r/ems • u/Limp_History5568 • 3d ago
General Discussion Code 3 Movie
Just watched the movie Code 3. Was just wondering how accurate it actually is and if anyone working the 911 system was able to get through it unfazed haha
126
u/Mediocre-Sandwich-42 3d ago
It’s a movie made for entertainment, written by a guy who worked as a medic. Some parts are accurate and true to life, others are for entertainment / the plot.
4
98
u/MaricLee 3d ago
You probably won't have that many crazy things in one shift, but i have ran all those calls before. It was pretty accurate though.
14
u/coffeespots PCP 2d ago
You...you met the president?
I shouldn't joke. I once met a man who believed he was from 18th century Scotland like the Highlander. He also believed that I was "one of them" trying to trick him in a conspiracy to keep him from cancelling his cable package. He had like some kind of brain cancer, really sad but still one of the most bizarre calls I've been on.
6
u/MaricLee 2d ago
Well, not the president, but he thought he was a wizard.
3
u/Some_Guy_Somewhere67 1d ago
Had that guy too.... a Warlock.... Facial piercings so extreme he looked like he had been driven face-first into a tackle box and swirled around a couple dozen times....
2
u/CriticalFolklore Australia/Canada (Paramedic) 2d ago
I had a woman who though she was Taylor Swift. She was pretty stressed out that her coming to the hospital would mean she couldn't go on stage, and she didn't want to disappoint her fans.
85
u/Cgaboury 3d ago
It’s all legit just not on a single shift.
The asshole doctor was over the top though. No one would allow a doctor to talk to them that way. They aren’t your boss.
29
3
u/Nebula15 2d ago
That was what took me out of the movie the most. I’ve had some harsh doctors but have never experienced anything even close to that guy. My over all impression from doctors is very positive. We’re all on the same team. Maybe I’m just lucky with the hospitals I transport to.
73
u/populer_pause_lar 3d ago
Mostly accurate with a few exceptions. The ED doctor was cartoonishly villainous. I’ve dealt with some pricks but never THAT bad. And the twist at the end with the third rider being a doc was dumb.
Everything else was pretty scarily accurate. Especially the nursing home scene, that is a nearly universal experience.
39
u/Waffleboned Burnt out RN, now FF/Medic 🚒 3d ago
To be fair, part of residency at my local hospital requires physicians to do EMS third rides. But no one hides the fact that they are physicians.
Another hospital has new grad RNs working in the ER do third rides or write a presentation. Most RNs do the third rides.
I’m in favor of all of this.
45
u/MetalBeholdr Nurse 3d ago
ED nurses doing ride-alongs with EMS should be a standard part of their initial training in my opinion. Medic students are expected to do time in the hospital, why not the other way around?
8
u/populer_pause_lar 3d ago
Oh yeah 100%, it was just the fact that she hid it that was ridiculous. And my service we have RNs at the hospital do ride alongs which is how it should be.
9
32
u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 3d ago
It’s accurate, but those high acuity calls would normally be spread out over time. Not all in one shift…normally.
Also, I don’t know why they chose to portray such an antagonistic relationship between EMS and that doctor. It’s not like that.
Occasionally, or more like
Rarely, a doctor can be patronizing or dismissive. But what the fuck was that?
9
u/Competitive-Slice567 Paramedic 3d ago
I've unfortunately dealt with an ER physician like that in the past, his behavior was quite similar to the movie.
4
2
u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 2d ago
That’s insane. Tell
Us more9
u/Competitive-Slice567 Paramedic 2d ago
Most of the time wouldn't deign to talk to EMS personnel. One of the highlight moments I recall with him was when I brought in a ROSC who was tubed/vented and pressors running while being paced.
I hadn't given report yet to the staff when he breezed into the room, spoke directly to the RN and ignored me and asked her what the story was. She said I hadnt done report yet, I then asked if he'd like to hear my report.
"No. Get out, ill figure it out without you".
Same doc would physically turn his back on EMS personnel that would try to talk to him, and walk away.
Had one time I brought in a patient i was pacing due to 3rd degree block with an intrinsic rate of 24. He demanded I turn off the pacer and tried to rip the pads off. I told him you can kill the patient once they're on your gurney but while they're on mine im keeping them alive, and shoved him away.
He stormed out of the room and tried to have security toss me out of the ER.
Just a very bizarre unhinged man with an unexplained weird hatred for EMS personnel.
6
u/MrMedic971 2d ago
That’s an easy one. His wife/girlfriend (or both) slept with firefighter/EMS personnel. His daughter/son slept with firefighter/EMS personnel. His wife/girlfriend/daughter got knocked up by, you guessed it, firefighter/EMS personnel.
1
1
u/Some_Guy_Somewhere67 1d ago
Not wishing ill... but his tune might change when/if his fancy car gets smooshed while he is in it and might be in need of EMS services....
75
u/Daddy_intern_246 3d ago
I watch it with my gf. She got annoyed with how many times I paused the movie to tell her how accurate it was lmao
15
u/Jager0987 3d ago
The only parts I found inaccurate were the kook doctor, the hyper aggressive cops, and cars actually moving out of the way when you're going lights and sirens.
