Headsets for ground ambulances??

[NysEms2117]

I've seen a few pictures of ground ambulance crews having headsets, and just kinda wondering what is going on, because i can't see a reason for it? Anybody have anything on this?

 

[DesertMedic66]

OSHA requires our company provide us with hearing protection from the siren. Our company decides to use cheap earplugs that no one really uses. Other companies supply their people with headsets.

 

[Jim37F]

Hearing protection from the sirens? Locally I've only seen them on fire dept ambulances, and I think it's simply a carry over from the engine/trucks. One time when I was still at Glendale FD as an Ambulance Operator, I got the opportunity to ride along with an engine company responding to a structure fire call...because of the cab over engine design, they are fairly loud inside, so add in sirens and wearing headsets on the Engine or Truck company becomes one of the only ways the crew can protect their hearing while still being able to communicate with each other without trying to yell over the noise. So they def need them on their apparatus, so I get the feeling that the FFs just brought the idea over to their ambulances as an extension of that. Only the older reserve rigs when I was at Glendale had the headsets, even those we only used once in a while out of curiosity, never felt the need to wear them for normal day to day use, and even their newer ambulances don't have them, and I've never missed having a headset.

I think our Paramedic rigs have one in the back that's dedicated for the medic to contact base hospital via radio vs using a handmike or something while in the back (although most all base contact is made using cell phones calling a dedicated recorded line)

 

[VentMonkey]

 

[NysEms2117]

because these are like full flight headsets, confused the ever living shiyte out of me when i saw them. I was about to say maybe EMS or PMS* is getting tacti-cool lol.

*- see other thread

 

[CALEMT]

because these are like full flight headsets

More like this:
https://www.sigtronics.com/fire/headsets_fire.html

In the rig it can get loud depending on what ambulance you're in. When I was a seasonal they would've been extremely nice in the Type 3 engines. When you sat in the back and you can barely hear the radio and the two people up front.

 

[NysEms2117]

When I work on a cct type III it's not that bad tbh, and my hearing isn't shot. L&s gets a bit difficult at times, but nothing that's intolerable


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[DesertMedic66]

When I work on a cct type III it's not that bad tbh, and my hearing isn't shot. L&s gets a bit difficult at times, but nothing that's intolerable


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We have some ambulances where it is unbearable. You can barely hear the radio if the siren is on and talking to your partner is next to impossible. Luckily those rigs are now on our BLS fleet so the lights and sirens don't get used much.

 

[NysEms2117]

We have some ambulances where it is unbearable. You can barely hear the radio if the siren is on and talking to your partner is next to impossible. Luckily those rigs are now on our BLS fleet so the lights and sirens don't get used much.

I guess it has to do with insulation now? Not edumakated on the vehicle itself


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[Jim37F]

I guess it has to do with insulation now? Not edumakated on the vehicle itself


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That and I've heard that some older rigs had the sirens mounted high on the box, I.e. on top of the cab, while newer ones mount the sirens down low on like the grill or front bumper so they're not quite so loud from inside the cab.

 

[VentMonkey]

That and I've heard that some older rigs had the sirens mounted high on the box, I.e. on top of the cab, while newer ones mount the sirens down low on like the grill or front bumper so they're not quite so loud from inside the cab.

Yes, and it makes a huge difference with sound traveling to the inside of the cab. Honestly head sets are a good idea, and I wish we had them.

I'm going to say about ~4-5 years ago they ordered a fleet and designed the train horns to be directly over the front of our cabs, luckily since then they've put them on the front grills. The public still gets a loud enough warning at an intersection regardless of their placement, and my ears are much happier.

I still can't stand when my partners step on the horn pedal, and keep their foot on it all...the...way through the intersection. Why? WHHYYY??!!! No one knows how to properly clear lanes anymore it seems.

 

[Tigger]

I would appreciate it. It make talking to your partner easy and we have some lonnnnng drives. I dug it when I did part of my internship on the engine but you'd be deaf without them in that environment.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Austin uses them. Only way for partners to communicate back and forth when one is in back and one is driving. Their cabs and boxes are completely separate. I wish we had them. My hearing is slowly but surely getting worse.

 

[NPO]

I wish we had them. Is it silly? Perhaps. And while not completely necessary, it would dampen siren noise, increase communication with your partner, and if you wired up an intercom, you can communicate to the driver from the passenger compartment.

I distinctly remember @VentMonkey yelling at me to upgrade to Code 3 and he had to tell at me 3 or 4 times because we were in the CCT unit, which is a quad cab Freightliner with a long patient compartment. I could barely hear him.

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[johnrsemt]

Only time I use ours is when I am talking to the driver, our trucks have a 6" high window, a foot wide so it is hard to have a conversation front to back otherwise.
Makes it nice for directions, and to ask how far out we are

 

[NysEms2117]

I'm supposed to use our headsets, but i don't. If i need to talk to the driver, i become loud, my medic has never had an issue hearing me, same inversely. If i need to talk to the hospital i generally call, instead of radio. Was just wondering if they are more useful for long transports, (ours are usually ~~20 mins, maximum of 40 going code 3).

 

[WolfmanHarris]

I can see the need but only for a small number of situations on a small number of calls. Generally I have little need to talk to the medic driving on the vast majority of calls. During a high acuity, emergent transport, I try to talk to the medic driving as little as possible to limit their distractions.

 

[DrParasite]

We have them in the engine for the same reason, ear protection. It also allows for better communication between the front of the truck and the back without having to shout (intercom systems are awesom)

They are generally worn only during the response, we rarely transport to the hospital emergently.

 

[redundantbassist]

Ear protection? Hell, I miss the days of holding down the Q with the windows open...

 

[Bullets]

Besides easier communication between front and back, they also allow hands free radio use. Much safer to have both hands on the wheel then one with a mic in it