Do you ever
SAVE THE STUPID
MAY 2010 WINNER ANNOUNCED (see below)
What is this? No, we’re not calling anyone stupid. So many accidents and medical issues are caused by, simply stated, the stupid things people do everyday to themselves and others. We acknowledge it’s your job to save them, even when they’re, well…just plain stupid. We’ve heard some pretty funny stories from our customers and witnessed some ourselves as emergency response professionals. This field is filled with frightening and sometimes heartbreaking outcomes everyday... and we all just need to laugh sometimes.
Save The Stupid was created as a way to share stories we’ve come across that make us laugh out loud. Each month we will read your stories, laugh out loud, and choose the one that makes the tears flow like Niagra Falls. A prize pack will be awarded each month to the best Save the Stupid story. Be sure to check our website often for some hilarity and to see if you or someone you know is our winner!
Note: Please be sure to omit all patient identifiers before sending us your stories. Also, don’t forget to tell us if you would like to be identified by name or listed by title and state (i.e. Paramedic, North Carolina) in case we post your story.
The judges have read all entries submitted, laughed out loud (LOL), and have chosen a winner – and our second winner is . . .
Can I get a 4 x 4?
Hey u guys,
I have saved the stoopid. In this case though, it wasn't my patient but a First Responder on scene. I really didn't save him other than not beating him or embarrassing him to death!
I was dispatched to a high school with a reported syncope in the school's cafeteria. I arrived on scene and as a young and slightly cocky medic I strutted in with no equipment. It was just syncope right? No need for equipment! Perhaps I was also one of the stupid ones.
I found a teenage patient who had passed out in line, fell striking her head, and had regained consciousness prior to my arrival. She was without complaint other than a laceration to her scalp. Like most scalp wounds it was bleeding just enough to freak out the cafeteria staff & other students but was otherwise no big deal.
She was refusing care (not that it mattered with a minor). Until we could contact her parents or otherwise package her up I wanted to clean up some of the blood and dress the wound. I looked up to find a fire department first responder standing there wide-eyed and ready to help. He was a great guy that everybody liked but sometimes I wondered about him. I looked up and asked him to go out and get some wet 4 x 4's for me. Off he ran.
I wondered what was taking so long. Eventually here he came. He came running in with a long piece of wood. He said, "I went over to the carpentry shop and got a 4x4 and wet it the best I could for you".
Honestly, what do you say at a moment like that? I thanked him and sent my partner out to the truck to get the immobilization equipment, stretcher, and trauma bag. I never corrected the first responder. I just let it go because it was just too funny. I cleared the scene and left a wet piece of wood in the cafeteria. Yes, it really happened as hard as it is to believe!
Congratulations to:
Lee D
North Carolina
As our winner, you’ll be receiving the Save The Stupid prize pack containing a duffel bag with Southeastern Emergency Equipment (SEE) logo, a SEE baseball cap, a Save The Stupid T-shirt, a SEE flashlight, and fun things to help pass the time between calls such as a heart-shaped stress reliever, a “flashy ball,” an 8-in-1 casino game, a Magic 8 ball, i-pod compact speakers and a MP3/MP4 player!
Enjoy . . . and thank you for serving your community . . . even if you do sometimes have to Save The Stupid!
