Deadly Ambulance Crash Tucson Az, A Reason No Passengers Allowed

[Dustdevil]

I personally encourage family members to ride with me. My department performs interfacility transports that last 70 to 100 miles.

IFT ≠ EMS. Completely different scenario.

[brentoli]

I can't say this is a hard set fast rule.

It depends on the person. We try to discourage anyone from riding in with us. However, we also base our decisions on allowing it, on the situation and person. Most of the time, it is usually an older spouse, who has a ride home, or a parent. Even then, they sit in the front seat, divider door is closed, and the ambulance doesn't go in gear until the seatbelt is buckled.

Is someone shows any hint of emotional distress, or it is a distressing call, no ride if I am on the truck, driving or EMT.

[Mateo_1387]

nothing to hide, they just become a liabililty and are often times annoying and distracting. For example, I had a mom ride in with me recently, somebody who claims to be so concerned over her daughter, yet while enroute to the hospital, she found it ok to make multiple phone calls on her cellphone while her daughter was in the back of the rig. Doesn't seem to me that she was that concerned.

ABSOLUTELY!!!! AGAIN, THE COMMON COMMUNITY NEEDS TO REALIZE AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT AS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, IN ALL ASPECTS, WE STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO!!!!!

BS to all who say no to family participation in medicine. If the patient allows for a family member to be there, then I have no problem bringing the family member with us to the hospital. We, as medical professionals, are supposed to not only treat the physical alterations of our patients, but make sure we can keep our patients emotionally satisfied too. In cases where patients are on the verge of death, it is proper to allow family to enter to being a grieving process.

I seem to remember a thread dealing with tattoos where a large number thought tattoos were making patients uncomfortable and even distressed. So, why are we going to place a child in the back of the ambulance and make the child distressed because we wanted to show our 'authority' of the ambulance and place the parent up front? I can see regulating tattoos, but messing around with emotional and familial bonds should not happen.

How about the older senile family member who does not feel comfortable alone, and requires the presence of family members? How about cultures that prefer to have certain family members present for all medical care?

[cynical_as_hell]

ABSOLUTELY!!!! AGAIN, THE COMMON COMMUNITY NEEDS TO REALIZE AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT AS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, IN ALL ASPECTS, WE STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO!!!!!

BS to all who say no to family participation in medicine. If the patient allows for a family member to be there, then I have no problem bringing the family member with us to the hospital. We, as medical professionals, are supposed to not only treat the physical alterations of our patients, but make sure we can keep our patients emotionally satisfied too. In cases where patients are on the verge of death, it is proper to allow family to enter to being a grieving process.

I seem to remember a thread dealing with tattoos where a large number thought tattoos were making patients uncomfortable and even distressed. So, why are we going to place a child in the back of the ambulance and make the child distressed because we wanted to show our 'authority' of the ambulance and place the parent up front? I can see regulating tattoos, but messing around with emotional and familial bonds should not happen.

How about the older senile family member who does not feel comfortable alone, and requires the presence of family members? How about cultures that prefer to have certain family members present for all medical care?

None of that is our problem!! They let their choices go out the window when they or their family activated 911. Now don't get me wrong, they can refuse any kind of treatment that EMS may want to do, but what you are talking about in your post is a hospital problem, not ems. If they are old and senile, then they aren't going to remember anything that goes on and if it is a cultural issue, then, sorry, but we have a job to do. And when it comes to children, parents tend to make the child more aggitated because they cant control themselves. Regardless how you want to look at it to justify somebody riding in that is not seeking medical attention, we still have a job to do and we need to cover our own butts. So what if their feelings get hurt or they get offended, at least you will still have a job. There's nothing that states that we have to allow anybody to ride in.

[brentoli]

None of that is our problem!! They let their choices go out the window when they or their family activated 911. Now don't get me wrong, they can refuse any kind of treatment that EMS may want to do, but what you are talking about in your post is a hospital problem, not ems. If they are old and senile, then they aren't going to remember anything that goes on and if it is a cultural issue, then, sorry, but we have a job to do. And when it comes to children, parents tend to make the child more aggitated because they cant control themselves. Regardless how you want to look at it to justify somebody riding in that is not seeking medical attention, we still have a job to do and we need to cover our own butts. So what if their feelings get hurt or they get offended, at least you will still have a job. There's nothing that states that we have to allow anybody to ride in.

