A Poll: When You're Off-Duty

[STXmedic]

but i expect everyone who has paramedic stuff labeled on their vehicle to have some equipment. to not, i think is very disingenuous.

Yeah, no. Even most of the whackers I know don't carry any equipment in their vehicle- the more down-to-earth people certainly don't. Disingenuous... [emoji1]

 

[Medic Tim]

Bls stuff only, +iv start kit.

but i expect everyone who has paramedic stuff labeled on their vehicle to have some equipment. to not, i think is very disingenuous.

My vehicle is not labeled.

 

[CFal]

I consider stoppimg on an unsecured mvc scene without safety gear or emergency vehicles to out myself in danger. So thats easily worked around

Another thing is VT has a lot of volunteer squads, so a lot of people have issued jump bags POV and emergency lights

 

[AtlasFlyer]

I carry a small first-aid kit I put together myself. Band-aids, a SAM splint, several 4x4s and a few pairs of gloves, the kit is in a plastic bin the size of a small shoebox. This kit has been used many times... by me on my family. I consider it my family first aid kit. Nothing in it is anything fancy, everything was purchased at CVS with the exception of the SAM splint that I bought on Amazon for like $4. As others have stated, the best thing I can do if I witness an accident is use my phone to call 911. It's the best "assistance" I have to offer.

I'll help out to the best of my abilities and available tools, but I live in an urban area where ambulance response is roughly 10 minutes. I don't live in Vermont, but if I did I'd usually be invoking this clause in the statute to say, "Nope, I can't stop": "...can be rendered without danger or peril to himself or without interference with important duties owed to others,..." I usually have one or both of my kids in the car with me, and I will NOT leave them alone in a car to get out and play Johnny & Roy at an accident scene. If I did, I would expect DCFS to be called on me, and I'd probably have my kids taken away.

 

[paracordmedic]

I used to carry a kit, have a red light, license plate, etc.

Not so much any more since I no longer volunteer. I will stop at a wreck if it looks bad and EMS is not on scene, and once I helped a guy who passed out in a restaurant.

Bottom line, there's not much I can do for most people unless I have a stocked ambulance. CPR, C spine stabilization, basic hemorrhage control, and the Heimlich come to mind, and they do not require tools.