MVC's on the interstate

[JPINFV]

2 things.

1. Would I stop? It's location dependent. There are areas with extended response times (I-15 and I-5 going down to San Diego) where I would stop. Pretty much everyplace else the only thing stopping is the radio, and that's until I get off the phone with the 911 operator.

2. What am I planning on doing? Mostly either holding c-spine, talking to and reassuring the patient(s) or keeping other people from doing stupid things. All I need is a pair of gloves to do the first and no special equipment to do the other two.

[Chief1C]

Fear of being killed by a rubbernecker?

[FireMedic65]

I got into EMS to help the sick and injured. Depending on the situation at hand, such as location, traffic, time of day, etc etc... I would stop. I could not just drive by an accident where a person could be hurt.

Rubberneckers will rubberneck regardless if you are in a POV or ambulance. Police won't even block off traffic, at least not here they won't. So it is my opinion you aren't in much more danger.

Personally, I would stop. Call 911 and give them my findings. I would do what I can in the safest way possible to my own safety. Most of the roadways here have shoulders or a good amount of space off the road. I am trained to remove a person from a car if need be. I don't need an ambulance to do that. That is basic first aid. I keep basic first aid supplies in my vehicle to stop bleeding and such like that. I also carry road flares.

It is not illegal for me to stop and help. I will do what I can... it is why I got into EMS.

[cosgrojo]

If I feel that it is safe to stop and help... and I think that my help would benefit the situation... and I believe that there would be an extended response time for actual on-duty rescuers... and if I'm not angry from the 24 hour shift I just got out of... and if the scene truly looks confused or disorderly... then I might stop.

Not to Parrot what others have said... but what usefulness am I without my Ambulance? I know when I am working and I go to a call and there is an "off-duty" EMT on scene telling me he/she is an EMT/RN/MD/CNA/RT/PT, I don't really care. I don't know you, and I don't trust you. Thanks for helping stabilize before I came, but I'm here now... you can go. I have stopped maybe 2-3 times while off duty in the past. As soon as flashy lights approached the scene and someone was quickly briefed on the situation... I'm out of there. I don't want to hang out, and they don't want me there. I don't trust them, and they shouldn't trust me.

The worst is when I am in uniform coming home from work... sitting at a traffic light and a fender bender happens in front of me. People spot the uniform and start calling me out of my car to help. Good Lord I hate that. Just leave me alone, no one is hurt... I'm sorry that the other guy doesn't have car insurance... I'm hungry and I want to eat my Bagel...

Sorry guys... not that this has ever happened to me before or anything...

[Chief1C]

Rubberneckers will rubberneck regardless if you are in a POV or ambulance.

That's not the fricken point. At least if you're on the ambulance, your family will get something when the rubbernecker kills you.

[tskstorm]

That's not the fricken point. At least if you're on the ambulance, your family will get something when the rubbernecker kills you.

Actually, we don't have any line of duty death benefits. However, would be an interesting lawsuit if a family wanted to pursue it, wouldn't get jack if you were there just because.

[maverick56]

2 things.

1. Would I stop? It's location dependent. There are areas with extended response times (I-15 and I-5 going down to San Diego) where I would stop. Pretty much everyplace else the only thing stopping is the radio, and that's until I get off the phone with the 911 operator.

2. What am I planning on doing? Mostly either holding c-spine, talking to and reassuring the patient(s) or keeping other people from doing stupid things. All I need is a pair of gloves to do the first and no special equipment to do the other two.

I'm pretty much with you. I would, and have, stopped in my neck of the woods - rural, sometimes long response times, extreme winters. I stopped once for an accident that I witnessed during a snow storm. Good thing because an infant and toddler were involved who would have gotten very very cold otherwise. HOWEVER, I drive a large pick-up truck and always have in it roadside triangles, flares, reflective vest, blankets, large flash light and a headlamp, and a fully stocked wilderness trauma kit. And in the winter, there are also 2pr of gloves, 2 hats, 2 scarves, a pair of snow boots, a shovel and kitty litter. What all this stuff means is that, if I do stop, I am prepared to act withing my training until help arrives. Might sound crazy to you all, but when you grow up in the upper peninsula when you can go 200 miles without seeing another vehicle and get 300" a winter, it's pretty normal. In the incident with the babies, I saw to the other driver first, he had flipped and died within a minute of my reaching him (traumatic arrest). I left him to go to the other vehicle where I took care of the kiddie's first, just minor injuries but cold, then took c-spine on mom. Reason for this was mom was in shock and freaking out about the kids. By caring for the kids, she calmed a bit and followed directions to not move.

