How often do EMS crews show up to your dept unannounced?

I have only worked ED for 2 years and havent heard of it happing at all. We have gotten reports with an ETA of 1-2 min. I know any of the charges I work with would be more than angry if EMS showed without report.

I've known critical care nurses to voice similar complaints about ED nurses who bring patients to the unit with little notice and/or incomplete reports. But y'know what, it happens man. The ED can get a little crazy and they can't always wrap my patients with a pretty bow on top. Sometimes the work environment sucks and prevents us from performing ideally. That goes for both nurses and EMTs.

Has not happened in the 3 years I've been in our ED.

Happened twice the other day. The same company called report to another ED and then showed up at our ED. Neither crew bothered to pay attention to the name of the initial facility they called. Yes, they were reported.

Well I have now seen this from both sides. I worked as a paramedic from 1992 to about a month ago, in that time I have given many radio reports and to be honest, most were pretty pointless. Unless I was calling in to speak to an MD for orders beyond protocol I thought reports should be done away with other than for notification on codes, or higher acuity that will require more resources. After being in the ED since June, I still feel this way, most reports are pointless. The ED I work in is almost always packed (19 beds and room for 7 hall beds). So really if EMS calls in with anything other than codes or high acuity nothing is done with it other than telling triage they can't have the bed for the random ailment they are about to use it for that should have been handled by a primary care MD. The system I am originally from I think did it best, Methodist in Indianapolis had a nurse assigned to ambulance triage. When a unit came in there was only a radio call for orders, and advanced warning of codes, cardiac alerts, and trauma alerts. It removed a lot of wasted time of going through a radio report (on both sides of the microphone).

we only get ems calls from private companies, trauma alerts/activations. and cardiac/resp arrest.
other than that, they just show up. the charge takes a very quick report, and decides triage or bed.
the crew then gives the full report (hopefully) to the nurse caring for the pt. it works for us.

when im on the road the only time i dont call ahead was because i was down the block. i work in nyc and sometimes the worse jobs happen steps away from the hospital. the times it has happened im always apologetic and help out as much as i can. beibg on the other side as a nurse ive gotten much respect in my ER..

We get city, county, pueblo volunteer services, private services, and only a few ever miss calling ahead. Unfortunately, some nursing homes are less than 2 minutes away, and by the time they call report they're already pulling in. Also, we don't have the greatest equipment, so sometimes the radio call just doesn't get through.