Partner showed up reeking of booze...

[BigPoppaBlueDevil]

So, my partner showed up for our 0700 shift today and reeked of alcohol. I know he/she went out last night because a few coworkers were talking about their weekend plans at station earlier in the week. He/she was asleep on the station floor (no couches) when I arrived to clock in this morning and I noticed the smell as soon as we got in the rig. We had no calls holding so we drove a short distance to post. At the first (and thankfully only) stoplight we encountered, we needed to make a left turn. The light was green for through traffic but left turn lane had a red arrow. He/she stopped, then turned on the red arrow. Thankfully there was no oncoming traffic. I pointed out that the arrow was red and he/she said "What are you gonna do? Give me a ticket?"

So my question is, what am I supposed to do? He/she's probably not legally drunk anymore but smells like booze and I don't want to go into a hospital with him/her smelling like this. I haven't been with this company for very long and am not allowed to drive yet, so that option is out. Any suggestions? He/she is still passed out and we've been on for over an hour.

 

[Aidey]

Give them some gum, tell them they reek, and if it happens again you'll write them up.

It's a safe bet that first thing in the AM I'll be passed out for as long as possible, and I don't drink at all. So that isn't a very reliable indicator of anything.

I've also worked with plenty of people who had random space put moments while driving, no alcohol involved.

The reason I say this is because stuff like sleeping and minor traffic mistakes happen all the time, and (at least where I work) it wouldn't be cause for management to force the person to be tested.

 

[STXmedic]

Give them some gum, tell them they reek, and if it happens again you'll write them up.

It's a safe bet that first thing in the AM I'll be passed out for as long as possible, and I don't drink at all. So that isn't a very reliable indicator of anything.

I've also worked with plenty of people who had random space put moments while driving, no alcohol involved.

The reason I say this is because stuff like sleeping and minor traffic mistakes happen all the time, and (at least where I work) it wouldn't be cause for management to force the person to be tested.

So you're cool with your partner being tired/out of it, smelling of alcohol (very possibly still impaired), and driving you around code 3 to calls? Yup, seems like a good idea to me.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I would go out of service and call the supervisor.

More then likely my partner would then be tested for alcohol (breathalyzer). If the test comes back negative no harm no foul. He/she would probably be sent home for the day.

If the test comes back positive then something are defiantly going to happen.

Not going to risk my life by having my partner drive if he/she is running red lights.

 

[Code 3]

I would talk to your partner immediately and let them know your concerns. Explain they can either pick up the phone and call in sick for the day or you'll need to report it.

 

[medictinysc]

So, my partner showed up for our 0700 shift today and reeked of alcohol. I know he/she went out last night because a few coworkers were talking about their weekend plans at station earlier in the week. He/she was asleep on the station floor (no couches) when I arrived to clock in this morning and I noticed the smell as soon as we got in the rig. We had no calls holding so we drove a short distance to post. At the first (and thankfully only) stoplight we encountered, we needed to make a left turn. The light was green for through traffic but left turn lane had a red arrow. He/she stopped, then turned on the red arrow. Thankfully there was no oncoming traffic. I pointed out that the arrow was red and he/she said "What are you gonna do? Give me a ticket?"

So my question is, what am I supposed to do? He/she's probably not legally drunk anymore but smells like booze and I don't want to go into a hospital with him/her smelling like this. I haven't been with this company for very long and am not allowed to drive yet, so that option is out. Any suggestions? He/she is still passed out and we've been on for over an hour.

I would talk to your partener like your their equal, becuase you are. Tell them what your concerns are and ask them to help you understand.

 

[m0nster986]

I understand that the OP is fairly new to the company, so confront the person in a professional manner. IMO when someone runs a red light and risk my safety and the safety of others, it becomes personal!

 

[cprted]

Tell your partner to book off or you'll call a supervisor. Unprofessional and unacceptable.

 

[Aidey]

So you're cool with your partner being tired/out of it, smelling of alcohol (very possibly still impaired), and driving you around code 3 to calls? Yup, seems like a good idea to me.

