

Wow, that sucks. But as much as it sucks, this is an isolated incident right? I mean you don't get arrested every time you go on a call, most people don't give you a hard time right? So let this incident pass..it was tossed out, and you went on your way. While it was certainly an inconvenience, it didn't impact your whole life. Let the event go and realize that you are needed out there. If you enjoy EMS and it makes you happy to help others then don't let this moron of a woman keep you from it. Take care, and stay safe.

[SFDPREZ]

DONT LET ONE BAD CALL RUIN IT FOR YOU
JUST MOVE ON, SOMEDAY DOWN THE LINE A CALL WILL COME IN, AND YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE , AND BE GLAD YOU WHERE THERE

[jdsilvia]

Thank y'all for the comments. To elaberate a little more on the situation Gonzo. I did everything like a proffessional. I was in street clothes. I was a live-in member in PG County, Maryland. We were already about 15 minutes into the call when the incident occured. She started yelling at me over something that I would rather not talk about. My partener was with me and that's why it got thrown out of court, but the problem was that she still filed a complaint and the police have to take action on it. I never got cuffed or locked up because our firehouse is a haven for police officers, so I knew most of them. They took care of me and rushed me through the bookings, but it was still a pain.

I know what y'all are saying about not letting one bad incident ruin my interest in EMS, but I joined the fire department to become a firefighter. In PG County, an EMT lisence is REQUIRED. And when your station runs 3,500 ambulance calls in one year, it gets a little tiring. I still have my lisence and recenty (back home in RI), I needed it on an ALS call for a friend of mine. There's not as much BS on calls in RI, so I think I will get over it, but the whole situation was frustrating.

[jdsilvia]

To add to that, I guess I am just tired of missing fires because I am chasing around medic locals.

[emsbrando]

Tired of EMS:

I'm glad you came back and reposted because in reading this thread I thought that there was a bug in your bonnett for EMS before this incident ever occurred.

Most if not all firefighters that were or are forced to obtain an EMT or higher certification that they don't want knowing they will be stuck on an ambulance feel the way you do.

There are a couple of fire departments in this state that do the same thing. You sign up to be a firefighter, go through all the tests, pass, and then you have to go to EMT or Paramedic school and serve your first 2-4 years on an ambulance. And all you wanted to do was to fight fire and do rescues!

Can't say that I've been there because I haven't but I have talked with those who are there or been there and I know I don't want any part of it. I was a medic before I became a firefighter and I am a vollie so being a medic is my full time job.

Keep an upper lip, and I know you will get over it, after all your a better person than that woman could ever be. If I had a nickel for everytime I was threatened by a patient or a patient's family, I would probably own the company that made this computer.

Just my .02

Ed

[ 07-27-2001: Message edited by: emsbrando ]

[jdsilvia]

I appreciate the comment. You should know one thing though. I was an EMT way before I moved to Maryland. I live back in RI where I first became a FF/EMT. I even took the Medic class and got my lisence in RI before I moved to Maryland out of my own pocket. I didn't have to, but I wanted to expand my knowlege as and EMS provider. I loved EMS (not as much as FF), but there is just way too many BS calls. People think we are a taxi. They abuse the system, I think that's why I am so frustrated.

The orignal call the house for the above mentioned call was for... get this... a person with a nose bleed. I mean, come on now.

But I know..... look, I even changed my ID name.

[570eck]

Man you guys are right I hate all these bs calls. I mean what do they think I'm getting paid to do take people to the hospital. I came here because I knew there would never be any bs. Stop complaining this is the best job in the world so what you have to put up with some bs every now and again. What do you complain about when you have one of those calls where you know you made the difference. You know a code and you bring them back. "Man why did that guy have to have a heart attack I could have been out on an alarm." Not me I'm so charged up that I forget about the bs calls and remember I signed up to help people and when it is all said and done that's what I have done.