Instant Emergency Response: Difference between revisions

 

Note: Cases where it's explicitly mentioned that an ambulance or fire truck simply happened to be nearby (known to emergency responders as a "running call") fit better under [[Contrived Coincidence]].

 

== Advertising ==

 

* Inverted in the case of most Filipino action films. The [[Tragic Hero]] usually has enough time for an elaborate pre-death speech before the cops / paramedics / what-have-you arrive. And usually, when they finally arrive, [[Foregone Conclusion|the hero has already passed on]].

* Averted in the 1974 version of ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]''. The big shock for the audience was ''the fire truck crashes as it is out on a run''.

* Averted in ''[[Clerks]] II''. {{spoiler|Dante calls the firemen thinking the Mooby's is on fire, but it's the smoke machine from the donkey show Randall has gotten as a going away present. They take so long Dante forgets calling them.}}

* Averted in one episode of ''[[Law and Order SVU]]'' when Olivia gets into a car accident with Elliot's (pregnant) wife, who goes into labor and has to be extracted from the car. It takes several minutes for the emergency response to arrive and an even longer time for her to actually be extracted. The show does play this straight at other times, though.

* Averted in the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' episode ''The Body''. Not only does the ambulance take a long time to arrive, but the sorrow of a relative of the [[Character Title|eponymous 'body']] is shown entirely during those long, long minutes.

* While response times were narrowed for obvious dramatic and show-length reasons, ''[[Emergency]]'' did generally avert instant response by indicating several minutes or more had passed between alarm and arrival. One episode which had a subplot of paramedics being pissed off because they were being called out to dinky non-emergencies had them commenting about the length of time it was taking units to arrive on a scene because the closest unit that should have responded was off on one of the the crap calls.

** This is [[Truth in Television]]. People call 911 (or their equivalent emergency number) for non-emergency medical situations (this troper is a paramedic, and actually responded to a 911 call for a sinus infection). The consequence is that fewer fire/EMS units are left available for other true emergencies, such as car accidents, heart attacks, etc, and have to respond from a greater distance, increasing response times.

* Happens in an episode of ''[[Kamen Rider Black]]'', as an ambulance responds immediately to a car accident. The main characters find this odd because no police arrived on the scene, nor had anyone called for help. {{spoiler|It turns out to be part of a Golgom plot to "recruit" people for the ultimate terrorist army.}}

* [[Deconstructed]] at least twice in ''[[Burn Notice]]''. On one occasion, Michael's voiceover explains that to get the police to respond on your schedule, you have to call ahead. Mike's preferred method is to report a few minor crimes in a five-block radius.

 

== Literature ==

 

* In Cyberpunk 2020, the Trauma Team arrives after a random number of minutes. Usually pretty darn quick, as it is determined by d10 roll (and thus, 10 minutes is longest they can take), but this is justified as they fly in VTOL aircrafts and are not hindered by traffic - or building, for that matter.

** Unless your DM wants you to stay on the tracks, then the guards show up instantly when an unscripted fight starts.

* The DocWagon contract paramedics of ''[[Shadowrun]]'' are guaranteed to show up within ten minutes or their immediate treatment is free. There is no general reason to expect them much faster, though.

[[Category:Medical Drama]]

[[Category:Artistic License Medicine]]