Most Memorable Incidents

[RWC130 594]

As a Police Officer, Firefighter, EMT or Paramedic what was the most memorable incident that you responded to?

Please give some details and why?

[SECTMB 612]

In over 30 years there are so many.

- Drowning, pool was like milk, couldn't see anything in the water, started a grid search. On second pass swan right into victim, scared the sh_t out me. Got him to surface. DOA w/broken

neck.

- Victim cut in half by train, half the body facing one direction the other half the opposite direction.

- Working to extricate two accident victims from an overturned car with my brother as it starts burning and hoping the engine arrives quickly.

- A deliberate hit and run at a bar, the victim had visible tire tracks across his body like you see in the cartoons. He had minor injuries.

- Advancing a line and having the ceiling cave in with me on one side and the rest of the team on the other.

- An EMS call to a seemingly normal, well cared for house with a BMW in the driveway, met by a stylishly dressed woman only to find it like an episode of hoarders on the inside.

- The actual and attempted suicides by drugs, guns, stabbing and hanging.

- The EMS call for a young man with an orifice impaled by a boat oar when he fell from the step ladder he was on while 'utilizing' the oar.

- Having to wrestle down a doctor with the police who became an EDP when he missed his meds for a condition no one knew he had. He cursed and fired all his staff on the way out. When

we got to the hospital there were scores waiting to help him.

- While at work, alerting the residents of a triple decker apartment house and carrying out a child as fire raced up the back staircase, going back to try to access an apartment with a potential

victim, fire too advanced, she wasn't home.

- Responding while on the rear step.

- SCBA for only a few.

- Getting one of the first Hurst tools in the County.

- Being there as my nephews came in and up in the ranks.

- Being in the station when a distraught and lost deaf woman came in for help. We calmed her down and had one of the guys lead her back to her house.

- Lots more, you forget more than you remember, but over the years you've helped a lot of people, most you didn't know which makes it all the better.

I once told the nephews, we're a small town, but be here long enough and you'll see just about everything, and I have.

There is no better calling

[kinkchaser 352]

Very early response to the World Trade Center, nothing will ever compare to that

[LTNRFD 266]

On the EMS side....

While working for Abbey Richmond in White Plains on a Sunday morning back in the early 1980's. I was assigned as the paramedic on the transport ambulance and was told to return to the office. My EMT and I were told to go do a 2 man ambulette from Longview Nursing Home in W.P. to Grace Church on Main St in W.P.

We were told that there were no ambulette drivers working and the transport had to be done. When we arrived ( in an ambulette ) we found a 106 y.o. female named Clara Beech. She was allowed to leave the nursing home only once a year on her birthday, and for medical services. Clara was as alert as a 40 y.o. and could see as good as anyone thru her coke bottle thick glasses. She was packaged and wheeled out to the ambulette. As we got outside she broke out in a song of praise for the beautiful day the Lord gave her on her birthday. Now off to Grace Church we went. When we arrived you would had thought the Pope was coming to the church. The church was mobbed. We wheeled her into church all the way to the front where she was the center of attention, which she ate up.

We left her there and returned 2 hours later to take her back to the nursing home. To see the joy on this woman's face more then made up for the fact that an A.L.S. bus was taken out of service for an ambulette call.

Well if you think it ends here it only half over.

Fast forward 1 year. I was again working Abbey W.P. this time on Amb-1. When I reported for work I checked the transport booking slips for the day. Right on top was the slip for Clara to go to church for her 107th birthday. Again it would take the transport A.L.S. ambulance out of service. I told the Transport medic that I'd do the ambullete call and he cover the city. He thought I was nuts but he agreed.

When we walked into her room at the nursing home ( which was only about a 10 bed nursing home) she looked up saw me and greeted me by my first name. She then said "so you came back to take me to church on my 107th birthday". I could believe she remembered me.

Off to church we went again and there was another mob at the church for Clara's birthday.

When we picked her up for the return she asked if we could drive around a bit. We drove around W.P. for about 30 minutes as she gave us a guided tour of how W.P. use to be around the turn of the century. That's the 1800's into the 1900"s. She grew up in W.P.

