speed limit??

[Freaknuggetz_chick]

we have pretty standard rules for speeding

10km over the limit in town, 20 km over on the highways. now, on the other hand, many of us often go faster, but we are all very aware that being caught is easy grounds for immediate firing. also, all the local rcmp officers are aware of our limits, although they would never chastise us for going faster.

interesting thing to note, our mechanic knows immediately when we've been abusing the units

[firedoc5]

Are you talking unleaded gasoline, diesel, "nitro", biofuel, compressed natural gas, or some other exotic fuel?

I spent $3.30 (United States Dollars) per gallon regular unleaded gasoline the last time I refueled my Chevy Venture minivan. Is fuel still so inexpensive where you are geographically located?

It's just been that long ago since that boss was complaining how expensive gas was and how bad we thought we had it. We had our own gas pump so we were buying gas in bulk, and along with what we paid for on the road with credit cards we had a large gas expense.

We were clueless too on what he meant when he said to be more fuel conscious. He was pretty tight with a buck too.

[firedoc5]

I've never had it happen to me, but I've heard of incidences where a police officer followed an ambulance to the ER to see if the emergency was serious enough to warrant the speed of the driver was going. I've heard it happening a couple of times and that at least once the officer didn't think it was that big of an emergency and ticketed the driver. Has anyone lese ever heard of this?

[Dustdevil]

I've never had it happen to me, but I've heard of incidences where a police officer followed an ambulance to the ER to see if the emergency was serious enough to warrant the speed of the driver was going. I've heard it happening a couple of times and that at least once the officer didn't think it was that big of an emergency and ticketed the driver. Has anyone lese ever heard of this?

Haven't heard of that happening in my area, but I like the concept. Way too many transfer wankers around here that play entirely too much with the lights and sirens.

[Richard B the EMT]

I worked in several private ambulance services, none of which were a part of a 9-1-1 system.

Early on in my employment in the last one, prior to going municipal EMS, we worked both ambulances and ambulettes (wheelchair coaches). "Night call", we'd either take home an ambulance, or an ambulette, and a pager. If it was an ambulette call, do the call, if an ambulance call, contact the person with the ambulance as to where to meet up, park and lock the ambulette, and the ambulette person becomes the ambulance operator for the call.

One time, I had the ambulance, and got a call. The ambulette person had me meet up in a location in East Rockaway, where I had never been to prior, then had me follow him into the community of Oceanside, both in Nassau County. He took over the wheel, and then proceeded to put his foot through the radiator (read "he activated the afterburner", he went to a high speed mode), and lit up the emergency lights and siren. He also removed the radio microphone from the dashboard clip, and placed it in his lap.

He frightened me with the way he drove, but I couldn't notify the dispatcher, he had the mic in his lap. I took my eyes off the road from the passenger side only for a moment, and looked at the speedometer. The speed clock said we were somewhere north of 85 MPH, in a 30 MPH zone!

Either in Woodmere or Lawrence/Cedahurst, we suddenly heard another siren: a 4th precinct Nassau County Police Department cruiser, which followed us to our call at a nursing home in the Far Rockaway, Queens County, area of New York City.

On arrival, he started arguing with the NCPD cop, and I got what we needed out of the back of the ambulance. We proceeded into the facility, got our patient, and returned to the ambulance. The County cop was nowhere to be seen.

The call didn't even require the lights, let alone the L&S.

We transported the call to the local hospital, cleared ourselves with dispatch, and my partner then drove, at posted speeds, back to the ambulette. On the way, my partner said he wanted to handle the Far Rockaway call quickly, so he could handle several ambulette calls he knew were pending in a hospital in Oceanside.

I had almost gotten home, when the pager went off. I responded to it on the company radio, and heard the Assistant General Manager telling me to meet him at the NCPD 4th Precinct house. After getting instructions on how to get there, I went there, to find my partner and his ambulette already there, as well as the company car the AGM had been assigned for the evening.

It turned out the cop was a long time friend of the AGM, possibly had gone to school with him. The AGM and the cop took turns reaming both my partner and me new orifices in our derrieres.