It isn't what I'm cool with, it's what the company is cool with. Where I work there has to be more suspicion that just smelling like alcohol, that isn't enough to trigger a breathalyzer. There has to also be evidence of impairment. My point was that stuff like sleeping and minor traffic mistakes are easily explained by simply being tired. If I went to a supervisor and said "Joe showed up this morning and smelled like alcohol and immediately fell asleep when we got to a post" the supervisor would roll his eyes and tell me to come back when I had something more than sleeping.

We had a non street employee who got breathalyzered for smelling like booze. He came in right at the cut off for punishment. It ended up getting overturned because smelling suspicious doesn't meet the company's threshold for a drug test.

As for the traffic stuff, crap happens. Everyone makes a stupid mistake once in a while. Ever go East instead of West? A common example at my agency are people screwing up traffic lights that flash in the middle of the night. I don't know how many times I've had partners stop at a flashing red for 5 minutes waiting for it to turn green, run a flashing red, or stop at a flashing yellow. Stupid crap happens. You ask them WTF they are doing and go from there. There is a difference between a one off dumb move and a pattern of bad driving.

 

[BigPoppaBlueDevil]

Thanks for all the suggestions. We still haven't had a call and my partner seems less impaired. Looking back I should have immediately called the sup instead of waiting a couple hours to make a decision. Now it's probably too late...

And did I mention my partner is kind of a ****? When they ran the red light, I said "hey just so you know that arrow was red" and they replied "what are you gonna do? Give me a ticket?" Normally I don't take that kind of bull:censored::censored::censored::censored:, but like I said I'm pretty new and they've been with the company for years and have a strong personality to boot.

So yes, I should've called it in, but now it looks like we're together for the rest of the day...hopefully it remains a slow day.

 

[STXmedic]

It isn't what I'm cool with, it's what the company is cool with. Where I work there has to be more suspicion that just smelling like alcohol, that isn't enough to trigger a breathalyzer. There has to also be evidence of impairment. My point was that stuff like sleeping and minor traffic mistakes are easily explained by simply being tired. If I went to a supervisor and said "Joe showed up this morning and smelled like alcohol and immediately fell asleep when we got to a post" the supervisor would roll his eyes and tell me to come back when I had something more than sleeping.

We had a non street employee who got breathalyzered for smelling like booze. He came in right at the cut off for punishment. It ended up getting overturned because smelling suspicious doesn't meet the company's threshold for a drug test.

As for the traffic stuff, crap happens. Everyone makes a stupid mistake once in a while. Ever go East instead of West? A common example at my agency are people screwing up traffic lights that flash in the middle of the night. I don't know how many times I've had partners stop at a flashing red for 5 minutes waiting for it to turn green, run a flashing red, or stop at a flashing yellow. Stupid crap happens. You ask them WTF they are doing and go from there. There is a difference between a one off dumb move and a pattern of bad driving.

If smelling like alcohol, passing out on the floor, and poor driving, all combined, isn't enough for your system to test said employee, your system is terribly flawed. Is the employee going to have to wreck the ambulance and kill somebody before they qualify for a breathalyzer? Hopefully your company will become more proactive before it is forced to become reactive.

I work in a department where we're good about taking care of our crew. If somebody shows up too drunk/sick to work, the officer will send them home and get someone else to cover without making an administrative deal out of it. That said, if the employee refuses to go home, the smell of alcohol is more than enough to qualify for a breathalyzer. Blow greater than .02 you go home. Blow anything positive you don't drive. Get in any kind of wreck prior to getting tested, then blow greater than .04, you're fired. Luckily it's never had to come to that, though.

Somebody shouldn't have to roll an ambulance to qualify for a breathalyzer.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I agree with talking to your partner first before taking it to a Supe. Give them the chance to make it right.

I'm gonna have to side with poetic on this one though.

We drive a lot, the more you drive the more chances there are for mistakes. That's just simple statistics. It's all fine and dandy but add in smelling of alcoholic beverages and that changes it a bit.

We have a zero tolerance policy. Blow anything other than .000 and you're going home, suspended and probably fired. What's your company policy on alcohol before work? We are required to have no alcoholic drinks within 8 hours of our start of shift. I'd be willing to bet your partner didn't give it 8 hours.

