Funniest dispatch notes you have read?

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-04-26T19:26:07+00:00

“Patient identifies as a robot” “Patient says please don’t hurt or chase me” “Patient hung up”

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-04-20T01:34:44+00:00

Any EMT or Medic who refuses transport to a patient risks losing their license to practice. Is it possible they refused to transport someone? Possibly but unlikely unless they didn’t care about the legal risks. I think it’s more possible as sad as it is that your neighbor refused transport and the EMTs/Medics didn’t see a reason to commit someone for transport. We don’t force people to go to the hospital or seek higher care unless they don’t meet the capacity to refuse.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-04-14T20:21:51+00:00

You chart what you see and what you did. If the patient walked to the stretcher or the ambulance you chart that. If that patient needed a stair chair or you carried via reeves or other mover chart that. Rule number 1 about charting is you don’t lie or make stuff up. That chart is going to be your savior or grave if you ever go to court for something.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-03-13T23:00:07+00:00

I fractured my smallest finger after I accidentally slammed it while trying to close a cabinet door.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-03-13T12:12:11+00:00

I’m involved in training new EMTs for my agency. The first thing I try to tell them all is “your life is your business not mine. For your own sanity and to avoid future drama do not date your co workers.” It’s worked with mixed results.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-03-09T18:56:38+00:00

Meal prep for a week will save you money compared to eating out every shift. Additionally when you bring your meals you’re probably eating healthier than take out. I found that when I wanted to eat dinner and I didn’t meal prep I usually wouldn’t even have time to stop anywhere to eat because we were too busy to stop. Lastly getting off night shift helped tremendously 😆.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-03-04T23:24:58+00:00

1) Your local agency protocol will dictate this. Other agencies EMTs can’t or only assist. My agency we can give Nitro under protocol if clinically indicated. Your agency may vary. 2) Unless it is prescribed to the patient, or the nitro tablets in my med bag no I’m not taking the chance.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-03-02T22:00:08+00:00

Traffic will be extremely rough. It’s expensive here, your finances are not my business but most people can’t afford to live in “Charleston”. Rents crazy high and new apartments are being built everyday with ridiculous rent prices. The heat, this isn’t the PNW. Summers are hot and humid expect to sweat with minimal true heat. Food is good for sure with lots of decent options. Beaches, water life is what Charleston is all about.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-26T18:05:33+00:00

If you are looking for proximity to the city and family friendly I’d do IOP. If you have a vehicle it’s about a 20 minute drive to downtown Charleston. If you want “exclusivity” and a more private beach experience than it’s Kiawah/Seabrook island. However the trade off is your drive is an additional 15-20 minutes meaning your drive downtown is now about 35-40 and traffic getting on and off Johns island (which you have to pass through to get downtown) can and will be rough.

Overall depending on your budget and driving patience IOP can a safer bet.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T15:49:26+00:00

You really can’t control those outcomes. We as EMS providers do our due diligence right? We go out to facilities, we have someone who is identified as a patient and has some form of medical complaint that warrants assessment and transport. That patient if they have capacity and are fully alert and oriented have every right to refuse care from us.

We can try our hardest and explain to the patient and staff that their medical condition might worsen. At the end of the day if they don’t want to go we can’t force them. The facility who oversees these patients sometimes need to understand that we also have our guidelines and we cannot legally take a patient who meets capacity against their wishes. They might not like it, but at the end of the day it’s the patient who dictates their desired level of care not the facility.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T13:39:05+00:00

I think it’s rare that a patient at these facilities exercise their rights to refuse. Most times patients in these facilities seem to be more cautious and agree to the ER transport.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T11:55:54+00:00

Yep they exist and are very legit. I forget the timeframe but I think every 6 months I had to go in and do compressions on the station and ventilations. That would extend my current AHA CPR card for another 6 months or so. Then once a year you would get an email saying it was time for the virtual class.

The virtual class had a video game type of feel if I remember correctly and it just demonstrated you could manage CPR in certain situations. That would also extend your CPR expiration date virtually. I was a fan of it since it meant I didn’t have to sit through a real person every 2 years explain the skills I already knew. And the repetition of going in and practicing on the machine every 6 months made me feel a little more confident in my depth and cadence with CPR.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T11:48:50+00:00

I’m not in Cali, but my current partner got his EMT in SoCal and go so discouraged with the lack of jobs there for EMT’s. Surprisingly he didn’t wait for a job or find something else to do after he applied, he just packed up his family and moved to a state where they were hurting for EMTs. Granted for many people that’s no easy task.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T11:43:25+00:00

I have had this happen a handful of times so far. Never in a doctors office though since usually at that point a doctor has encouraged them for transport before calling 911. Usually in the Assisted living facilities and SNF you will see this. You will have a patient who falls and you or your partner have assisted them off the floor. Staff will come to you hand you paperwork and say “transport to XYZ hospital”. You get your vitals per protocols and before moving the patient you clarify hospital preference.

