Compassion Cost You Nothing

Dispatched & Dysfunctional

Compassion Costs You Nothing

Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories.

Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever.

🚑 Toe pain at 3 a.m.? Another chest pain repeat? You know the ones. The regulars. The patients we sigh about as we climb into the rig. The ones we roll our eyes at — until the day they’re gone.

This episode isn’t about blood and trauma. It’s about the calls we almost didn’t care about — and the ones that still haunt us years later. A woman who laughed so hard we made her piss herself. Another we found too late, phone still clutched in her hand.

And it’s about us — the medics, firefighters, and officers who stop seeing people. Who get hardened. Bitter. Burned out. The ones who let compassion slip away because we think we don’t need it anymore.

But this job has a way of teaching you the hard truth: compassion doesn’t cost you a damn thing. And losing it? That costs everything.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: Graphic EMS content, death, mental health, and dark humor. Listener discretion advised.

Why It Matters:
Because the “small” calls matter too. The frequent flyer. The late-night regular. The ones we think are wasting our time — until the day they’re not. Compassion is what keeps us human, and the day we lose it is the day this job takes more than it gives. Sometimes the greatest danger in EMS isn’t blood loss or trauma — it’s forgetting that every call is someone’s worst day.

🧠 Need support?
Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

💬 “I’d rather hear your story than read your eulogy.”

📬 Want to share your story?
Visit critical-run.com or message us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional

🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional
🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent
🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).
⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.
Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.
This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.
Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.