EPS on a Friday afternoon.

Emergency Psychiatric Services. The address is directly in front of the house I grew up in. I work in the next jurisdiction over and we're called in as backup. Police on scene. I hear the Ambulance from the station who's area it is respond with "driver only."

"Driver only" means they send an ambulance with only a driver. This allows them to get credit for being on the call. They do this because they don't have enough staffing but they still want to respond. Does this sound like horseshit to you? It sure does to me and that's why I don't volunteer in my hometown.

On scene I see one of the regular drunks from town being manhandled by the police. The police are having a bit of trouble. She's got a series of pins with an external fixative device in her right wrist. It seems that the last time she stopped taking her anti-psychotics and started drinking up a storm, she fell and shattered her wrist. On request of the officers restraining her, the first thing we do is put a mask on her. She's spitting and purposefully "Coughing" on the officers. Charming!

She's handcuffed and strapped into my stretcher and off we go. I'm in the back with the officer Pretty easy call except for the smells and the constant demands from the patient. "You HAVE to let me go!" "I can't BE here!"

At the hospital, she's greeted like the regular she is. We transfer her to a bed, strap her down and take off.

Yippee! I dash home and get ready for the weekend blues festival in my town.

--maddog