I don't know what ever happened to Clara, but I think about those two birthday ambulette trips to church often.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Night shift working Engine 58 with my partner Tom Z received a call over the house phone from a 80 year old woman it was midnight. She lived in the former Life Saver's factory building now Condo's on north main street. It was late October and was a cold night. She tried the super she tried the police who told her to call the fire dept. there not doing anything so she called us. My partner talked to her and calmed her down and gave me the thumb's up [meaning were going somewhere] as I was the operator of the rig . The problem that night is she was cold , in fact freezing as the 5x 8 foot factory windows were to much for her to close. 3 minutes later we where there, we closed the big windows for her and got a big kiss and a hug from her. One of my best nights on the job a simple helping hand for some one unable to do a simple task. I always new I can count on the Firefighters to come to my call for help she said. As we left the call we did not say a word to each other all the way back to the firehouse as the grin on our faces would not allow it. The next night we got a call again on the house phone and again it was her. She asked if the guys that came out last night were still on duty and if so can they come to my house again, well we did thinking this might be a problem starting to happen [freaquent flier] we rang the door bell and was meet buy the best apple pie you ever saw. We have the greatest job in the world guy's don't mess it up .

[PEMO3 523]

I don't think there is a call that we have that does not leave some level of impression, good, bad or indifferent on us. It is why we do what we do. Some calls we remember because of the positive impact we were able to make while other we spend a lifetime struggling to forget for the impact that they make on us.

[grumpyff 1,159]

So many calls, one of the few that did not involve someones loss of property, life or severe injury... In 1994, I had the pleasure of being part of crew that delivered a healthy baby boy in their house. I still remember going back out to the bus to get the stretcher when the Mount Pleasant PD officer on scene told his dispatch "A healthy baby boy was just delivered, I need the official time." The dispatcher responded "0113 hours". At that point the officer looked up, it was also his shield number.

[wraftery 1,275]

You know you are going to work when you hear things like this.

Soundview Chevrolet fire, New Rochelle. I think the DC was Oreste Spallone.

His arrival report went something like "We have had a major explosion and fire...Transmit a 2nd, 3rd,and 4th Alarm.

White Plains Grant Av and I-287, a propane truck and exploded, sending the exploding truck into a neighborhood of 2 1/2 story Balloon homes:

60 Control's transmission was "60 Control to Hartsdale, Fairview, Greenville, Scarsdale, Eastchester, and New Rochelle, stand by for a run to White Plains."

But you are right Snotty, the World Trade Center early stages trumps all runs anywhere in the world.

[ex-commish 490]

It is a toss between responding to the Bronx on 9/11 allthough we just stayed at a staging area I will never forget the chaos there and the fighter jets flying around not to mention I lost a friend in the towers and a gasoline tanker that crashed and exploded on 9-a where the driver was burned beyond any reckognition..

[Bnechis 3,961]

Wow. so many different incidents that were memorable. Lots of pain, loss and some wonderful life changing calls. I liked the upbeat one that LTNRFD posted, so no fire, no blood, no death, but I like this one and LTNRFD was there:

Around 1982 or 83. LTNRFD, another EMT & myself at our VAC recieved a request for a nonemergency assist. We drove to the location and the women who called said her 75 year old father was just coming home from the hospital and she needed help caring him into the house.

We got the stair chair and walked around the car LTNRFD & I approached him and we both instantly recognized him. But LTNRFD di not know him like I did.

Sitting in the car was my boyhood idol; one of the finest sailors I had ever heard of. Arthur Knapp Jr. had won world championships, the America's Cup and almost every award there is in sailing. As a young teen I had memorized his book & writings on tactics. At 14 he coached me and helped me win a major regatta. At 15 I got to intern (school project) with him at Ratsey & Lapthorn Sailmakers and when I was 18 he asked me to crew with him and we won a major match racing series. I could not understand how he was so good and how he could manage because his health made it so he could barely move, but we did. That was only 2 or 3 years before this call.

He saw me and said how glad he was that I was there. We placed him on the stair chair and carried him in through the garage and up the basement stairs. The garage and stairs and whole house were covered in sailing trophys, they were everywhere.

We got him settled and said are goodbyes.