Doesn't matter how much seniority he has over you, that's your life in the passenger seat, are you willing to risk it because he's been there longer than you? Since you can't drive sounds like you have to attend every call, sounds awesome. Now you're in the back with a patient and a partner who's potentially intoxicated is driving your ambulance. The back is dangerous enough as it is with a stone cold sober, awake and alert driver. Add in ETOH and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Personally I would never have gotten in the truck with him. Woulda called him on it as soon as I smelled it, if he refused to call out sick I'd have gone to a Supe and refused to ride on the box with him, but that's just my opinion.

 

[wanderingmedic]

I would talk to your partner immediately and let them know your concerns. Explain they can either pick up the phone and call in sick for the day or you'll need to report it.

This is what I would do. Try to be as cool about it as you can, but realize that you and the public will ultimately be trusting your partner with lives. Its not good for your partner to be risking their life either, so for their sake alone its worth it to tell them to take the day off, especially if they cant drive safely. Poop would hit the fan if something preventable happened on your shift because your partner was hung over.

 

[shfd739]

I agree with talking to your partner first before taking it to a Supe. Give them the chance to make it right.

I'm gonna have to side with poetic on this one though.

We drive a lot, the more you drive the more chances there are for mistakes. That's just simple statistics. It's all fine and dandy but add in smelling of alcoholic beverages and that changes it a bit.

We have a zero tolerance policy. Blow anything other than .000 and you're going home, suspended and probably fired. What's your company policy on alcohol before work? We are required to have no alcoholic drinks within 8 hours of our start of shift. I'd be willing to bet your partner didn't give it 8 hours.

Doesn't matter how much seniority he has over you, that's your life in the passenger seat, are you willing to risk it because he's been there longer than you? Since you can't drive sounds like you have to attend every call, sounds awesome. Now you're in the back with a patient and a partner who's potentially intoxicated is driving your ambulance. The back is dangerous enough as it is with a stone cold sober, awake and alert driver. Add in ETOH and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Personally I would never have gotten in the truck with him. Woulda called him on it as soon as I smelled it, if he refused to call out sick I'd have gone to a Supe and refused to ride on the box with him, but that's just my opinion.

Yep my reply too.

Partner shows up smelling of alcohol or appears under the influence of anything we're out of service and I'm calling the sup.

They can deal with it while I chill on station couch.

 

[travis23]

Unprofessional

Can't believe someone would show up like that. I suggest only one thing..don't do nothing, follow the advice of one of the smart people here

 

[fortsmithman]

If this happened in my volly service the person would be told by the chief his or her services are no longer required. My service has a strict no alcohol wjile on call policy if you smelling of booze you are released from service and told to turn in you issued equipment. When not on call we cam consume alcohol but not to excess.

 

[slewy]

Handle it like a man and tell him how you feel. Don't be that kid who is too scared to talk with your partner. If it's persistent then it would become a problem, but cut him some slack for the meantime, give him some gum, then move on with your day.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Handle it like a man and tell him how you feel. Don't be that kid who is too scared to talk with your partner. If it's persistent then it would become a problem, but cut him some slack for the meantime, give him some gum, then move on with your day.

If its persistent? One time is good enough for me to call a foul on the play. If its a persistent problem said person should not be working on the ambulance/fire engine/po po mobile.

 

[MMiz]

If your partner reeks of alcohol and appears to be driving drunk then it's your duty to be a professional and address the issue. If you're not willing to, and I understand that, then you need to call your supervisor.

If we want to be treated and compensated as professionals we need to act professionally. A professional doesn't come to work with a hangover and a professional advocates for his patients and the general public by not allowing a potentially drunk person behind the wheel.

Next time call your supervisor if you're not willing to address the issue.

 

[shfd739]

Handle it like a man and tell him how you feel. Don't be that kid who is too scared to talk with your partner. If it's persistent then it would become a problem, but cut him some slack for the meantime, give him some gum, then move on with your day.

Handle it like a man? Wow.

The boozed up medic should have "handled it like a man" by stopping his consumption at a time that it would not interfere with an upcoming shift.

We want to be viewed as professionals and with respect. Having him walk into a scene in that condition or into a hospital is counterproductive to that. He needs to go home simple as that.