Report Number: 05-0000147
Report Date: 05/27/2005
Event Description
I responded as part of an ALS crew for a heart attack. We arrived on the scene and were greeted by a group of small children standing on the front porch flagging us down and flashing the porch light. The PMIC commented that it looked like "grandpa must be having the big one."
The two medics grabbed gear and headed into the house. I grabbed the portable radio and followed behind. When I walked in the house I observed the charge medic seated across from a man about 30 years old, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. I excused myself as I walked by and took a position in the corner of the kitchen. I set the portable on a chest freezer and turned around. As I scanned the room I noticed for the first time that the table area and kitchen had been trashed.
The "victim" started breathing more heavily and started chanting "I don't want to hurt anybody, I don't want to hurt anybody," over and over, getting louder and louder. He then stood up abruptly, started yelling and kicked his chair. The children screamed and ran down the hallway to their bedrooms. The charge medic said, "Ok, that's it, we're outta here." He and the other medic headed for the door. I grabbed the portable but was cut off by the victim. He squared off facing me and prevented me from getting past. I was able to get over to his wife. She whispered to me that if he could only find a job, everything would be alright. I told her we needed to get the hell out of here. He started coming at us breathing heavily and grunting. I pushed her into the dining room out of the sight of her husband. We could hear him pulling the drawers out and throwing silverware and utensils around. I told the wife to head for the living room so we could exit by the main hall. I could hear the charge medic calling for police help, stating there was a firefighter trapped in the house with a violent mental patient.
As the wife and I came down the front hall, the patient stepped into the hall and cut off our escape. We retreated back into the living room and he returned to the kitchen and started throwing silverware around again. I saw the charge medic coming toward the front door. I told the wife to stay in the hallway and I moved up to the intersection of the bedroom hallway and front hallway. The charge medic opened the front door and we both called for the kids to come out of their bedrooms. As they came down the hall, I passed them to the charge medic and he took them outside. The patient continued to tear the kitchen apart.
As the last child was passed, the patient came back into the hallway. I backed up and he went back into the kitchen. Everything got very quiet so I walked down the hallway with the wife in tow. As we got to the intersection of the kitchen and hallway, the patient came at us. I pushed the wife out the front door and retreated down the front hall again. I could hear him chanting again and throwing things around the kitchen and decided I could make it out of the house.
As I reached the hallway intersection again, he came out of the kitchen and threw a punch. His fist hit the wall and stopped his momentum. I took the opportunity to make my escape and ran out the front door. The police arrived a short time later and took the patient into protective custody.
Lesson Learned
Never take any call as routine. What you find when you arrive is not exactly what is happening. Maintaining situational awareness at all times is essential.
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