About an hour later he called the VAC and asked for me. he wanted to thank me, "marvin" (thats who he thought LTNRFD was) and the "cute one" and did I think she would go out on a date with him (she was about 18 at the time).

Thanks for asking for us to share, this was a lot better than many of the exciting calls.

http://www.herreshoff.org/achof/arthur_knapp_jr.html

http://library.mysticseaport.org/manuscripts/coll/coll357.cfm

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/17/sports/arthur-knapp-jr-85-champion-in-international-yacht-racing.html

[nfd2004 750]

An early 6 am call to a woman in labor. The first chance the two guys I was with, and myself, ever had a chance to deliever a baby. On the floor, the healthy baby was delievered and the mommy was doing fine. Everything went great until I told the mother she had a baby girl. Her response was very short and to the point. She said; "I don't want it".

Such a great event in our lives to bring in a human being and then hearing that.

I don't know what ever happened to that mother or baby girl. Of course we had reported what the mother said to the hospital.

My wife and I never had any kids, but I sometimes think that maybe we should have tried to adopt her.

[SOUSGT 357]

One day we received a report of a an activated fire alarm at a house. Upon arrival, there was smoke coming from open windows of the house. I advised the dispatcher to update the FD. This was a long run for the FD and they were a few minutes out. As I got closer, there appeared to be a party going on.

The home owner advised that this was a mission house and he was the ambassador for (a country that will remain nameless). He further explained that as the UN was celebrating its 50^th anniversary the president of his county was in town for the celebration. The president specifically requested an authentic American BBQ. As it was raining they proceeded to move the grills in the garage. They closed the door to the house but opened all of the windows and doors to the structure to vent any smoke. When I explained how dangerous this was, the ambassador explained that “if my boss, the president of the country wants an American BBQ, Then come hell or high water, he is going to get an American BBQ.”.

As the house was a mission house, we could only express our concern and be pleasant. Both the police and fire who responded on the call were invited back for the BBQ and to meet the president of the country, but we declined. I did have the sector car keep an eye on the house for the rest of the night.

[Brenman1988 11]

There were two incidents that have stuck in my mind.

First was Christmas Eve of 2005 at my residence. I heard yelling from downstairs so I ran down my stairs to find that my father had partially amputated his five fingers on his left hand by the table saw. FD and EMS was called while I bandaged the hand. Asst. Chief came on scene requested medevac. 1 hour and 15mins later he was in surgery at Westchester Medical Center. 6 hours of surgery later his fingers were reattached. It was a bit of a Christmas miracle because the hand specialist was supposed to go on vacation the day prior but a similar injury came in the day before.

The second incident was when I was on vacation in North Carolina. My family and I were driving down the highway when we came up on a 5 vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer and a car on fire. It was on the opposite side of a 6 lane highway. No emergency services were on the scene yet. We stopped and I ran across the highway where someone directed me to a car where a women was trapped in the car in cardiac arrest. I broke the window and climbed in and began CPR the best I could to then have the paramedics come and tell me to stop because they don't do traumatic arrests. It was later determined that two people were killed (the one in the car I worked on and one in the car that burned) and the cause of the accident was the tractor trailer driver who was drunk.

[nfd2004 750]

Very early response to the World Trade Center, nothing will ever compare to that

You're right. For those involved in the WTC, nothing will ever compare to that. In fact nothing will ever compare to that day. The plane crash in Shanksville, Pa. The Pentagon. All air traffic shut down. People fleeing Manhattan. People helping people. Hospitals as far away as New Haven, Ct preparing for injuried to be brought in on trains.

That beautiful day became Americas darkest cloud. September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten. Over 3,000 innocent people were murdered that day in a few short hours. Many have passed on from the effects of that day. Many are still suffering with breathing and sinus problems.

How can anything else compare ?

[bad box 371]

You're right. For those involved in the WTC, nothing will ever compare to that. In fact nothing will ever compare to that day. The plane crash in Shanksville, Pa. The Pentagon. All air traffic shut down. People fleeing Manhattan. People helping people. Hospitals as far away as New Haven, Ct preparing for injuried to be brought in on trains.

That beautiful day became Americas darkest cloud. September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten. Over 3,000 innocent people were murdered that day in a few short hours. Many have passed on from the effects of that day. Many are still suffering with breathing and sinus problems.

