Calling 911
Anyone can call 911 in a medical emergency, including kids.
REALITY – You do not have to be an adult to save a life. If someone is badly hurt or very sick, any child can be the hero who calls for help.
Washing a scraped knee with soap and clean water is better than putting harsh chemicals or rubbing alcohol on it.
REALITY – Plain soap and clean water are highly effective at cleaning dirt out of minor wounds without damaging the skin tissues like rubbing alcohol can.
Ambulances carry oxygen tanks to help people breathe.
REALITY – They have built-in oxygen systems and portable tanks to give extra oxygen to patients who are having asthma attacks or trouble breathing.
Paramedics only drive the ambulance; they don't do medical work.
MYTH – They assess patients, give medications, start IVs, bandage wounds, and make huge medical decisions under pressure.
If someone is bleeding badly, you should press down hard on the wound with a clean cloth.
REALITY – Applying direct, firm pressure is the best and fastest way to slow down or stop severe bleeding until EMS arrives.
It's okay to call 911 if you lose your favorite toy and feel sad.
MYTH – 911 is strictly for physical medical emergencies or dangerous situations. Calling for fun or minor things can block someone who really needs help.
Letting a pet dog lick an open cut is a great way to clean it.
MYTH – Animal mouths carry lots of bacteria. Letting a pet lick a wound can introduce germs and cause a bad infection.
The flashing lights and sirens on an ambulance are just for show.
MYTH – They are legal warnings to alert other drivers to pull over to the right and stop so the ambulance can get through traffic quickly and safely.
You should be scared of paramedics because they want to hurt you with big needles.
MYTH – Paramedics are safe community helpers. If they have to use a needle, it is only to deliver medicine that will make you feel better or save your life.
If someone is overheated on a hot summer day, moving them into the shade and giving them small sips of water can help.
REALITY – This helps cool their body down slowly. If they look very confused or stop sweating, it's an EMS emergency!
If you accidentally call 911, you should hang up right away.
MYTH – Never hang up! Stay on the line and tell the operator it was an accident so they know you are safe. If you hang up, they will send help to check on you.
If a person twists their ankle, keeping it still, resting it, and putting an ice pack on it can help until a medical helper looks at it.
REALITY – This follows the classic first aid rule (R.I.C.E. - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to protect the joint from further hurt.
An ambulance is a rolling emergency room filled with life-saving equipment, monitors, and medicine.
REALITY – It is definitely not just a fast taxi! Medical treatment starts the second the paramedics arrive on the scene and continues all the way to the hospital.
EMS crews have to work in teams.
REALITY – They always work in pairs or larger groups because saving a life requires a lot of communication, hands-on help, and teamwork.
If someone choke and cannot talk, cough, or breathe, you should perform the Heimlich Maneuver (abdominal thrusts).
REALITY – If they can't make a sound, their airway is fully blocked. Quick, upward thrusts to the belly can pop the food out like a cork.
The 911 operator will stay on the phone with you until the ambulance arrives.
REALITY – They will stay on the line to keep you calm, give you instructions on how to help, and track exactly when the ambulance will arrive.
Putting real butter on a kitchen burn will help it cool down and heal.
MYTH – Butter or oil will trap the heat and make the burn worse! The best EMS-approved step is to run cool (not freezing) water over the burn for several minutes.
Everyone inside an ambulance gets to ride sitting up in a regular seat.
MYTH – Patients lie down safely on a special rolling bed called a stretcher or cot, secured with safety straps.
Even adult paramedics can feel nervous during a big emergency.
REALITY – It is totally normal to feel nervous or scared. Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared; it means you know how to focus and help anyway!
If a person is having a medical emergency, the very first step you should take is to look for danger to make sure the area is safe for you.
REALITY – "Scene safety" is the #1 rule in EMS. You cannot help someone else if you get hurt too!
911 dispatchers can give you step-by-step instructions on how to do CPR over the phone.
REALITY – Even if you've never taken a first aid class, the operator is trained to coach you out loud and tell you exactly how to help a patient until the ambulance arrives.
