Special Emergency Lingo

In Population 485 I wrote of the little lady who called the ambulance and was then ready and waiting on her porch with packed suitcase at her side.  Fellow named Steve emailed me to say his buddy Rusty (EMS long-timer) calls that a “Positive Samsonite.”

In related news, I figured I’d heard of every rescue mnemonic under the sun, until a guy approached me at a reading this spring and asked me if I knew what “BSDS” stood for.  He said it was reserved for those real nasty calls that are such a mess you just stand there a second, trying to figure your best move.

I thought it over.  Couldn’t get it.

“BSDS,” he said, with a big grin.  “Better Start Doin’ Somethin’!”

Yessir.  Been there.