How can anything else compare ?

I agree NFD. During my time on the job I was privledged to work alongside some of the best in the business. I learned from officers and firefighters who had served in WW II, Korea and Vietnam; these same guys were on the job during 'The War Years' and didn't flinch when confronted with the worst possible situations. We gave it our all everytime we went out the door, sometimes with great success and other times, despite our best efforts, there was no happy conclusion. The morning of 9/11/2001 changed it all for me, minutes after I was relieved and left the firehouse the first plane hit the North Tower of the WTC. Everyone I just finished working the previous night tour with responded and were subsequently killed. The last thing I'll always remember of them was sitting around the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee ... laughing ... not a care in the world. Two months and a day later (11/12/2001) I responded to the Rockaways to the scene where an airliner that had just taken off from JFK had crashed into a private house and set a square block of buildings on fire. The death toll was over 260 people ... Sadly, after the experience we were having (dealing daily with the rescue & recovery at the WTC site coupled with attending the wakes and funerals of our friends and Brothers and working extra shifts to cover guys in other companies when they had wakes and funerals) we were simply to burnt out to treat the plane crash like anything more than 'just another run'. I loved every minute that I was on the job. I miss it everyday. I miss all of my Brothers who are gone ( LODD's prior to 9/11, on 9/11 and since). The ending to my fire service career was steeped in tragedy, but I have many great memories from times prior to 9/11/01.

[RWC130 594]

Thanks for sharing. Keep em' coming....

[firemoose827 324]

The first one is not a call, but related to the 9/11 experiences being shared by some. I was not able to make it to the city that day, we were mobilizing a task force of fire and ems from my county to respond on the NYS mutual aid response system but were cancelled last minute due to all the career and volunteer firefighters that just showed up without notice. SO instead of turning them around they put them to work and had us stand-by.

But a week later, a local church had a memorial service for those lost that day and invited all of the FD's, EMS and Police agencies to attend. We were car pooling to the event and there were 7 of us in uniform standing in the open truck bay or our station waiting for more members to show. Across the street from us a couple emerged from their car slowly, and the woman had been crying, she looked at us and started to cry hysterically again. Her husband held her and they walked across the street as if in a funeral procession. They got to us and they both were crying at this point. She finaly told us (through her tears) that they wanted to thank us for helping strangers and doing what we did. That was all they said. They then hugged every one of us, a long hug, saying nothing else to us. Then they turned and walked a few feet away, and turned back and told us "God bless all of you and your families, I will never forget any of you again..." and they went back to their car....None of us talked, we just sat there dumbfounded until we finaly got up and piled into two cars and went to the ceremony, a little more somber then we were already, and the chief and 2 of us were even tearing up a bit.

One is more funny then serious; I went to a structure fire in my past department with my father. We arrived on scene in the first due engine to find it fully involved on the first and second floors with smoke pumping from the basement doors. I remember stretching a 2 1/2" line and was getting ready for water when i heard barking from the basement. I yelled to my father and the Lieutenant on scene to grab a tool and ran over to the door, it was locked on the inside. My father had a halligan and told me to cover him with the line. He forced the door open and quicker then either of us could react 5 dogs of various size raced out and ALL latched on to my fathers bunker pant leg, snarling and growling. I froze and didnt know what to do first when my father started Screaming "SHOOT THEM!!! SHOOT THE LITTLE BASTARDS!!!" while he tried to kick at them with his other leg. It was hysterical to watch as the Lt quickly fell to the ground laughing and wailing. I shot them with a quick blast from the line and they all took off into the woods behind the home. Hey...they were alive. We kept an eye out for them the rest of the time there and the owners tried calling to them but I guess they were afraid of their rescuers! They finally emerged from the woods during overhaul and the owners got them in the car ok and took them to the vet. No injuries for the dogs, but my fathers leg and pride...another story!!

