I am now a statistic.

[WolfmanHarris]

Any standards based on static, rather than dynamic loads aren't worth the paper their written on. I don't care how much weight my box can take on its side, I want to know how much force it can withstand safely in a collision.

That reminds me, I should look up and read our provincial standards.

[stcommodore]

I asked an high ranking officer once why we don't have a mount for the LP12 and they came up with a myriad of poor reasons. "We haven't respec'ed that area since the LP10", "we want people to bring the moniter to the patient on scene" etc, etc. It's a $200-400 mounting system that will actually be used vs. the improv seatbelt method I don't use.

On the other end of the spectrum I'm facing a meeting with the "spcial investigations office" (deputy chief) for a extremely minor incident where I side swiped a college police car with my squad. The punishment for cosmetic damage to the other car could vary from losing some of my vaca time to a transfer. Now tell me how fair that is.

[firegirl147]

I too am a statistic. I hope you were/are luckier than me. I was on the bench, just got out of my seat belt in the jump seat. Patient needed attention so I had no choice but to be unrestrained. A vehicle pulled off the shoulder in to our path, making a u turn, and we t boned them at 70 MPH. I was thrown in to the forward wall at 70 MPH, head first, and after bouncing off the wall, I slammed back in to it a second time. I was very lucky, so the docs told me. Got away with a closed head injury, compression of my c spine, short term memory loss, PTSD, lower back injury, and now after eight years my disc that was bulging at c5-c6 had to be fused. I had been through over 13 months of physical therapy, speech therapy, neuro psych treatments and after going back to work, discovered I just could not fight fire, and ultimately, can't lift any longer. I agree that there needs to be some sort of safety restraints in back for us. A net at the end of the bench like some services have most likely would have saved me a ton of grief, not to mention almost nine years of physical pain.

For all of you out there that are still in the field, use your restraints when possible, and to those of you who are driving your partner around, be careful, it is their life in your hands. Stay safe out there and take care of each other.

[stcommodore]

Lets all be honest here shoulder straps are far from practical.

[emtannie]

Lets all be honest here shoulder straps are far from practical.

Are you meaning shoulder straps for the person attending in the back, or the patient?

If you mean the patient, I disagree. As mobey said, those straps keep the patient from sliding off the strethcer in a front end collision, and I have been in the back when my partner has slammed on the brakes and watched my patient slide.... luckily, there were no injuries, but since that time, I have been very compliant with putting the shoulder straps on patients. You can adjust the straps to make them relatively comfortable, and you do get used to working around them.

If you mean for the person attending in the back, yeah, that isn't the most practical... I seem to remember a documentary a few years ago about Acadia ambulance where they wore a 5 point harness that was clipped to a bar on the ceiling, so they could still move around, but would only fly so far if there was an accident... I don't exactly remember .....

[mobey]

5 point harness that was clipped to a bar on the ceiling, so they could still move around, but would only fly so far if there was an accident... I don't exactly remember .....

There are a few crash-test vids attatched to the above link.

[CBEMT]

Lets all be honest here shoulder straps are far from practical.

They'll save the patient's life, and possibly yours.

Plus, it's the law.

But by all means feel free to operate outside of accepted, legal safety practices. The trial should be fun. I'll bring poprcorn.

[Flasurfbum]

All new ambulances being purchased by AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center have 5 point harnesses on the bench seat. They are far from impractical. Design tweaking needed?

Sure.

But they WORK.

[frogman]

Welcome to the club I joined 3 years ago it was a roll over on a dark country road no other vehicle involved just bad road conditions and like you sore and bruised but ALIVE.

Dont dwell on it and get back to work ASAP as it is good for your confidence.

[CBEMT]

All new ambulances being purchased by AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center have 5 point harnesses on the bench seat. They are far from impractical.

Umm... I was talking about the stretcher shoulder harness. I thought he was too.

I'm confused...