Seat belts do help

[emtb4life]

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...8/NEWS/80128006

[firedoc5]

Will be thinking of them and their families. I was always argued about medics in the back wearing seat belts and how they limited movement around the patient. I myself had been tossed around a bit, like probably everybody else here. But coming back from a call they should be used. IMHO.

[celticcare]

Seatbelts are required by law here in New Zealand, for drivers and for passengers. The only vehicles that dont have them are buses and trains, but every other vehicle here has them.

In the back of the truck, whenever you can, you have to be seatbelted in, there are seatbelts on the captain seat and the second stretcher which doubles as a crew bench. having a good driver helps keeping you up to date with the road and letting you know of hazards etc to brace against or hold on if you need to be unsecured. I was injured when a courier van pulled out in front of the truck whilst transporting a patient. I was standing grabbing something from the overhead lockers when my partner slammed on the brakes and I went flying towards the cab *Type 3 truck*. My hip collided with the doorframe and shoulder and head hit the cabnet with the lifepak on it. Painful I must admit.

Seatbelts, cross your heart not your fingers is the best adage to live by.

[Dustdevil]

The comments under that article is an entertaining read. Some NJ volly firemonkey makes a total arse of himself at the end, with all his "we have big ballz cuz we walk into burning buildings!" stupidity. He actually tells people to watch "Rescue Me" to understand "what it's all about".

[dahlio]

He actually tells people to watch "Rescue Me" to understand "what it's all about".

Isn't that the Third Watch equivalent for fire? You wouldn't believe how realistic Third Watch really is

Prayers to the family of the 2 EMTs and Medic for a full recovery.

[Cookie]

I wear my seatbelt in any vehicle I get into, it's a habit with me. The thought of bouncing around in the box of the ambulance does not appeal to me one bit.

[Richard B the EMT]

I am not a small person, so I use a seat belt extender strap. It's all of a foot long, and the nice people at Ford Motor Company dealerships' parts departments usually have them in stock, for no charge. At least they are no charge for someone identifying themselves as an EMT, and needing it for use in a Ford chassis ambulance.

Looks kind of like the strap the airline attendants use in the pre-flight safety demonstration.

Wait one: The last time I flew, after the safety lecture, I asked for a seat belt extender, and the attendant gave me the belt she had just used in the demonstration!