My second call as an EMT-CC; It was on the Interstate during a freak ice storm that came out of nowhere. A pickup going 65 lost control on the ice, spun around 360 degrees 2 or 3 times and then slammed head-on into a tractor-trailer behind him that also lost control going 70...driver of the pickup was ejected and rolled 45 yards down the road, his truck looked like an accordian. Driver of the rig was pinned, both legs busted, ribs busted, head injury. I got out of the bus and ran to the guy that was ejected with the trauma bag and he took his last gurgling breath as I knelt next to him with the county paramedic (that just taught my class) with me. We tubed him, the medic did needle chest decompressions, started 3 large bores on him and packaged him up. He ended up flying out in the bird that was called for the rig driver but he was still pinned and being extricated by 2 FD's. 37 minutes later we got the driver out and flew him out on bird #2 that both landed right on the interstate. Both are alive and well today, a little handicapped but still breathing.

Last call to talk about but many more come to mind, its been 24 years...

I went to a house fire, 3rd department called for tanker and manpower. By the time we got there the main fire was knocked, so they had us check for extension. I was walking through the living room joking around with a guy I trained with from another department and I was just taking pictures and stuff off the wall and wrapping them in a blanket from the back of the couch. I grabbed a couple of dozen picture frames from the walls, I couldnt see what they were due to the soot. I took other items off shelves and tucked them in the couch cushions and did other salvage work too. We finished our sweep and came outside (with the blanket wrapped picture frames over my shoulder like santa) and I scanned the front yard for the owners. They were across the street with the neighbors on the lawn so I approached them. I gave them the blanket and told them I grabbed some things for them and protected a bunch of other stuff, and told them where I put it all. The wife looked at some of the frames and started to cry...hysterically...I didnt know if I should hug her or run and hide...then she looked at me and said "These are my wedding pictures of my grandparents, theyr'e very old, and these are my daughters graduation pictures, and this...(holding up a frame)...is my daughters birth certificate with hand and foot prints..." She hugged me and cried. The hubby shook my hand and said thank you about 2 dozen times. THAT, was the best call ever, even though the house was a loss, but their memories were saved. Almost as good as saving a life I guess.

[RES24CUE 168]

Idiots who get their...... stuck in things...classic!

Edited August 10, 2013 by RWC130
PROFANITY

[AFS1970 504]

I can think of two from dispatch from many years ago when I was new and far less jaded.

We got a couple of calls for strange lights in the sky (UFO’s). One reported the lights low in the sky one high. Both calls were not from great neighborhoods to go into (more on that later). Now normally there was really nothing we could do about anything in the sky so this call was not going to get typed up or dispatched. However I remembered a story from a senior dispatcher about a similar call many years ago and he said he called the Air Force to report it and had put the number in the rolodex. So being new I went over to the rolodex and found a card marked USAF UFO hotline. I figured what harm could come in calling them and telling them about this. I called the number in Washington DC and got a recording that the number had been changed and it gave the new number. So I called the new number.

The new number was answered by a live person with “UFO hotline how can I help?” So I gave him what information I had and figured that would be the end of it. About 20 minutes later I get a call from Trumbull CT from someone who says they are a local investigator and got the call from the hotline. They wanted to come down and interview the original callers. I was surprised, I remember reading about Project Blue Book, but didn’t think USAF took this that seriously. The investigator asked what the neighborhood was like and if it was safe to go there this time of night. I said it probably wasn’t and we only had information of one caller. The investigator said they would go out tomorrow.

So I tell my fellow dispatchers about this call and we are laughing about it when the guy working police radio sends are car to investigate the call. This lead to many remarks on the radio and the officer concluding that the lights were spotlights being used several towns away for an event but visible on the clouds. So I thought this was over.

The next morning an article appeared in the paper with my name and title in it about the UFO sightings. IT seems that the USAF does not handle this anymore and the recording I got was because they had handed these off to a civilian club called MUFON (Mutual UFO Network). I had never talked to anyone from the government just MUFON members, and they had issued a press release. It took me a while to live that one down.

The second was more serious. We got a call from a woman who said her 10 year old sister had come to her apartment and was reporting she was molested by a tenant of her mother’s. This part of the call was fairly standard. Police go out to start the report, EMS to take the victim to the hospital. Notify the Youth Bureau and go from there. However the next call I take is from a man who asks what he should do if a 10 year old girl were to say he molested her. Needless to say the red flag popped up as this could not be a coincidence.

