wig-wags n.— «I’ve had folks tell me that the first thing they saw when I was approaching was the headlights wig-wag: way before my halogen light bar or sealed beam red/blue wig-wags.…Anyone can flash their headlights, but only emergency vehicles...
wig-wags
n.— «Headlights on during the day—yes. Wig-wags on during the day—yes.» —“Re: headlights, was Re: CODE 3 transport” by Emergency Services Discussion List Usenet: misc.emerg-services Aug. 10, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
DUSTOFF n.— «In the combat zone, clearing companies treated sick and wounded soldiers and treated civilians under MEDCAP (Medical Civic Action Program) Wounded were transported by Air Ambulance (DUSTOFF) or Med EVAC to surgical hospitals...
Bitching Betty n.— «When the technicians throw an emergency into the program, the pilots become familiar with the female voice—known universally to pilots as “Bitching Betty”—that announces the problem automatically into their headsets.» —“The...
piggyback transplant n.— «Jackson had an emergency heart transplant in 1991. Doctors put the new heart beside the old one. The procedure, called a heterotopic transplant, is much rarer than the traditional orthotopic transplant, where the native...
mop and glow v. phr. attributively, connoting hazardous materials clean-up, especially when applied to emergency services personnel. Etymological Note: Probably influenced by “Mop & Glo,” a strong-smelling household floor cleaner manufactured by...