If you get a bad nosebleed, you should tilt your head all the way back.
MYTH – Tilting your head back makes the blood run down your throat, which can cause choking or upset your stomach. Instead, lean slightly forward and pinch the soft part of your nose.
The back of an ambulance is designed without a rearview mirror because the paramedics need that wall space for medical cabinets.
REALITY – Because the patient compartment is completely blocked by medical supplies, equipment, and cabinets, the driver can't see out a back window and must rely entirely on big side mirrors and backup cameras!
EMTs and Paramedics do all their medical work inside the hospital walls.
MYTH – Their entire job is to bring the hospital to you. They treat patients on sidewalks, inside houses, in parks, and in the back of the moving ambulance.
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) speaks out loud to tell you exactly how to use it.
REALITY – Modern AEDs use a clear electronic voice to guide you step-by-step, telling you exactly where to place the pads and when to step back.
911 dispatchers automatically know your exact room number inside a giant school or hotel.
MYTH – While modern technology helps trace your general area, it isn’t perfect. The most important thing you can tell a dispatcher is your exact address and where you are in the building.
Putting ice directly onto a bare skin injury for an hour straight is the best way to stop swelling.
MYTH – Putting ice directly on bare skin for too long can cause frostbite! Wrap the ice in a towel and only leave it on for 15-20 minutes at a time.
If an ambulance is driving down the road with its lights and sirens turned off, it means it is broken.
MYTH – It just means they aren't driving to an urgent emergency at that moment, or they are driving a patient who is stable and doesn't need a rushed, bumpy ride.
Paramedics and EMTs are exactly the same thing.
MYTH – They are both life-saving heroes, but Paramedics go to school much longer and are trained to do advanced medical procedures, give more medications, and use more complex equipment.
CPR can restart a stopped heart completely on its own.
MYTH – CPR acts like a manual pump to keep oxygen-rich blood moving to the brain. An AED or advanced medical team is usually needed to fix the heart's actual rhythm.
Dispatchers send the closest available ambulance to your location, even if it comes from a different neighborhood.
REALITY – They use live GPS tracking to make sure whichever crew can physically reach you the fastest is the one that gets dispatched.
Sucking the venom out of a snakebite with your mouth is the best way to treat it.
MYTH – This only works in movies. In reality, it spreads bacteria and doesn't help. Keep the person calm, keep the bite area still, and call 911 immediately.
Ambulances carry special medication that can reverse a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.
REALITY – They carry epinephrine (EpiPens) and other fast-acting medications to quickly stop dangerous allergic reactions from things like bee stings or food allergies.
Paramedics can prescribe you medicine to take for a cold.
MYTH – Paramedics only give emergency medicine on the scene to stabilize you. For regular medicines or sicknesses like a cold, you have to see a regular doctor.
If someone faints or passes out, you should vigorously shake them to wake them up.
MYTH – Shaking someone can cause injury. Instead, check if they are breathing, call 911, and shout their name or tap their shoulders.
The dispatcher stops talking to you and hangs up once they press the button to send the ambulance.
MYTH – They actually send the ambulance while they are still talking to you. They will keep asking questions to gather clues so the paramedics know exactly what equipment to grab before they walk through the door.
You should use a tourniquet (a tight band tied around an arm or leg) for a tiny scratch that is barely bleeding.
MYTH – Tourniquets are strictly for severe, life-threatening bleeding that won't stop with pressure. Minor cuts just need a little pressure and a band-aid.
The big computer monitor in the ambulance only checks a person's body temperature.
MYTH – That monitor is a complex machine (called a cardiac monitor) that tracks heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and can even print out a live picture of how the heart is beating.
EMS workers stay awake all night to be ready for emergencies.
REALITY – Emergency medical workers work in shifts—some day, some night. EMS stations operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If someone is having a seizure, you should put a spoon in their mouth so they don't swallow their tongue.
MYTH – You can never swallow your tongue, and putting objects in their mouth can cause choking or broken teeth. Just clear the area around them so they don't hit anything hard.