My sergeant was on a break and the manpower was low. I stayed on the phone with the guy and tried to get some information while waving at others to come to my console. The only one who saw me was a fire lieutenant and I had him call the phone company and start to trace the call I was on. Despite the speed of light this is done with on TV, it actually takes quite a while, so I had to stall this guy. We let the units going to the first call know we had a possible suspect on the phone and we got the name of the tenant. I told my caller that I needed his name so I could look up and see if anyone had complained about him. I was able to get him to give his DOB also so I knew that this was our suspect.

It seemed like the trace was taking forever and the caller was adamant in his refusal to say where he was. However the Lt. was eventually able to get the location of the pay phone he was calling from and we got units going there. He was calling from a pay phone at the end of a boat dock. This was good because it gave him nowhere to run, but could have been bad if he had decided to swim for it. He heard the sirens coming into the marina parking lot and said something to the effect of I guess those are for me and hung up. He was taken into custody without further incident. Like most calls in dispatch, I have no idea what the final outcome was for the case.

[RWC130 594]

I have a few I would like to share......

1. Back in 1992 having just finished my EMT class I came home to find my Mom's boyfriend on the kitchen floor in

Cardiac Arrest from an Asthma Attack. He still had the phone in his hand. I called for help and began CPR but in the

back of my mind I knew he was dead. I guess I just couldn't stand and do nothing.

The most comforting part of the incident was the response from Emergency Services. When the call goes out for a MOS or family member MOS we come out in full force. My block was shut down due to so many emergency vehicles.

THANK YOU!

2. I had the pleasure of knowing Lt. Pete Lund, FDNY Rescue 2 who over the years would allow me to come down have meals and ride with the brothers at Rescue 2. One night back in 1995 I was riding with Rescue 2 we got a run reporting a fire in the subway station. As we got into the rig I could hear the radio... the dispatcher was announcing the run. "Box 927 Kingston Ave and Fulton Street, Smoke and Fire in the Subway Station" as we started responding another radio transmission from the dispatcher "Brooklyn to the 57 Battalion... now getting reports of a man on fire" Upon arrival I saw a man walking up the stairs with all his clothes burned off, He had severe burns. The Incident made national news. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/27/nyregion/attackers-set-fire-to-token-clerk-in-brooklyn-subway-station.html

Sadly the victim died a short time later.

My buddy and mentor survived 9/11 and retired in 2003. Pete loved firefighting so much he remained a Volunteer Firefighter with Woodmere FD and Kentland FD. He also had his own Training Group. In 2005 just 2 years after retiring he suffered a Heart Attack and died LODD on Long Island. I miss you Pete. RIP!

3. In 1995 I responded to a call for a child drowning. Upon arrival the Lifeguards had already pulled the little boy out of the pool and began CPR. After several minutes of CPR it was a successful save. What an amazing feeling that was!! Lifeless little boy was now breathing.

4. September 11, 2001 a day that none of us will ever forget. I responded down with Peekskill FD to the staging area in the Bronx (Quarters of E81/L46) just off 87. A lot of emotion just thinking about that day. I guess every detail about that day stands out but some more then others. Towers coming down. Hearing over 300+ Firefighters were missing. Then hearing one of our PFD members Sam Oitice a FDNY Firefighter at L4 was among was missing. Seeing and smelling all the smoke, Fighter jets flying overhead and feeling of the unknown realizing the world as we once knew it had changed forever.

5. Septmber 13, 2003 while working as an Armed Security Supervisor on Long Island I came upon a shooting IN PROGRESS at a night club. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/14/nyregion/man-is-shot-to-death-after-a-fraternity-party.html As luck would have it a Suffolk County Police Officer was driving by and I alerted him to what had just happened. As I was telling him... POP! POP! more shots. Once the chaos had calmed down we saw a man down. One of them shot in the stomach and in bad shape. I grabbed the EMS bag out of the police car and started providing emergency care. PD was very busy with crowd/scene control not to mention the pursuit of the perp vehicle that fled. The victim died but the perps were all caught. I got a nice thank you letter from the SCPD for assisting. Fast forward 3 years I met the PO's sister. She told me you have no idea how much my brother appreciated what you did having his back.

Over the years so many incidents. I guess that covers a few........

BE SAFE!

.