The call came in for a medical in the next district over. That engine was out on another call so we took it. On the way we got an update from dispatch that this was for someone who was in a car accident earlier and now wanted an ambulance. Already I felt that this would be a waste of time as this type of call usually is, but there's always a chance it's legit. We arrived at the address and knocked on the door. No answer. I rang the bell and knocked louder while announcing, "Fire Department"! I didn't see it, but the firefighter said someone peeked out of the blinds at us and then disappeared. Well somebody was obviously home. I knocked and called out again. Nothing.
We went around to the back of the unit and before I could even knock on the back door it opened and a woman (the same one who had peered out) stepped out. We told her someone had called 9-1-1 from here. She then told us that the person who had called had been in an auto accident and went to the hospital but had been waiting in the ER for a "long time" so they called an ambulance. Okay...well, let's take a look, where are they? She responded, "Oh, they're on their way back now".
Are you serious?
They left the hospital to come home to get an ambulance ride to the hospital? And they pre-ordered the ambulance?!?!?!
Oh, my captain was pissed. To his credit he was polite and we returned to the engine. He said we're giving this guy two minutes and then we are out of here. A few minutes came and went, the captain radioed dispatch that no one was here, and we returned to quarters. Just as I was pulling back in to the station the call came in for the same address. This time the in-district engine was available and they got the call but we wanted to let them know what went down and give these folks a little "education" so we headed back.
The other engine was on scene and into their assessment (no obvious injury or problem that anyone could find, by the way) when we arrived. We gave them the rundown of how this had all gone down. The ambulance arrived and got the rundown as well. The ambulance, of course, was taking them right back to the hospital they had left. The beauty of this was that they probably would have been seen within the hour they wasted coming home and going back in the ambulance. Now they would be starting the process all over again and adding an ambulance bill on top of it.
Here's the "education" part for those that don't know. For some reason, people think that arriving by ambulance to the hospital means you are seen quicker. This is not at all true. Everyone who comes in to the ER is triaged according to the severity of their condition or injury compared to everyone else in the ER. Those who are stable are going to wait longer, that's just the way it is; it doesn't matter how you get to the hospital. And I can guarantee that the triage nurse who had already triaged this guy, probably called his name while he was gone, and then sees him arrive again by ambulance is not going to put him at the front of the line. Just the opposite I suspect.
Hopefully he learned an expensive lesson about the EMS system today. You don't call 9-1-1 for take out.
Buahahaha!!! That's awesome.
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