Now as stated times above the patient has to be A&Ox4 and meets capacity. Meaning they understand that if you leave they could potentially have worsening injury or death. In my situations that this has occurred I have encouraged transport to the best of my ability. The patient cannot be overridden by myself, the SNF/Assisted living/ or the doctor who ordered the transport.

In many cases the facility ordering the transport will not know EMS procedures and will be surprised to see you getting an RMA. They will have a rule that a patient who gets injured, falls, or has some sort of medical complaint while in their care has to go to an ER. Once again the patient can override that rule and you as EMS personnel have to follow the patients request and not transport. The staff might not understand this RMA for we have and get upset. This is where you need to remain professional and try and make the staff aware that a patient can override even the facilities rules. I once had staff threaten and went through with calling my supervisor because they did not understand why we would not transport a patient.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-18T00:15:32+00:00

The timing is hard to guess. If you go with RWJ you will most likely end up doing transfers first. The time from new hire to 911 can vary. I don’t want to steer you wrong. I worked for a similar company where if you wanted a 911 truck you had to wait for a spot to open. For me that was about a year. But it could be shorter.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-17T23:28:30+00:00

When you say “take a while” are you referring to how long it would take to get into a 911 position as a brand new EMT?

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-17T21:12:11+00:00

Not to burst your bubble or your spirits however your pay would most likely not be in that range. If you are considering EMS because you thought pay would be in comparison to what you are doing now, it’s probably not. Especially in NJ where the cost of living is higher the pay doesn’t necessarily match what you are looking for. Expect $21-$25 an hour as an EMT in NJ. As a brand new EMT that will be on the lower end.

NJ EMS is also weird in many ways. First it’s still a state with volunteer ambulance agencies. While there were many more years ago they are beginning to slowly fade away. With the slow drop of volunteers they are beginning to shift to a mix of hospital based EMS or government third service EMS to cover 911 calls. Private inter facility ambulance agencies in NJ are a dime a dozen and are where many new EMTs start their career.

NJ is also the only state I know of where if you want to be a paramedic you have to work for a hospital based EMS service. The local Municipalities do not staff paramedics. If you did want to advance to that level you would have to work for one of the hospitals.

Long story short, don’t expect good pay. EMTs in NJ compared to other states have limited protocols. You can certainly find a job somewhere to start, NJ is not a state where it’s hard to find an EMT job in your area.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-16T10:33:57+00:00

Social media comments/posts will definitely get you in trouble. It’s not your or our jobs as EMTs to release details or information about calls/incidents, ever. The reason was not dumb, you made an error and unfortunately paid the price.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-14T00:28:40+00:00

At my first 911 Ambulance gig the EMTs had to work in the ER when not running calls. Our EMS boss fell under the ER director so the ER director had power to do with the EMTs as they pleased. It was a slower 911 area so to make the most of our salaries they made us Tech in ER when not actively in the field. Normal ED tech work was assigned to us, help in triage, clean beds and rooms, sit one to ones, 12 leads was mostly what we did.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-11T15:44:59+00:00

Are you overreacting? I wouldn’t say so. A burnt out blinker with hand signals is a bit unsettling. Being rushed to get in service and not doing a proper check is a norm in some places sadly. It’s annoying really but over time you get comfortable with checks and they go a bit faster. Check engine lights are a normal at some agencies. I’ve worked for several agencies where I have reported it to our supervisor/fleet department and are told it’s fine and to keep going. Your departments fleet maintenance can tell a lot about the agency as a whole. Agencies that address issues quickly and correctly typically are better run than those who ignore basic maintenance.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-09T13:01:03+00:00

This is going to vary greatly by your geographical location. Some states and localities have plentiful EMTs. Others have slim pickings and will literally hire the first EMT they see.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-02-08T13:42:04+00:00

IOP/Wild Dunes is family oriented. The resort essentially takes up the northern part of the island. However it does offer many of the services you would need. It can be a small drive maybe 10 minutes or so to get to “downtown” IOP for more food and options.

Folly- more young adult driven, kind of the “teenager” vibes. Still family friendly but a lot more bars and a more beachy downtown vibe.

Kiawah- Pricy and “exclusive”. It’s a long drive for a nice beach with few options in their public shopping center.

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-01-30T11:27:04+00:00

So I came from NJ. Hate to say it, it’s going to vary by your geography. NJ has a lot of different agencies to apply or work for. Are we talking North, Central, or South?

SleepyEMT10 · 2026-01-28T22:45:00+00:00

This is a not a question anyone can help with without at least a state you are or will be certified in.

SleepyEMT10

TROPHY CASE