Accidents

[Miraclebaby87]

I live in Southern California (Oceanside) and last weekend while my husband and I were fishing we kept noticing MercyAir flying back and forth and Landing on Interstate 5 well my curiosity got the best of me and so I opened up one of the local news pages on my phone and I found an article that had just been posted about what was going on on the highway. Come to find out it was a 4 car pile up caused by an Ambulance driver (EMT) on his way to work a local Marathon held here on Camp Pendleton called " Mud Run" he hit this car going 60 MPH. My question is, as an EMT what would you do in that situation? Would you get out of the ambulance and help the people that you hit? Stay in your ambulance? Or is there a specific protocol that you have to follow?

Thanks
Anna

 

[DesertMedic66]

There was a thread exactly like this not to long ago (like 2 days ago).

Check yourself and your partner for injuries. Call/notify dispatch or call 911 if your not in your area. Make sure the area is safe to work at. Turn your lights on and put on any protect gear for car accidents. Start moving car to car triaging the injuries. Start treatments if you can and notify dispatch/911/fire department on how many patients and their condition.

All of this is assuming you are on duty.

 

[bbmtnbb]

You follow protocol. Are you or your partner injured? Scene safety and call for help after determining if you yourself need help or just others. If you are ok then you call your dispatch and fire/police as needed. Then you help whomever you can if you are uninjured or your partner is uninjured.

This does happen from time to time and sometimes it is the EMT's fault and sometimes it is the other cars/trucks fault. The protocol remains the same. You do your job. Your safety first and partners then others-
1 scene safety
2. assess the scene and # of pt's
3. call for help-additional resources
4. help within your scope of practice if you are uninjured and partner is uninjured.

More importantly-DRIVE CAREFULLY and don't get into accidents-pay attention and be aware of yoru surroundings and other drivers-you are a target and they will cut in front of you or ignore you entirely. Defensive driving is a must.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Y'all have protocols for getting into a traffic accident?

Notify dispatch, I'd personally turn the rig off if it had substantial damage. If my partner is injured and I'm not I'd d/c the battery or at the bare minimum kill the module power on our rocker panel, I don't want me, him/her or anyone else getting lit up by the energy that runs through these things.

If you are your partner are I hired you're the first priority, then your partner then the public. Assure everyone help is coming and stay put.

Non injured, give dispatch a solid size up, if its there correct any life threats, otherwise comfort care, I'm not going to start ALS treatments on someone I was just involved in an MVA with unless I absurdly have to.