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
Witnesses said he was fixing signs when the crane snapped and fell over, shooting hydraulic fluid from the truck
Police Sgt. Dan Flaherty said the boy held onto the screen and landed in a bush, which cushioned his fall
Police praise man as a hero for coming to the aid of a 鈥渃omplete stranger鈥�
Floor 鈥渄ropping is just a sickening feeling鈥� for firefighter-paramedic rescued by two other firefighters
David Watson, a 25-year veteran, was working when he felt crushing chest pain and tingles down both arms
Laura Metro didn鈥檛 know CPR when her son almost died by drowning
The paramedic yelled, 鈥淕un!鈥� and one of the firefighters pinned the man鈥檚 arm down as the other firefighter tried to get the patient to release the gun
Tyler Hollingsworth and another firefighter were electrocuted while at the scene of a fire
High school freshman Ian Brown was at lunch when his classmate Will Olson started choking
Officer Ricardo Biddy was sitting in his cruiser talking to Phil Martin on the phone when his speech became slurred
EMT Tyler Johnson, 24, was at the station when he fell ill and collapsed
Todd Zobrist swam about 75 feet through the bone-chilling waves to where a sport-utility vehicle was partially submerged
Jonathan Arteaga was working on a mobile home when a jack gave way and the home pinned his knees to his chest
A doctor, nurse and firefighter were mountain biking when they saw David Jones collapse on a section of a trail
Dave Moore Sr., 57, was at the fire station when he began to feel off
The patient was shocked three times before EMS providers arrived
Kaela Eads said she was just finishing her shift at a fast-food restaurant when a woman ran up to the drive-thru window holding a small child
Larry Roberts said he had no symptoms, but had a weird feeling something was wrong
Samantha James was driving home when she saw a crashed van on the side of the road
Paramedic Stefan Hofer was responding to a crash scene when he was nearly hit by a semi
Brian Schimanski and Christopher Mateja arrived at the scene before firefighters and began to evacuate residents
EMTs were treating a 16-year-old when the dog began to charge at them; an EMT shot the dog and killed it
Thomas Montgomery was putting air in his tires when he fell ill last year
Bonnie-Jean Johnson was on the witness stand when an alternate juror collapsed
Doctors said Bill Malloy suffered a cardiac event known as the 鈥渨idow-maker鈥�
Dispatcher Robert King was unable to answer a call and told his colleague that he wasn鈥檛 joking
Responders were attempting to extricate a driver when a log from one of the trucks trapped the man
Leonardo Moreno collapsed while attempting to rescue three utility workers who died from toxic methane gas exposure
E.J. Hinterman was driving to work when he noticed the car in front of him had slowed down; the driver was slumped over the steering wheel
When responders arrived at the scene, they saw the woman leaning halfway out a window yelling for help
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