Respond in Pickup rather than ambulance, Would You?

[mshow00]

See how it ended.

That seems to be more about the times, not so much the fact they showed up in a pov. Did you see the witness list, a who's who of Drs. I am supprised that that it went the say it did.

[WolfmanHarris]

It's interesting because policy here allows for a medic to run first responder only if that's all that's available. (Say their partner leaves early sick, a new partner hasn't come in yet and they're the closest available vehicle for a call.) A transport unit will still be sent and dispatch will be aware from the beginning that they're operating first responder only, but they will be sent in the interim. Whether that be alone in the Ambulance or in one of the service's SUV's.

In fact looking now we even have a code on the ACR for "Paramedic accompanied pt. in vehicle other than Ambulance." and a box under crew type for "First Responder."

I'd think there'd be way more liability for not sending a crew at all when one was available, but unable to transport. I think either way someone was going to sue on this one, because there's a dead person and it has to be someone's fault. Everyone's got to find meaning in everything and fault is a form of meaning I guess.

[Dustdevil]

There are times that medics I guess just have to think outside the box...

Nice pun.

I'm with the Kat. I don't see a problem with it. The ambulance wasn't available, so they got ALS first responders and an ambulance coming behind them from another district. Isn't that pretty standard anywhere? This is a good example of why you have to take the media with a grain of salt. They love to imply wrongdoing when there was none.

[fiznat]

Juries watch the news, don't they?

I'm just saying. I'd still probably do it I admit, but I wouldn't be surprised if I got tagged for it.

[Arctickat]

Shrug, I just lump it into the "Better than nothing" category. I mean really, what would be best? A paramedic on scene able to treat the ailment in 5 minutes, then transport in 15 minutes, or having to wait for the paramedic in the ambulance to show up in 15 minutes and have no preceding interventions?

[Dustdevil]

I'm just saying. I'd still probably do it I admit, but I wouldn't be surprised if I got tagged for it.

Are you assuming that the crew took it upon themselves to load up a pick-up truck and jump runs, and weren't acting officially, under orders of administration? I don't see how these guys would get tagged for doing what they were told to do.

[fiznat]

I'm mostly referencing the court case that was posted. The crew in that case supposedly did everything right, including bringing + using an AED, but it was alleged that they didn't, so they paid the price. I think the danger comes from the fact that since you are doing something unusual, that you are especially responsible for any and anything that happens on that call. If you're missing a SINGLE piece of equipment, it turns into a big thing. If you miss the line, maybe it's because you didn't have the ambo with the proper lighting. If you run out of monitor batteries, guess what? etc etc. I don't think theres any denying that its a dangerous situation.

[dahlio]

I don't see a problem with it. The ambulance wasn't available, so they got ALS first responders and an ambulance coming behind them from another district. Isn't that pretty standard anywhere? This is a good example of why you have to take the media with a grain of salt. They love to imply wrongdoing when there was none.

NJ is made up of all ALS in vehicles other than ambulances. SUV's, and those Puppy Trucks (Built on a pickup truck) comprise all of ALS in NJ, with the exception of the agencies. ALS has to camp on scene is such situations where BLS is not exactly speedy, or mutual aid is needed. The main thing is, Patient Care was started earlier. Sounds like a normal situation to me.

[firedoc5]

It's no different than a Rescue Squad vehicle not used for patient transport, or like a Rescue Pumper. But we did have a private service that did do all the transport. We did have a Type III ambulance that we could transport in, but only in extreme cases. I can count on one hand that we had to do that.

So I don't know what the big deal is.

[spenac]

Exactly care was quicker by allowing a crew to first respond rather than waiting for next ambulance. No problem. In fact our medical director even wrote in policys to cover us if not in ambulance.