Kidnapped/Missing Crew Situation

[stcommodore]

Does any department have an operational procedure/sop/etc for "kidnapped/missing" crew? I work in a major urban system that has directives, procedures, etc for basically every situation including civil unrest/abandoning a fire station. We also have the typical "police assist" for situations when your in danger but does anyone have any expierence with this type of situation?

-How long would it take within your local to find an ambulance, then the crew if it was seperated from the truck?

-How long would it take depending on your status (on a run, at a hosp, etc) would it take for your communications center to determine something was wrong?

-Does your truck, radio, etc have gps or some other type of tracking system to find you?

I guess this is sort of a rare and unlikely event but it would be worth talking about.

[WestSideBorderPatrol]

I'm really good at hiding from Dispatch...I don't think they would ever find me!

But really, if we're on a call and they don't hear from us for a half hour, they'll key us up to check on us.

[AnthonyM83]

Half an hour seems to be a general time when they ask us if we're still on-scene (but not always). If we didn't reply, though, I feel like it'd be another half hour until someone came by to check on us (and we're in an urban setting).

[WolfmanHarris]

Our general safety procedures that cover this include

- Welfare check at 20mins from dispatch

- Emergency button located on:

- lapel mike

- radio handset

- truck radio (cab)

- pt. compartment handset

- computer terminal

- 10-2000 verbal signal

The system is not without its problems though. For one, the Ministry of Health only issues one portable radio per truck. Ongoing labour and health and safety issues have not cleared this up, in fact a portable radio has been ruled NOT an essential piece of equipment by the Ministry of Labour and as such is not grounds for refusing unsafe work and lapel mikes are often in short supply.

When the emergency button is pushed dispatch will have all units stop transmitting (10-3) and ask the transmitting unit to respond. They will not repeat themselves or say anything that gives the situation away. In the event of an accidental activation unit MUST state EXACTLY "Unit [####] 10-2000 ALPHA CHARLIE."

If an emergency signal is transmitted and a verbal response is NOT received from the unit:

- CACC will immediately notify PD and dispatch the closest Ambulance and Response Unit (single ACP) to stage nearby until PD have secured

- CACC Supervisor and On-Duty EMS Superintendent will be notified

- CACC will confirm vehicle's last known location on AVL system.

If verbal response is received:

- And the Paramedic crew ID's that there is a threat to life or injury from a person CACC will follow the same procedure as above

- If the Paramedic crew ID's that there is a crew medical emergency or Ambulance collision:

- CACC will dispatch closest available Ambulance and PRU directly to the scene

- Contact PD and FD to request assistance providing the unit's location and known details.

- Confirm last known location on AVL.

All that being said I know the details of one activation where a medic was attacked by an escaped psych pt. in the Ambulance bay at the hospital and managed just to scream into her mike while being choked. Rather than stage the response unit made it there before the crew that was only metres away in the hospital (w/o portable) and wrestled the guy to the ground. Not safe, not particularly smart, but I can't say for certain I wouldn't do the same until I'm placed in that position.

[DwayneEMTP]

Sorry man, you lost me when you talked about abandoning the fire station and 'getting separated from the truck.'

We have no such protocols here. Once in a blue moon dispatch will check if we haven't checked in...but not often enough to matter.

Rural though, likely a different threat potential here...

Dwayne

[SSG G-man]

Does any department have an operational procedure/sop/etc for "kidnapped/missing" crew? I work in a major urban system that has directives, procedures, etc for basically every situation including civil unrest/abandoning a fire station. We also have the typical "police assist" for situations when your in danger but does anyone have any expierence with this type of situation?

-How long would it take within your local to find an ambulance, then the crew if it was seperated from the truck?

-How long would it take depending on your status (on a run, at a hosp, etc) would it take for your communications center to determine something was wrong?

-Does your truck, radio, etc have gps or some other type of tracking system to find you?

I guess this is sort of a rare and unlikely event but it would be worth talking about.