It seemed my partner had almost run the officer off the road! He commented that even for an "Officer Needs Assistance" call, he wasn't allowed to go as fast as he had to go, catching up with us, and the only reason we were not already under arrest was his friendship with the AGM, whom he had called at home.

The AGM told us he should have fired us on the spot, had us hand over the keys, and, even though the Nassau County Bus services had already shut down for the night, and that it was almost midnight, let us find our own ways back to our respective homes.

Instead, he ordered me to take my vehicle home, advised me I was off service, and to report to the office at 7 AM the next day.

My partner didn't report to work, but the ambulette was already at our office. The AGM had fired the guy, and I was on restriction for almost a month, only allowed the ambulette, and no time on the ambulance.

It really didn't work. Too many other personnel somehow didn't respond to their pagers, and I still got calls. By the way, this was not an organized thing, as 2 other personnel were found to be drunk by the GENERAL Manager, when he went looking for the personnel who were not responding to their pagers, and fired THEM!

I was told that the only reason I wasn't fired, was the erstwhile partner told management he had moved the mic so I couldn't advise the office what had happened. I had planned to call from my house when I got back from the crazy call, but as I had already mentioned, got paged out before I got there.

PS, the company management contacted the NYS DoH, and had them lift my partner's EMT certification, so, if he worked anywhere after that, it wasn't on an ambulance.

[Freaknuggetz_chick]

I've never had it happen to me, but I've heard of incidences where a police officer followed an ambulance to the ER to see if the emergency was serious enough to warrant the speed of the driver was going. I've heard it happening a couple of times and that at least once the officer didn't think it was that big of an emergency and ticketed the driver. Has anyone lese ever heard of this?

when i was on practicum a few years back my preceptors got pulled over and were given a warning. no actual ticket, but enough to prove that some cops are keeping an eye on us. and truthfully, we dont need to be speeding that much

[EMTrocker]

We can go as fast as we want, but like one of the other posts, you crash and it's your hide on the line. I rarely use the siren (Hurts my ears) only the lights. KABLAAAM!!!!

[Lone Star]

I've never had it happen to me, but I've heard of incidences where a police officer followed an ambulance to the ER to see if the emergency was serious enough to warrant the speed of the driver was going. I've heard it happening a couple of times and that at least once the officer didn't think it was that big of an emergency and ticketed the driver. Has anyone lese ever heard of this?

Three years ago, in Genesee County (Flint, Michigan), Genesee County Sheriff's Department Echo unit (non transporting ALS) pulled over a local ambulance for running 'hot' for a possible tib fx. Needless to say, he was ticketed, removed from service, and fired the following morning.

We can go as fast as we want, but like one of the other posts, you crash and it's your hide on the line. I rarely use the siren (Hurts my ears) only the lights. KABLAAAM!!!!

Again, I can only quote that which I know; Michigan Motor Vehicle Code states that if you activate warning lights, (aside from the manufacturer's 'hazard lights'), you MUST also activate an audible warning device (Siren, or exhaust whistle) that can be heard at 500 feet, 360 degrees under normal atmospheric conditions.

While I can see using the lights and not keying up the siren in a quiet residential neighborhood at 0300, out on the 'main streets', if you've got a need for the lights, you've got a need for the siren as well.

[jmp6753]

Our company insurance provider allows 10 over posted speed as conditions allow. The faster the speed, the worse the ride in the back.

Is it my problem the guy hasn't seen a Dr in 20 years and eats 5 Big Macs a week? Don't think so...

[uglyeye]

Here in New Zealand, the limit set for all emergency vehicles is 30km/hr above the posted speed limit. However, if any emergency vehicle is involver in an accident, no matter how minor, the incident is investigated by the Serious Crash Unit. This is believe is how it should be, after all, we only want to get to the job, without undue delay, AND in a fit state to do our job. It is no good either not getting there at all due to an accident, or arriving in the passenger seat shaking so much from the terrifying ride that you are a gibbering mess. What good are you to anyone then!