Fire service, EMS, rescue good luck charms, signs of bad luck, superstitions and traditions

As part of my MS degree in emergency services, I am writing a book on emergency services superstitions, luck charms, things that are believed to bring disaster, etc. I'd love to hear what you have to share. For me, even though its a police thing, I carry the St. Michael's medal that my father wore during 37 years as a sheriff's deputy/detective.

So, share away...

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Permalink Reply by Arkymedic on February 3, 2008 at 6:42pm
Codes definately do come in 3s
Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on February 3, 2008 at 9:37pm
Oh yes the clean engine...my variation is washing my car; that guarantees another trip up or down a dirt road or two later the same day.
Permalink Reply by Arkymedic on February 3, 2008 at 9:56pm
I believe this superstition about taking boots off or going to bed early too Scott.
Permalink Reply by Mike W. on February 3, 2008 at 11:17pm
I am the last to bed. It seems that we always catch a call between 2300 hrs and 0100 hrs. I find that it is more difficult to fall back to sleep when you are awakened more than once at night. I figure that if I am the last to fall asleep....around 0100 and we do catch another call, I should be able to fall back to sleep when I get back.

You guys are also right about the phrase, "It sure has been a quiet day." I could kill anybody that has the audacity to make that comment. Leave it alone and enjoy the ride.
Permalink Reply by ILDisasterEMT on February 3, 2008 at 11:33pm
Well, I shouldnt say this, but in the interest of the Brotherhood:

I got labeled a ""sh** magnet" on my very first EMS shift because I used that word. 5 minutes after the shift, our first tone dropped for an elderly woman with a basilar skull fracture who died. Next call was a code that didnt make it. The 24 hour shift went on like this for the whole shift...except the 24 hours became 36 with 57 call outs, 9 involving babies. The only good thing of the night was that I got to deliver by first baby. My partner and I got an EMT only/BLS call out to a woman who just wanted to be check for possible braxton-hicks so she could quit worrying and go back to sleep. As we came through the door, her water broke and my partner got all grey and muttered something about "I dont know nothin' bout birthin' no babies" and sort of wandered out to the rig. I grabbed the radio and called for an ALS intercept and then explained to the mother that it meant that we would head for the hopital (eta 35-40 minutes) and she said, "I dont think its going to take that long." I reassured her that deliveries always take longer than we think they will just as I looked down and saw junior crowning. My partner reappeared with the sterile obie/gynie kits and I suited up, thinking at that point that the ob/gyn ppe was not unlike a hazmat suit. 7 minutes on scene and we had a baby. The family had a last name that started with T (for hipaa I wont say what it was) and the baby boy got the name Ernest Michael T. Initials:EMT. All because I said I wondered if it would be a q**** night. My partner made the mistake of saying it once after that and we had to wash the stink of the curse off him with a high pressure hose.

Also, I never carry any luck charms that I bought myself. I will only carry things given to me by others, like my EMT prayer coin, which I once lost when it fell onto the patients stretcher out of my pocket and two days later she showed up at the station with it to return it to me. So now I REALLY never go out without it. I also have one of the "1 a** to risk" patches (1/* is the logo) sewn inside the navy blue boonie i wear for EMS. I dont run a call without that boonie with the patch sewn in. It is totally not regulation, but my EMS command medic gave up trying to get me to stop wearing it a long time ago. I put a SOL pin on it and that made him feel better. I guess I have more charms than I think I do because I never run a call with my SOL pin that I got when I graduated from EMT school pinned to my work shirt collar. By the way...since I am writing a book on emergency services superstitions, charms, etc if you would like to have yours included or have the story about it included, etc, please email me at zenemt@hotmail.com giving me permission to use your story and or your name or initials and your departments name or whatever and if you would like, send me along your favorite picture of yourself in fire/ems gear and your good luck charm and they will go in the book. But Im not gonna print anything without anyones permission, so fill up that mailbox.
Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on February 3, 2008 at 11:50pm
Wow I must be the worst of all of you for superstuitions , my florian medal and card are nextto my door on the wall, when i leave for work..my dad's and many brothers mass cards are in my locker door.. asfar as "going to bed B4 midnight(on my company) if my rear touches the bed the lights come on....My average is 3 to 5 if we only do 5 runs, then either I ride the 6th with the next shift or the shift goes outJ just at "grey" time when I have justbe relieved and my guys are still on...lol

Back In my Volly days I had a "thing" ... IF I saw the clock that said it was say, 2121 hrs or 11:11, 2222hrs etc, we caught not a run, But a structural fire, IF I let the cat outta the bag it jinxed it.. But it was reliable enough that some of the guys I told about it believed me... lol it still happens occasionally...My rookies are told, when i gear up, they better be ready to rock.. .lol...
Permalink Reply by Bobby King on February 3, 2008 at 11:50pm
I dont know if this helps but here goes

St Michael is the Patron Saint of EMTs Paramedics and Police as well as Soldiers
St Gabriel is the Patron Saint of Emergency Dispatchers
St Florian is the Patron Saint of Firefighters

And as far as charms go .. I wear a Necklace with St Michael St Florian and St Christopher around My neck
I keep a Rosary in My pocket (Im Catholic too) Shamrock on My helmet and My Nephews Picture inside My helmet

King
Permalink Reply by ILDisasterEMT on February 3, 2008 at 11:52pm
I almost forgot...when i am running as an EMT for the shift, I sleep with my boots on. I have a pair of 8" Bates EMS-Enforcers with side zippers, I just unzip them and leave them on when I go to bed. I also wont sleep with a synthetic blanket or pillow. Has to be cotton, down, wool, etc. No polyesters for me.
Permalink Reply by Greenman on February 4, 2008 at 10:36pm

I'm not superstitious at all, but I do have a pair of reflective "eyes" on the back of each of my helmets (Firefighting and Motorcycling) to remind me that I have to have "eyes in the back of my head" if I want to go home safe and sound.
Permalink Reply by Mike Simmons on February 4, 2008 at 11:36pm
Though not devoutly religious, I always carried a copy of the fireman's prayer wrapped around a pic of my wife & kids.
Permalink Reply by JO JO on February 5, 2008 at 12:11am
For me testing brings fires!! I just got out of the academy a few months ago and it took 4 weeks to finish all of our practical testing because every time we got together to test we had a house fire. Since the academy testing got over we haven't had a fire yet!!!
Permalink Reply by john orndorff on February 5, 2008 at 12:29pm
i wear a ST. Florian & a cross 24/7. also we do NOT wash our Attack/Brush truck at work the last time we got 13 spot fires that was a totle of 11 acres and spaned 1 1/2 miles and endangered 30 homes. it was also the shift captians falt because he made the statement of "now its clean you have to use it"

STAY SAFE AND KEEP IT BETWEEN THE LINES

LJB

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