MVC's on the interstate

[mobey]

Living in a Rural community, I stop at accidents that do not already have emergency services attending.

My #1 reason is that when I entered EMS I made a concious decision to "do what is right for my fellow man" ALL the time, as long as I did not put myself in harms way.

I could really giva a shit if others think I am a hero, that is not why I do good things.

Even if I was a plumber.... I would still stop.

Being a Medic just makes me more aware of scene safety, and communicable disease.

The last accident I stopped at, I sat with the pt for 35min alone, waiting for the ambulance/fire to extricate. To me, the WRONG thing to do, is call 911, and let her mentally suffer alone, injured and scared.

But hey.... that is your choice.

I think the problem comes, when people actually try extricating, and treating the injured. Feel free to stop the bleeding, but don't try splinting with a fence post!

I agree Ruff, many Newbies stop to try get the "hero" badge, but I don't know that the majority stop for that reason.

Edited June 13, 2010 by mobey

[Just Plain Ruff]

Living in a Rural community, I stop at accidents that do not already have emergency services attending.

My #1 reason is that when I entered EMS I made a concious decision to "do what is right for my fellow man" ALL the time, as long as I did not put myself in harms way.

I could really giva a shit if others think I am a hero, that is not why I do good things.

Even if I was a plumber.... I would still stop.

Being a Medic just makes me more aware of scene safety, and communicable disease.

The last accident I stopped at, I sat with the pt for 35min alone, waiting for the ambulance/fire to extricate. To me, the WRONG thing to do, is call 911, and let her mentally suffer alone, injured and scared.

But hey.... that is your choice.

I think the problem comes, when people actually try extricating, and treating the injured. Feel free to stop the bleeding, but don't try splinting with a fence post!

I agree Ruff, many Newbies stop to try get the "hero" badge, but I don't know that the majority stop for that reason.

I'm not saying that the majority stops for that reason. I think that many though do. If you are stopping for completely humanitarian reasons, to help someone then fine but the minute you start bragging on how you saved that person or how you stopped at the crash then that's when you begin to get the hero badge

I say kudos to those who stop and better their fellow man but the minute that that hero or I gotta stop gets' you hurt or the patient hurt worse is when you no longer are considered helping, but you are now considered a nuisance.

I can't count the number of times over the past 18 years that the bystander made things worse. I'd give examples of the more glaring examples but that's neither here nor there.

Once you get in the way or become a hindrance to the rescuers you become a nuisance. I've had many occurrences of this situation when I've responded.

But if you stop, kudos for you but for those acting like those of us on this site that don't stop are not stopping for selfish reasons, that's where you lose credibility. Same with those who do not stop criticising those who do stop.

It's on a situation by situation basis.

But those of you who do stop, do not cry to any of us when you are injured.

Edited June 13, 2010 by Ruffems

[Chief1C]

The biggest issue out here, of course we have no interstates, but none the less important, is communication. Folks can't just call 9-1-1. I find it important to always at least slow and ask if someone needs a wrecker, cop, ambulance, etc. I can radio out, where as, cell phones only work on top of the hills, not down in the valleys.

[FireMedic65]

Fully agree there with that mode of thinking ch. The other day, I drove to a location about 2hrs away. I saw a few people pulled over to the side of the road, but not apparent sign of accident. I kept on driving. A few people with flat tires and the driver/family sitting on the side of the road waiting for someone to come. If they would have been in an accident, I would have stopped probably, since no one else seemed to care. Not even slowing down or moving to the side further for their safety. Yes, this does contradict my previous statement of being safe, but we are never fully safe.

Anywhooo, I will still stop at an accident if conditions are favorable. My safety is more important. I do have a vest in my vehicle, flairs, and basic first aid supplies such as bandages. I also always carry gloves with me. I keep my old EMS helmet in the vehicle too. Not the ideal gear, but it will do justice until an ambulance arrives. I could not on good conscious just drive by while someone could be hurt/sick when I am a trained provider that can at the very least dial 911 and hold a bandage on a bleeding victims wound.

As I do not have a radio to call dispatch for assistance, I do carry a cell phone. Two of them actually. One is my personal phone, and I keep another fully charged and turned off with a minimal amount of prepaid minutes of it. Sometimes a victim doesn't even have a phone to call for help, or can't call for help.

[Timmy]

That’s fine ruff, I wasn’t having a go just offering my opinion due to my circumstances.

I too would not stop on a busy metropolitan highway due to safety factors and as I’ve said it’s totally circumstantial as to when I’d stop to help.

I’ve recent attended a few accidents with both the EMS and Fire services. The one I attended with EMS was literally 10 meters from my front door, I live on a gravel road and the traffic on this road is maybe 6 cars and tractors in a 24hour period, certainly nothing like a major highway. Two international fruit pickers had come across the highway and onto my gravel road at HIGH Speed (200km plus) and impacted a massive tree causing the driver to be objected from the vehicle and injuring the passenger, on arrival I found the pair sitting in the back seat asleep. When I started making some noise, asking if they could hear me, trying to get the door open they woke up and actually refused treatment! (based on immigrations issues I later found out) but never the less I had the cavalry on there way based on the mechanism of injury (the car was defiantly mutilated). We assume the accident occurred around 2400hrs but the alarm wasn’t raised until 0530hrs when I responded and waited 30mins before any other services arrived. I know our next door nebigour would have driven past this accident at 0200 on her way to work but did not stop stating the car looked as thought it had been ‘tended to’ because the impact was so great the car actually bounced meters off the tree and positioned it self on the road as though it had been pulled off the tree awaiting the tow truck…

The second incident I attended was with Fire, a car vs tree at high impact (150km plus). The kid was highly intoxicated and some how managed to find his way through the wreak and into the back seat for a little seaester... We had no details from this accident in regards to what time it occurred but on further discussion with the police a few days later (after they did a door knock for witnesses) it was revealed 4 cars had driven past the accident which occurred at around 0200 yet no one was called until 0430. The reasons for this, some of the vehicles were the victims mates, they were also very intoxicated and drink/drug driving, they thought the accident was so bad that the victim must be dead but didn’t want to get busted for drink/drug driving/possession, so they left in fear of getting a conviction. It wasn’t until the milk tankers from the milk factory which use this road fired up for the morning rounds called it in. Fortunately the boy escaped with only minor injury.

In situation one the gas tank on the vehicle had been ruptured and had actually leaked out and was empty when I arrived and in situation two the vehicle was leaking fuel all of which could cause the vehicle to erupt in flames, yet everyone was to scared to get involved and help out or even call for help.

So yes, in my situation I would stop because I think waiting 5 hours for assistance is just absurd and from what I’ve seen in my local community, people just may not stop or even call for help…

[BlissEMT]

As I do not have a radio to call dispatch for assistance, I do carry a cell phone. Two of them actually. One is my personal phone, and I keep another fully charged and turned off with a minimal amount of prepaid minutes of it. Sometimes a victim doesn't even have a phone to call for help, or can't call for help.

I don't have a radio either, but if I lived rurally, I guess I would consider investing in one...

As far as the cell phone goes, I keep my old personal one in my glove box, and swap it out every time I upgrade. You don't have to have minutes on a phone in order to call 911. Just a phone with a battery.

Edited June 15, 2010 by BlissEMT

[CBEMT]

It's state law. If you can safely render assistance at the scene of an emergency, you shall.

Little hint? If you're the first one onscene (and realistically, even if you're not), it's not safe. Just sayin.

Edited June 17, 2010 by CBEMT