Third Time's The Charm

Black ice all over the county. Car crashes happening everywhere. Over the radio, dispatch sent probably 30 ambulances in 30 minutes to accidents - lots of rollovers.

Then we got one. Lights and sirens down icy roads. Luckily we got canceled by PD (police) - no injuries. Back to the station to catch breakfast. Radio pager goes off again, and we get dispatched to the same road, same intersection. "Probably the same car in the ditch, and the caller didn't bother to stop," my partner said knowingly. Yep, about five minutes down the road, we get canceled again.

Dispatch, not known for making jokes, sent us a text message on the MDT (the computer system in the ambulance that provides most of the call information), "Perhaps I should just stage you in the area." We have a good laugh and head back to finish breakfast.

After eating, I'm just about to finish some station duties when we get another call. Same road, same intersection. "Oh, come on..." we said as we started down the road, "Not again!"

My partner picked up the radio to ask dispatch if this is, yet again, the same accident. She glanced at the MDT and read the notes. "NOT THE SAME ACCIDENT. THIS IS A SEPARATE ACCIDENT!"

Whoa! So off we went to save the day. Lady lost control on the same stretch of ice, spun out, and hit a tree. Probable broken wrist. Lucky.

We had to backboard her and carry her out of the woods to the stretcher on the side of the road.

Be careful out there when you drive. Icy roads can be very deceptive and really dangerous.