Trouble At Work: Hit A Curb

[EMS49393]

I hit the curb at least once every month! I've never dented or scratched a rim, but I've definitely went up and over curbs before. Our company policy is that if you cause any damage to the unit, then it comes out of your paycheck. Not sure how much you pay, but I know of a few one co-worker who is still paying for a ding in the rear step that happened 6 months ago!

Just explain that you hit the curb and honestly didn't know that there was any damage caused.

Good luck!

That sounds an awful lot like Transcare. I've never done more the curb an ambulance so far, and thank goodness. We have an employee that hit a patient's house last year and he's still employed. When you break it down this employee was worth much more in service years, commitment, and work ethic then the damage he did when he crashed. He used a spotter, as per SOP, but apparently wasn't pay enough attention to him. Work made him pucker a few days because we are governed by a Board of Directors, so all firings are finalized by them, but in the end, he's still there. His name is the endearing term for hitting a stationary object.

I think in many instances the employer really needs to pull the files on their employees before just firing them for an infraction, or accident. If you never get in to trouble, have good attendance, do above and beyond, then firing them for a small crash seems like a colossal waste of money and resources.

[White Cloud]

Wow, That is pretty Intense:

Im preparing for a suspension too im sure: What did I do wrong ? Paperwork Error

Were using electronic Care Reports, And there are a few sign offs I have done in the paper work and in order for you to "Lock" the PCR you have to have all the correct information filled, well I THOUGHT i been doing it correctly for the last 12 months, Getting the Patient to sign the Refusal Form, And thats it, I was able to lock it, so i didnt think twice i was missing any information.....well recently I had to be brought into the head office, undergo an Interrogation of why I was Acting against Policy by not providing ALL the correct information, Asked to repeat word per word the Proper protocols for patient sign offs directly from the Polocy Procedure Manual (without Looking)

Pretty much being accused of not knowing what i was doing and Purposely acting against protocol. A 3 HOUR Interrogation...I dont see why they didnt tell me i was doing the paper work wrong until MONTHS later....and why they just didnt say "Hey, Your doing it wrong, it goes like this" Im currently waiting a "Fallow up" meeting where im sure ill get some sort of punishment.

[Dustdevil]

Wow, this sucks. I really wish I had a foolproof plan for you, but I think that Eydawn and crotchitymedic1986 both covered it pretty well. Stick with the honesty and humility, because that is what you are. You looked and didn't see any damage. You immediately admitted to the oncoming crew, instead of denying it. Those are qualities that I value in an employee. It's sad if they don't. But I also know that the schools are pumping out hundreds of new medics around there every few months too, so they can surround themselves with quantity and not care less about quality if they want to.

I once was in a similar situation. I was backing the ambulance into the parking place at the hospital. My nurse partner was sitting in back, with the door open, spotting me back. At some point she says, "whoa!" so I stopped. Then she says, "pull back up a little" so I did. I went inside, but she hung back at the ambulance for a bit. Next day, I get called into the office, with the manager wanting to know why I didn't report hitting a car. I was like, "WTF? I didn't hit any car!" She tells me that my "partner" reports that I hit another car while backing up. I told her I didn't hit any car, and that my "partner" never said a word to me about hitting a car. They both called me liars about that. I asked them whose car it was, what damage there was, and that I wanted to see the pictures. Then they tell me they had no pictures, and that there was no damage. So then what exactly was this all about? I dunno, but I got a written counselling in my file for a no-contact, no-damage "collision", and my "partner" walked away with nothing, despite the fact that IF I had actually hit a car, SHE is the one who backed me into it!

Life ain't fair. Sometimes you gotta laugh it off and move on, Bro.

[Richard B the EMT]

I scraped the sidewalk curb at some point in the day. Didn't even think twice, no big bump or anything.

Next morning (it's 24 hour shifts), the new shift points out a TINY dent in the outside of the tire rim.

Was your intent to hit the curb? NO

Did you notice the TINY dent? NO

Did you deny that it happened? NO

Did you intentionally not report it? NO

To have taken the blame is honorable but if you have no idea how it happened then the truth is 'you have no idea'. If you did and failed to report it then look them straight in the eye and tell them that and give your reason. good luck

I once was accused of not reporting a nasty dent, actually a 1 by 6 inch cut into the metal of the "box" at shoulder level.