Our communcations center checks in every 10 minutes while on a call. IF no response the cavalry will be sent to last known location. Also, at least one member of the crew has a portable radio when we are away from the unit, so if the unit gets taken we have a means of communication. If we are in a situation of duress we can respond to the commo check with our unit number followed by "Romeo" and the cavalry comes. Our radios are also equipped with the emergency button that gives 15 seconds of hot mike overriding all commo on that channel.

Hope this helps.

Sarge

[fireflymedic]

The vast majority here follow same protocols as post dispatches us. We have a panic button on our radios that is supposed to give them a heads up and we get a response. Also, a certain code can be used and they will come. Now (since radios have been checked all over the county and verified we are to state whether everything is okay via code, then at 10 min dispatch will check on us, if no answer, they'll check again in 2 min, if no answer they'll stalk us via GPS and send post our direction). If in the meantime response is made assuring all is okay, then they'll cancel. Otherwise they are coming to check on you. You are expected to tell dispatch if you are going to be on scene for extended periods of time and also check in at fairly regular intervals. Unfortunately, it took a fatal incident where EMS couldn't call out for help and dispatch couldn't reach them for nearly an hour before someone realized they were missing. One person was killed, another shot, and another suffered a more minor injury. This was in a fairly urban area (for our state) but they were on the far outside edge of the county where reception was poor. They had complained repeatedly about the problem and that they couldn't reach out. Unfortunately it took the tragic incident to get them to change. There are still several surrounding counties that have the same problem. They claimed they didn't have money for the changes, but once the deaths occurred, miraculously they found the money for it. Sadly, I think it is going to take the same for other counties to do something about it - you'd think they'd learn. However, in these counties, it's not uncommon for dispatch to not be able to reach EMS for an hour or upwards due to transport time/areas and they do not have GPS tracking, so if they are missing it may be quite a while before anybody comes for them and "protective" things are in place and in certain areas they've gotten better and started sending troopers with them to known questionable areas, but otherwise they're on their own.

[letmesleep]

Our dispatch agency status checks us every 20 mins, unless we ask them to stop. If we are status checked with no response the appropriate PD is dispatched to secure us and our scene. We are equipped with 2 mounted radios in our trucks (front and back) and 2 portable radios (HT1250 in believe) which have panic buttons, however this has a problem. The problem with the panic button is the protocol that dispatch follows when the get a panic alarm. Dispatch will begin to call us, and in a stable/ accidental "set off" situation this is no issue, but in an unstable situation (hiding for instance) we would have to turn the radio off in order to remain safe.

The biggest issue we may run into is that approx 75% of our District is covered by the county SD, and we have been known to stage for extended periods of time, for example: 40 min wait time on suicidal OBS is not unheard of. Therefore, if I am being held at gun point, I may be there (with my fingers crossed) with NO radio communications waiting for an undetermined amount of time for SD to arrive.

The ambulances are also equipped with GPS that can be utilized by dispatch as well as our duty officers, so I have never felt the need to "fight" to keep my ambulance. Our rule is "if you have a weapon, then you now have my truck".

[P_Instructor]

Does any department have an operational procedure/sop/etc for "kidnapped/missing" crew? I work in a major urban system that has directives, procedures, etc for basically every situation including civil unrest/abandoning a fire station. We also have the typical "police assist" for situations when your in danger but does anyone have any expierence with this type of situation?

-How long would it take within your local to find an ambulance, then the crew if it was seperated from the truck?

-How long would it take depending on your status (on a run, at a hosp, etc) would it take for your communications center to determine something was wrong?

-Does your truck, radio, etc have gps or some other type of tracking system to find you?

I guess this is sort of a rare and unlikely event but it would be worth talking about.

On the fun side, going 'submarine mode' really erks the Comm Center. As for the serious side, each medic carries an 800mhz portable that has an emergency button located on it, which I believe can be tracked. Also, they will provide status checks every 20 minutes dependant on the situation that the crew was called for.

[stcommodore]

I have heard of some newer radios with gos in them which helps. I also feel for the poster that can't get everyone a radio. Our dept has a radio for everyone on duty, bu I've worked places where thats not the case.

Oh, and to clarify we have a procedure for "civil disturbance" that includes what to do if you must abandon a station due to the area being unsafe.

Edited January 20, 2010 by stcommodore