"81 year old female. Cardiac Arrest"
We'd been on duty for the best part of 18 seconds when we were treated to a 'Sunday suspended'! I don't know why Sunday mornings seem a popular time to die, they just are, it's the way it is. Any way, off we went. We pulled in to the road to discover it was extremely narrow, cars parked bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see. As is customary in this situation and due to the nature of the job the truck was unceremoniously abandoned in the road. Blue light and hazard lights remained on.
We began resus and due to the unique time of day a second crew was unlikely. As some may be aware there is a daily shortage of ambulances and cars between 6:30am and 7:00am. All night crews are either finished or on their 'off job'. Most 6:00am starts are already on their first job and most other crews start at 7:00am. Therefor 6:31am is a bad time to die. Luckily for us today, we were a training crew so there was an extra pair of hands!
Anyway, resus in full swing, sweat on brows, family of patient hidden away in the kitchen, everything was going to plan when the door swings open. A builder of some description was stood in the doorway with a face like thunder.
"You're blocking the road, can you move your ambulance?"
"Get out and NO!!"
The absolute cheek. I was speechless, to enter someone's house for starters, then to make that request when we are doing CPR on someone. I was livid. Emotions aside, we continued but unfortunately for our patient her time was up. We 'called it' and informed the family. As it was an unexpected death the police have to be called to arrange removal.
The student who was with us had never done a cardiac arrest and in their excitement, had left the keys of the ambulance in the ignition. We gathered up our kit and headed out to the truck. As I got to the front door I watched in amazement as our ambualnce with 'that builder' behind the wheel began driving away. I dropped my bags and laid chase! Not on my watch! As luck would have it, as he was driving off the police pulled into the road. With an array of frantic arm waves and the fact I was running after it the police blocked it in.
I got to the cab, swung the door open and unleashed an onslaught of fury at the obnoxious prat. The police came running over and promptly dragged him out of the cab. He was moving it so he could get his van past. He didn't see the problem. If we had been conveying our patient his selfish actions could have had much greater consequences. Luckily that wasn't the case but I had the 'red mist'. I continued to vent all my anger at him and the police. Luckily for him he was arrested and taken away from me. He was arrested / repremanded for the following:
1) Taking a vehicle without concent of the owner
2) Obstructing the emergency services
3) Tresspassing
4) Driving without valid insurance
5) Assualting a police officer
What happened to him after I dont know. The student was left red faced for leaving the keys, and I was left red faced with pure rage. Speechless.