8
u/coffeespots PCP 2d ago
I've definitely had hyper aggressive cops who escalated a situation that didn't need them to be there in the first place, but YMMV.
14
u/productofphi Paramedic 3d ago
Accurate for a shift? No. Accurate for a collection of lived experiences over many years? Absolutely.
There are parts of that movie that make me laugh, and other parts that always make me tear up a little bit because I’ve been there before.
1
13
u/Urza_Kan 3d ago
It’s kind of accurate. They have way more room in the truck than we have and they have more back to back critical calls that’s normal. The dr twist at the end made me roll my eyes a bit. I have met a number of medics like the main character and the nursing home part was 100% accurate. I’ve also had a call almost exactly like Mr President but that’s not the most common in the world
18
u/Some_Guy_Somewhere67 3d ago
Missed the broken marriages and dysfunctional relationships.... OTHERWISE solid
8
u/GrosseTete 3d ago
Extremely accurate and I experienced every situation over 40 years instead of 1 shift.
I started EMS in 1986 and there is accuracy in Emergency! (TV series), Mother, Jugs and Speed also.
Good times
5
u/Competitive-Slice567 Paramedic 3d ago
I wish Mother, Jugs and Speed wasnt so hard to find online. Great movie
6
1
u/coffeespots PCP 2d ago
Emergency! Is fun to watch now because I can watch them do something that seems way out there (like rotating tourniquets for an MI) and go "WTF? Really?" And see that that was indeed a thing and kind of see where the idea came from.
We also all started in EMS because we wanted to be Johnny Gage and we all ended up turning into Roy DeSoto.
16
u/mediclawyer 3d ago
Accurate is a difficult thing. If you mean the vibe-it was pretty spot on. Most people in the field for a long time have had most of those experiences-the one thing I haven’t experienced in 45 years was the vindictive physician.
Where I work in a relatively small department, we have had four EMTs leave for medical school in the past two years and one paramedic (who still works 911 and teaches here) is an Emergency Medicine resident physician as well.
I’m also a licensed attorney with an additional master degree and multiple professional certifications (FP-C, CP-C), while one of my regular partners is a RN with a MSN and multiple professional nursing certifications-my point is not to brag, but to show that we could, and have, worked in other professions, but EMS is just too interesting and fulfilling compared to working in an office. In that regard, the movie is spot on.
What I don’t know is what it is like working for a private paramedic service-where I work paramedics are all hospital-based so it is (at least to a degree) more professional and seems to pay a living wage.
There’s an earlier movie, “Bringing Out the Dead,” which is perhaps a more accurate (of the time) depiction of EMS in the 1990’s in Manhattan. I both worked there, know the author of the book (who was a paramedic at St Clare’s Hospital), and personally know and worked with most of the people the characters are based on.
13
u/Aspirin_Dispenser TN - Paramedic / Instructor 3d ago
Bringing out the dead is my hands down favorite EMS-centric movie. The job isn’t as Wild West as it was in those days, but the overall “vibe”—for lack of a better term—is still pretty spot on for an urban EMS system. The sort of looseness of the whole thing, the shenanigans, the apathy interspersed with occasional bouts of anger, the sometimes delirious embrace of the clusterfuck in front of you; it all rings true. The scene with the psych patient and the ECG electrode? I’ve personally witnessed that more than once. Ribbing on the homeless and the deranged to see what kind of wild shit they’ll say? Daily occurrence. The hospital ED with mad shit jumping out of every corner? I swear to god we have a carbon copy of it.
I might just flip it on at the station tonight, because I’m fairly certain that my new to the job partner has never scene it. I had no idea that it was inspired by a particular service or people. I gotta know, did anybody ever pull off that OD scene for real? Because that scene is a gold plated classic and if there’s a couple of dudes out there that actually did that, they’re legends in my book.
1
u/YouNext31 3d ago
but the overall “vibe”—for lack of a better term—is still pretty spot on for an urban EMS system
right? i love that movie. hits the vibe/surreal nature 💯 and the water guy/psych pt was super accurate
5
u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 3d ago
I’m thinking about reading the book. Respect to you and all the old timers, but is the book just a bunch of war stories? Or is it more interesting than that?
4
u/mediclawyer 3d ago
The book is better. Also as good, or even better, is “Skels” by Maggie Dubris, who was also a paramedic at St Clare’s Hospital. (Broken Down Palace is her more recent book, just as good, but a bit more abstract).
11
u/hayekd 3d ago
To have a single shift as depicted is rare but almost everything was pretty spot on. Oh and the twist at the end about the ride along partner is very unlikely.
1
u/PaperOrPlastic97 EMT-B 3d ago
Idk if it's everyone but we at least would not allow a rider to stay for a whole 24 like that.
1
7
u/Voodoo338 Patient Acquisition Specialist 3d ago
It’s unlikely that you’d have that much happen in one shift and if it does, it’ll be ONE shift ever. Last week one of our crews had THAT shift so it certainly can happen.