That was a unique situation in that 1) I witnessed the event, and 2) I knew response would be slowed by the weather and location, and 3) I was reasonably sure that I could safely assist and make myself and the scene visible. Now, if I were downstate, in the more urban areas, then no, I would not stop. Too many variables, not the least of which is liability.

That said, even with

[+medic]

I'm pretty much with you. I would, and have, stopped in my neck of the woods - rural, sometimes long response times, extreme winters. I stopped once for an accident that I witnessed during a snow storm. Good thing because an infant and toddler were involved who would have gotten very very cold otherwise. HOWEVER, I drive a large pick-up truck and always have in it roadside triangles, flares, reflective vest, blankets, large flash light and a headlamp, and a fully stocked wilderness trauma kit. And in the winter, there are also 2pr of gloves, 2 hats, 2 scarves, a pair of snow boots, a shovel and kitty litter. What all this stuff means is that, if I do stop, I am prepared to act withing my training until help arrives. Might sound crazy to you all, but when you grow up in the upper peninsula when you can go 200 miles without seeing another vehicle and get 300" a winter, it's pretty normal. In the incident with the babies, I saw to the other driver first, he had flipped and died within a minute of my reaching him (traumatic arrest). I left him to go to the other vehicle where I took care of the kiddie's first, just minor injuries but cold, then took c-spine on mom. Reason for this was mom was in shock and freaking out about the kids. By caring for the kids, she calmed a bit and followed directions to not move.

That was a unique situation in that 1) I witnessed the event, and 2) I knew response would be slowed by the weather and location, and 3) I was reasonably sure that I could safely assist and make myself and the scene visible. Now, if I were downstate, in the more urban areas, then no, I would not stop. Too many variables, not the least of which is liability.

That said, even with

Hummmmm this topic got intresting while I was gone this weekend.

I got into EMS to help people if there is a chance I can help them I will stop. But up where I live it takes the Emergency Serivces a while to respond sometimes. I know there might not be much you can do for a person depending on what happend and why. But like Mavrick I have all the gear in my truck to render basic care when ever I need it. I travel though some very rual areas and its better to have the stuff to be on the safe side. Even in the urban areas it has come in handy to at times.

This makes for a intresting topic because we are all from diffrent areas.

Edited June 7, 2010 by +medic

[Adam Swartz]

I always try to stop. As long as I feel safe doing so. Figure there is a reason I am going into ems. I have stopped to help a stall and wound up helping a guy bleeding to death down 40 feet from the interstate in the woods. Talk about a shock. Fell from a deer stand.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Hummmmm this topic got intresting while I was gone this weekend.

I got into EMS to help people if there is a chance I can help them I will stop. But up where I live it takes the Emergency Serivces a while to respond sometimes. I know there might not be much you can do for a person depending on what happend and why. But like Mavrick I have all the gear in my truck to render basic care when ever I need it. I travel though some very rual areas and its better to have the stuff to be on the safe side. Even in the urban areas it has come in handy to at times.

This makes for a intresting topic because we are all from diffrent areas.

ok, I have stopped a couple of times but that was back in my younger more stupid days

I had the belief that if I stopped I could save them or at least help.

the couple times I did stop I had nothing but my hands and a pair of gloves, but one time sticks out, I waited till the ambulance got there all the while holding c-spine on a woman who fell down in the middle of the road (I damn near hit her) and whacked her head on the concrete resulting in a bad head injury with unresponsiveness. I was holding c-spine and when the fire guys got there the fire medic got out walked up to me and said "We got it from here, you can leave" I said, "Not until someone takes C-spine over for me" he then proceeded to grill me about what my level of EMS involvement was. I told him I was a medic from Missouri. He again said "You can leave" I repeated "Not until someone relieves me of c-spine" He was truly pissed now and he said "Fine, I'll take over" I turned it over to him and as I walked away to talk to the trooper, I witnessed this idiot get up and walk away from the patient to go get some equipment.

I asked the trooper where they would take her and they said "UMMS Baltimore shock trauma" and I said ok. The funny thing was is that my client was the ER of Shock Trauma which I was putting in their ER Computer system so I was on first name basis with many of the nurses there. I watched this fire medic put the woman on the cot without c-spine, no backboard and still unresponsive and left the scene running hot.

I made a phone call telling the nurse who then put me on the phone with a specific doctor working in the shock trauma center. I explained what I saw, he said thanks. Turns out I talked to that doctor again the next week and he said that he let the medic have it based on how they brought the patient to the ER and my report to him on the phone.

After that incident I do not stop period. No matter if it happens in front of me or not. If I'm there and cannot get away from it then that's another story but I can easily drive by the accident and no one will be the wiser.