'T'was the night before Christmas and all through our town
Ambulances sat quietly-call volume was down.
Controllers and medics, without any calls
All settled all cosy within station walls.

The town grew silent as the night grew deep
My partner and I settled in for some sleep.
But no sooner dreaming in our beds were we,
When control awoke us, crying, "Code 1 Hurry! "

The call had come in for an RTC;
Some nutcase claimed he'd hit Santa's sleigh!
"Head trauma," we thought, as we gathered our gear,
"Or maybe a drunk driver - it's that time of year."

As we raced to the scene with our sirens and lights,
We hoped for the best, tonight of all nights.
We had no idea we were in for a surprise
And, on arrival, couldn't believe our own eyes.

I said to my partner, "This must be a trick!
That man in the ditch just can't be St. Nick!"
A smashed-up sleigh! Toys thrown far and near!
And off to the side, a group of reindeer!

The driver of the car, with a bump on his head
Was crying and told us he wished he was dead.
"Oh, why did I have that one extra beer?
Now I've killed Santa - no Christmas this year!"

By now we'd decided that this was too strange,
So we tried to call backup, but were out of range.
"No radio contact," to my partner I said,
"I'll check that one while you dress this one's head."

I approached the man in the ditch with great care.
He was dressed so oddly - he gave me a scare.
He wore a red suit and a strange kind of hat.
I thought to myself, "Who dresses like that?"

Then he opened his eyes and said, "Do not fear.
Just please help me up - I must catch my reindeer."
I said, "The reindeer are fine, but stay where you are.
You've taken a pretty hard hit from that car."

I didn't want to leave him, so I let out a holler:
"We're gonna need backboard, head blocks and collar!"
As we worked, the man cried, "No! Please don't strap me down.
I have toys to deliver all over town!

All the children tonight are depending on me
To get their presents under the Christmas tree."
"I'm sorry," I told him, as I shook my head sadly,
"You're going to the hospital - you've been hurt too badly."

He looked up at me and wiped away a tear
"Then you must bring the Christmas presents this year!"
"Visit every child's home in this town?" asked I.
"Sir, you must think I can make an ambulance fly!"

I thought I had made a serious blunder,
For his eyes grew steely, and his voice was like thunder.
"Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen,
Come Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen!

Hitch onto that ambo and take to the sky
For tonight, indeed, an ambulance will fly!"
I just shook my head as we loaded him in,
Then climbed in the cab and I just had to grin.

There were the reindeer, all in a row,
In front of the ambo as if ready to go.
"That's cute," I thought. "I'll just go around."
But then they took off and our wheels left the ground!

Away we went, up over the trees,
Sailing along as light as a breeze.
We touched down on rooftops, delivering toys,
Dropping gifts for good little girls and boys.

We stopped briefly in the hospital's ambulance bay
wheeled him to casualty - and hoped he'd stay.
"We'll call in a report later," we said on our way.
"This man's turned our ambulance into a sleigh!"

Then off we flew, all through the night,
Delivering toys till the dawn's first light.
Finally, at our station, we headed down,
Both of us happy to be on the ground.

Control was mad, but the more we explained,
The less they believed us and the more they complained.
So we sat in our quarters - boy, were we in trouble!
We turned on the news and perked up on the double.

As the tv crew interviewed people around town,
It seems that some very strange things had gone down.
Tyre tracks upon a rooftop were seen.
and children said, "This year, Santa wore green!"

I grinned at my partner and said, "tis no mystery!
This Christmas we will go down in EMS history!"
​
Happy Christmas to all Emergency Service personnel who are working this Christmas