Wow.

Just wow.

I can not believe I read this coming from a professional.

[Just Plain Ruff]

None of that is our problem!! They let their choices go out the window when they or their family activated 911. Now don't get me wrong, they can refuse any kind of treatment that EMS may want to do, but what you are talking about in your post is a hospital problem, not ems. If they are old and senile, then they aren't going to remember anything that goes on and if it is a cultural issue, then, sorry, but we have a job to do. And when it comes to children, parents tend to make the child more aggitated because they cant control themselves. Regardless how you want to look at it to justify somebody riding in that is not seeking medical attention, we still have a job to do and we need to cover our own butts. So what if their feelings get hurt or they get offended, at least you will still have a job. There's nothing that states that we have to allow anybody to ride in.

Actually if you work for one of those fire the employee first and ask questions later services, if you hurt the wrong persons feelings then you may very well be out of a job.

If they are senile, they sometimes do remember the smallest things and keep pushing it. My grandmother has alzheimers and she forgets things but the things she remembers is how she was treated by the ambulance crews, what color the nurses were, and other things that we would take for granted but she does remember. So don't be so quick to judge that someone who is "Senile" will not remember what you do to them, they will and they will continue to bring it up over and over again. I witnessed my grandmother doing that when she was admitted last week for pneumonia. Senile or alzhiemers or not, it's amazing what she remembers.

Be careful by making such a blanket statement, it often times bites you in the butt.

[spenac]

ABSOLUTELY!!!! AGAIN, THE COMMON COMMUNITY NEEDS TO REALIZE AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT AS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, IN ALL ASPECTS, WE STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO!!!!!

BS to all who say no to family participation in medicine. If the patient allows for a family member to be there, then I have no problem bringing the family member with us to the hospital. We, as medical professionals, are supposed to not only treat the physical alterations of our patients, but make sure we can keep our patients emotionally satisfied too. In cases where patients are on the verge of death, it is proper to allow family to enter to being a grieving process.

I seem to remember a thread dealing with tattoos where a large number thought tattoos were making patients uncomfortable and even distressed. So, why are we going to place a child in the back of the ambulance and make the child distressed because we wanted to show our 'authority' of the ambulance and place the parent up front? I can see regulating tattoos, but messing around with emotional and familial bonds should not happen.

How about the older senile family member who does not feel comfortable alone, and requires the presence of family members? How about cultures that prefer to have certain family members present for all medical care?

I did not say no family participation. I said no family allowed in the ambulance. The harm they can cause far outways any benefit to the patient. Those of you that allow passengers might want to get your company to check insurance many insurance companys even only cover the patient and crew, so any additional passengers would not be covered.

And yes your right tats have no place in EMS but that is a whole unrelated arguement.

As to the senile they are like the child and as such may have a family member go. Anyone w/o the right to make medical decisions are allowed a guardian with power to make decisions in the ambulance front seat. So guess what that means the 12 year old pregnant girl in labor has no one ride with her as she can make her own decisions at that point.

[BEorP]

If I'm bringing in Mr. Elderly-and-quite-sick who is 88 years old and his 87 year old wife doesn't drive, I would have a hard time telling her that she can't come with us if another mode of transport wasn't immediately available. If things go downhill quickly once we're at the hospital, I wouldn't want to think back that if she had just come with us she could have been with him or said goodbye or whatever.

I am not saying that I always take family members, but I think that it is appropriate in some cases.

[CBEMT]

If taking one with me means they aren't behind me blowing red lights with their hazards on, so be it.

"Always" and "never" have no place in EMS.

[crotchitymedic1986]

actually most pediatric facilities allow the families to watch codes being performed on their children, as it allows the parents to know that all that could be done was done.

as far as someone sueing you because you allowed them to ride, anything is possible, but if the accident is not your fault, it will be hard to get a judgement against the ambulance service, although many may choose to settle, versus spending money to defend it.