How not to drive code 3... lol

[Shishkabob]

Of course this all hangs on the delay being harmful to the patient to begin with. The situations that are -that- time sensitive are extremely, extremely rare.

But you never take the chance of that rarity during the initial dispatch. L/S before pt contact for a call that can go south, quick, is warranted.



L/S on the way to the hospital, with the pt in the rig, with known condition, is another story. Really, if the seconds it shaves off on the way back to the hospital might make a difference, it's already too late.

 

[cperschke]

But you never take the chance of that rarity during the initial dispatch. L/S before pt contact for a call that can go south, quick, is warranted.



L/S on the way to the hospital, with the pt in the rig, with known condition, is another story. Really, if the seconds it shaves off on the way back to the hospital might make a difference, it's already too late.

See, I totally agree. That makes perfect sense. I guess I can imagine some hypothetical situations though where it's offroad, or wait an extra 10-20 minutes for traffic to clear. Although it doesn't seem like that's whats going on in this video.

 

[Summit]

It wasn't that bad except for driving opposing traffic through the redlight. That was sketch. He does need an EVOC course. Change your siren sounds!

Get over the whole offroading thing. He drove 10ft over a flat solid smooth dirt shoulder that was in better condition than some of the roads he was driving on. THAT'S NOT OFFROADING. All of our ambulances had 4WD and I've driven an ambulance on roads where you needed it! Seriously, get over this point.

He was driving past stopped school busses running hot at 5mph, you are worried because they are school busses? Is he going to give the kids an AMI? No, he shouldn't care what those vehicles are in particular, just general safety. The kids probably thought it was cool (which shouldn't have been a consideration either).

I love that we are so quick to slit each others throats around here. It is good in that it reinforces standards and professionalism, but sometimes a little critical thinking is needed before jumping on the negative nelly bandwagon. Do any of you know the patient's condition?

People actually take their video cameras to work and record this? Wow...

That would be a fireable offense I'd think!

 

[JPINFV]

There's a difference between driving off road because you have to and driving off road because you want to. In the video, he had a choice to. Even if he had to, he still didn't notify the people in the back until he was already 75% across it. This is something that you want to warn your partner and patient about before you start.

 

[Summit]

NOBODY here knows what the patient's status was. Remember that while you tie your nooses.

There's a difference between driving off road because you have to and driving off road because you want to. In the video, he had a choice to. Even if he had to, he still didn't notify the people in the back until he was already 75% across it. This is something that you want to warn your partner and patient about before you start.

IT WAS FLAT AND RELATIVELY SMOOTH! If you haven't been on pavement worse than that, then you should seriously write your road and bridge department a letter of admiration.

You don't know what the patient was. You don't know if he was looking in his rear view and could see what his partner was doing.

 

[JPINFV]

Smooth? Were we watching the same video? Just because there's rougher roads or more bumpy places to go off road (off road, as in literally not on a road) doesn't make that magically smooth. The really sad part is that it didn't look like anyone was in the left lane, so if he was driving like he should have (left lane, stop at intersection, clear intersection, make slow hard right turn), then he wouldn't have had to go through that exercise of stupidity.

 

[Scott33]

NOBODY here knows what the patient's status was. Remember that while you tie your nooses.

Read the thread, and the comments on YouTube. As has been said, the driver of the ambulance has stated:

"the child was ok, nothing major."

 

[JPINFV]

NOBODY here knows what the patient's status was. Remember that while you tie your nooses.

Regardless. Just because a patient is critical doesn't give the driver carte blanche to drive like an idiot. If anything, it gives all the more reason to drive as smooth as possible if the partner is actively engaged in patient care.