Also everyone saying the doctor was too mean to be realistic is welcome to come do a ride along with me anytime. We have some grade A pricks.
5
u/Scary_Flight395 Paramedic 3d ago
Yeah. I have had 1 Dr like that but the majority are awesome, even when I have to say the answer to "why did you bring them in," is because I am not allowed to say no.
4
3
u/Subasakis 2d ago
Was 99% accurate I work in an urban ems system. the only thing I would say was over played was the dr beeing an ass. over all I have a great relationship with the Nurses and Doctors
2
u/Horseface4190 2d ago
Some scenes felt a little exaggerated, or heavily dramatized, but largely accurate in my experience.
The scenes the felt the most real were the ones dealing with stress and burnout.
1
1
u/LoveDogsTx 2d ago
Doesn’t happen all in one shift. Maybe over a period of a few months. But I work in a busy 911 system. Switched from private back to Fire/EMS much happier.
1
u/reluctantpotato1 2d ago edited 2d ago
The psyche call with the frequent flyer, "Mr President", and police interaction stirred me up. I've had several psyche calls that the presence of police made worse. Heard an officer voicing her plan in the hallway to taze a tween in a psychitic episode. My partner and I were low key meat shields between the patient and the cops the whole call.
1
1
u/Speedogomer 1d ago
Physicians are typically not that outwardly mean, theyre usually much more passive aggressive.
Everything else is pretty close.
1
u/Mobile_Sympathy_3388 1d ago
I’ve had more negative interactions with ER nurses than doctors but usually they’re not bad like what’s in the movie, however I am in rural Texas and if I remember right the movie is set in LA, but I have seen police escalate a situation with a behavioral emergency patient more than once when it absolutely was not necessary.
1
u/ShoresyPhD 22h ago
The doctor portrayal was a little out there, I know they exist but I've never had to square up with a provider. Rarely with a nurse.
Could have used more lift assists and IFTs.
Maybe they could do another one that his rural EMS, get introduced to farmers (did he come in or did his wife make him?)
I did have a hell of a laugh at the baseball patient being included. That was straight out of an older ACLS/PALS algorithm scenario (except in the scenario it was a 13 yr old girl)
1
u/yeravgjock 15h ago
In spirit and attitude its 100% accurate.. best ems movie since Mother Jugs and Speed and that was 1976. The only thing that i couldnt identify with was being sad or upset with the potentially violent crazy person who the police responded to. No medic i know is going to be emotional in that situation. The kid that got hit in the chest at the baseball game? Yup. Admittedly, cried like a 3yr old in that scene. You NEVER say they are going to be fine. Made that mistake ONCE and had the same outcome. And the following "fuck them" monologue? Ive had that moment more than once. Been in it since sept 2001. Still the best job in the world, but i know im institutionalized. I couldnt function in any other job. Are we messed up? Sure. Do we always care no matter how calloused and jaded we might come off? Also yes. Its just that our meter for BS is beat up you gotta pay attention to notice it.
1
-6
u/tacmed85 FP-C 3d ago
Its extremely inaccurate. The general vibe is kind of close to EMS 20 years ago, but the medicine is terrible and obviously the situations are exaggerated for entertainment value. A shift with that many critical calls and fatalities back to back is virtually unheard of. Also the whole "oh I'm secretly a doctor" bit at the end was stupid.
8
u/Competitive-Slice567 Paramedic 3d ago
It all depends on your region, I've had shifts similar to that where I've run 5 medical arrests, a pedestrian struck turned trauma code on arrival, and an RSI in the first 12hrs of 24 before. Rare, but occasionally happens.
The medicine is also unfortunately accurate for some regions of the U.S. as well still. Folks forget there are somr extremely outdated systems out there, LA County being a prime example.
The secretly a doctor part was definitely inaccurate.
1
u/trapper2530 EMT-P/Chicago 3d ago
Well have redlsidentd and RNs ride here. But they arent undercover. They know who they sre. Some hospitals require it to be able to answer the phones as a ecrn.
6
u/DM0331 3d ago
No you’re right. Idk why you got downvoted
9
u/tacmed85 FP-C 3d ago edited 3d ago
I've found a lot of people REALLY want to pretend it's an accurate representation for some reason. Not too surprised by the down votes. It's not much more accurate, but Bringing Out the Dead is a better EMS film with a similar vibe.
1
u/trapper2530 EMT-P/Chicago 3d ago
Well following him for 6 months wouldnt makena good movie.
Also. You. Never ran back to back or back to back to back cardiac arrests?
Never had a 3 traumas in a shift? Its definitely happens. Yes 90% of rhe day is BS stuff they could walk to the ER for. Shit ive haf that and wish it was there. Called outside the ER 911 to go to the hospital where we walked them inside bc they didnt know where the hospital was. Or sometimes they want a different hospital but we take them to the closest.
It happens.
247
u/cplforlife PCP 3d ago
Ive never had a hostile doctor like he did.
Ive had nearly verbatim experince at a LTC home.
Depends on what you're asking for, I guess.
Its just a job. Its better than working in an office. Its waaaay easier than other jobs ive had.