Darwin At Work

Okay, my last post was due to what happened last night. I couldn't start anything without mentioning that particular call first. This one is pure "You've got to be kidding me!"

There are two types of medical calls. BLS (Basic LIfe Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support). ALS is a Paramedic, BLS is Firefighters only.

The Fire Engine and a BLS Ambulance responded to an injured person. This person was on his 10 speed bicycle, trying to get away from the Police. He made a left turn onto another street, his bicycle hit the curb, and he fell off his bicycle. The Police caught him and handcuffed him. They recovered a weapon from his body, and call for us to tend to his injuries.

The Fire Engine crew arrives first and the patient is sitting on the curb, handcuffed. He has a few road rashes on his arms and small cuts on his bald head. They start asking him questions, "Where do you hurt, etc" and he starts berating everyone, and says "Get the "F" away from me." I guess he was frustrated at being caught, and feared the repercussions he faced.

Then he did something that only Darwin could explain. He tipped himself over and purposely slammed his head onto the sidewalk. He knocked himself out. Yes, really, he did. We were summoned because it went from a BLS call to an ALS call in one quick stupid move.

We packaged him for transport, still unconscious, and took him to the hospital. As long as we were with him, and when we left the hospital, he was still unconscious. He beat himself up pretty good.

I don't like to make light of someone who is badly injured, I don't even know the extent of damage he did to himself. I certainly hope that he did not do any permanent damage, or dies. But this one goes in the book under "What was he thinking?" He wasn't.