In my case, as the ambulance had come in early (overtime personnel going home), the supervisor and I did a walk-around inspection for any new dings and dents in the vehicle. There were none.

The next tour, 18 hours later, the same supervisor approached me, asking about that cut. Seems the tour 2 crew I was relieving had reported the damage, and the tour 1 crew that had taken the vehicle from me had denied knowledge. My anger at the damage to my ambulance, which had been the 47Adam vehicle for only a few months, brand new, plus the reminder to the supervisor that he, like me, hadn't seen this damage during the walk-around the night before, convinced him I was not responsible for that damage. He did, however, tell my partner and me, and the crew from the 47Boy unit, to swap out the assigned equipment and trade vehicles. 47Boy got the then newest, if damaged, ambulance at the station, and my 47Adam got placed into the oldest non spare ambulance.

3 months later, 47Boy got their new truck, and we got our new-old-new ambulance back.

[WestSideBorderPatrol]

That sounds an awful lot like Transcare. I've never done more the curb an ambulance so far, and thank goodness. We have an employee that hit a patient's house last year and he's still employed. When you break it down this employee was worth much more in service years, commitment, and work ethic then the damage he did when he crashed. He used a spotter, as per SOP, but apparently wasn't pay enough attention to him. Work made him pucker a few days because we are governed by a Board of Directors, so all firings are finalized by them, but in the end, he's still there. His name is the endearing term for hitting a stationary object.

I think in many instances the employer really needs to pull the files on their employees before just firing them for an infraction, or accident. If you never get in to trouble, have good attendance, do above and beyond, then firing them for a small crash seems like a colossal waste of money and resources.

Haha, no it's not Transcare. Similar private company though. I agree with you that the punishment should fit the crime, and that the person's employment file at the company should be looked at. If they are an exemplary employee, and this was their first infraction, then firing is totally out of line. Dock them the pay to fix the damage and call it a day.

[jw-c152]

. Dock them the pay to fix the damage and call it a day.

I disagree with all of the posts that say "Dock them the pay." Shit happens. People are going to bump curbs. It's a cost of doing business.

[WestSideBorderPatrol]

I disagree with all of the posts that say "Dock them the pay." Shit happens. People are going to bump curbs. It's a cost of doing business.

While I do agree that stuff happens, if you hop/rub a curb AND cause damage to the unit, as the driver of that unit, you are responsible for damages incurred while you operate it. If you get into some sort of collision that in no way/shape/form is your fault, then you shouldn't have to pay for any of the damage. Really, the only times that we hop a curb are when we simply aren't paying attention, are in a hurry, or just misjudge our turn. None of those are really "accidents", since they all can be avoided.

You break it, you buy it...or at least help pay for it.

[Dustdevil]

Disagree. You collect insurance premiums, YOU buy it, no matter whose fault it is.

However, I would agree that it would be good form to offer to pay for it. Or better yet, insist on it.

But no, it's not his responsibility, just a classy move.

In reality, nobody will pay for it. They're not going to replace the rim for a microscopic dent.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Dustdevil

[JPINFV]

But I also know that the schools are pumping out hundreds of new medics around there every few months too, so they can surround themselves with quantity and not care less about quality if they want to.

What surprises me is that so many administrators and managers are so bad at economics. It's like they don't realize the cost of new employees in both dollar amount (about $600 for an EMT to go through orientation and field training and orientation) and efficiency (the longer you're with a company, the more you know the ins and outs of that company and the local system, so the faster you are) to think that high turnover is saving money.

[stcommodore]

So under the "you cause it you pay it" theory I wreak a $250,000 GMC 4500/Horton my department should make me pay for that?

I once brushed/swiped a college police car with the driver side rear/diamond plate area of my squad. There was no damage to the squad that you could tell, in fact there are so many dings, scraps, dents, etc that it would take alot to notice another! The police car being brand new had a minor scuff mark(s) on it. My punishment...20 hours suspention.

My biggest issue with my department is that they never repair simple, minor, moderate body/paint damage to a squad. I feel like if you take money out of my pocket for my mistake then you should make it even and fix the unit. It's really a presentation and morale issue.