Close Calls
Explore our Close Calls directory, where EMS professionals share real-life stories and lessons learned from near-miss incidents in the field. This collection offers valuable insights into the importance of situational awareness, decision-making, and teamwork in preventing serious outcomes. Understanding these close calls is crucial for improving safety and performance. For more insights, visit our section on Safety Protocols. Learn from others鈥� experiences to better navigate critical situations.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Firefighter-Paramedic William An was shot in his arm and leg while helping a victim who was lying in the middle of an East Dallas street
Officials said a firefighter became stuck after diving into freezing water to reach a submerged vehicle that had been the center of a police chase
The close call occurred on Christmas Day when a mother said her child walked into the family pool after slipping out of the back door
The semi truck the driver was in veered off the road, hit a tree and took down electrical wires before EMS providers found the driver unresponsive
NYPD Officers Wendell Dias and Crystal Barbosa were patrolling just a few blocks away when the call came in about a 9-month-old girl who was choking
Anastasia and Daniel Skinner named their baby after Mickey Huber, who responded to Anastasia鈥檚 call when she went into labor while trying to rescue her mom鈥檚 pets
North Coventry Fire Department volunteer EMT Ron Hodgkins was saved by his colleagues, including his wife who is also an EMT, when he suffered a heart attack
San Antonio Fire Department David Nielsen was dispatched to his father鈥檚 home, who was in cardiac arrest when Nielsen arrived
Derek Boehm said the Native Air crew was on its last flight of the day when the helicopter crashed into a remote part of the Superstition Mountains in 2015
Paramedics, nurses and others broke into the garage of a home that was unaffected by the fire to keep patients safe after an ambulance caught fire
Rock Township Ambulance District Lt. Nick Salzman said it was a 鈥渓ife experience鈥� when a vehicle struck his ambulance while he was tending to patients
Andi Traynor and Max Montgomery shared their first kiss when Traynor gave Montgomery CPR after he went into cardiac arrest
Jeff Hoffman credits his fellow EMS providers from another agency with saving his life after he went into cardiac arrest three times in one night
AMR paramedic Jimmy Miller was transporting a patient when his ambulance was struck twice in a hit-and-run
Officials said the ambulance crashed after an EMT swerved to avoid a deer, and the ambulance was already on fire by the time police arrived
Isaiah Cormier said he is 鈥渧ery grateful鈥� that his girlfriend, Juliette Moore, saved him by performing CPR after he was struck by lightning
Scott Globerman was returning from a crash scene when he stumbled upon a woman who was about to jump off an overpass
Sedgwick County EMS paramedics Leigh Chambers and Gabe Shults treated 18-month-old Kason Dube after he was pulled from a half-frozen pond
The police officers were driving by when they noticed a commotion around Ron Gargalowitz, who had gone into cardiac arrest while walking with his family
Paramedic Chad Shade and now-retired paramedic Fiona Apple said they are thrilled by the progress of Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika, who was shot twice last June
Detective Mark Rubins was sitting in the upper section of the Theater at Madison Square Garden at about 11:30 a.m. when he heard a woman yell, 鈥淗elp! Please!鈥�
Six people were seriously injured and 37 suffered minor injuries after a bus carrying students home from a spring break trip to Europe crashed into an overpass
Jessica Pichette said she thought her husband, Capt. Luke Pichette, was having a stroke when he began making strange noises before bed
Gretna Rescue Squad 1st Lt. Pernice White jumped into action after seeing her neighbor鈥檚 truck on fire while driving home
Officers said the infant was thrown to the ground during a fight between his parents
The unidentified patient survived the jump after 鈥渂ouncing鈥� a few times and landing face down on the road
Police Chief Susan Ballard said around 2,500 callers were not able to get through after the false alert of an impending missile attack
Elise Fellows, 85, was celebrating her birthday at Irvine Improve when she lost consciousness and slumped over before the show began
Jasmin Legg found her 4-week-old baby cold, blue and not breathing; she called 911 and was instructed to give CPR
Polly Warring, a mother to six kids, had a seizure and went into cardiac arrest after she started feeling ill
John and Denise Smyth were on their way to see family when John began having a heart attack in the car
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