When the unthinkable happens: 2024’s most unbelievable EMS calls

Inside EMS

This year, EMS brought more than its fair share of jaw-dropping moments, and as we wrap up 2024, we’re revisiting five of the craziest stories that made headlines. From a massive chemical plant fire in Texas prompting a shelter-in-place order, to a sand hole tragedy on a Florida beach, these events highlight the unpredictability of EMS work.

Ever had a crash victim ejected so far from their vehicle, they landed on a roof? That’s exactly what happened in Michigan. Or a tractor-trailer cab dangling precariously off a bridge? Louisville firefighters made a daring rescue of a semi-driver in just such a predicament. And let’s not forget the aquarium at a Texas hospital that literally cushioned the blow of a car crashing into the ER. Turns out, those tropical fish weren’t just for decoration after all.

These stories remind us that no call is ever routine, and the unpredictable nature of EMS keeps us on our toes. It’s also a good reminder to revisit training and be ready for the “what-ifs,” from trench rescues to chemical response protocols.

Quotables

• “In public safety, everybody’s an expert about someone else’s call.”
• “If you work a wreck after midnight and don’t find a drunk, keep looking — someone is missing.”
• “The body can take a crazy amount of trauma and still survive.”
• “All I can think is some hospital administrator somewhere is saying, ‘See? That aquarium was worth it.’”
• “Dark humor isn’t always the best coping mechanism, but it’s how we survive the job.”

Top 5 craziest EMS calls of 2024

• Aquarium likely saved lives when car crashed into Texas ED
• 2 dead, dozens injured in hazmat leak at Texas refinery
• 911 calls from fatal Fla. sand hole collapse released
• Ejected in fiery crash, Mich. driver lands on roof of house
• Dash cam video shows Ky. truck left hanging off bridge after crash

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