Meethinks someone is lying (At least I hope so)

[CBFLATLINE]

The tragic shooting has brought out many heroes and I'm glad that the Head Trauma Surgeon gave EMS our props but there is this one guy who made these statements...

From AZCENTRAL.com...

"Daniel Hernandez had been U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' intern for five days when she was shot Saturday outside Tucson".

"He stayed with Giffords until paramedics arrived. They strapped her to a board and loaded her into an ambulance. Hernandez climbed in with her. On the ride to the hospital, he held her hand. She squeezed his back".

Now I'm the Medic in this truck and there has just been a mass casualty shooting and there is this guy, who I don't know and I don't have time to check on him (Nor do the Police). However I'm going to let him ride in my truck in the back of the ambulance???

At worst this is the shooter, at best he is just going to be in my way.

Either someone is a fool, someone is lying or someone is both.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/09/20110109daniel-hernandez-gabrielle-giffords-arizona-shooting.html

[chbare]

Huh? He held her hand, not exactly in the way...

Take care,

chbare.

[HERBIE1]

Theoretically possible, but not likely. Also not very smart if it did happen. I can see allowing a family member to ride in the back if you know this person may die to say a final good bye, but an aide? No way. It sounds like this woman had a through and through GSW to the head, so I'm thinking the crew might be a bit busy with patient care, and this aide would be certainly be in the way.

I figure this aide is embellishing his role and taking advantage of an opportunity to score points- politically and personally. Disgusting, but it happens all the time.

My MO-

Unless it's something like a minor or young female or a sexual assault victim who should have another woman present(friend, female cop, family, etc) all riders sit up front.

I agree with the OP on this- I call BS on this story.

[JakeEMTP]

I have developed my own policy (not the Counties in which I am employed) that no one rides in the ambulance unless as Herbie stated, the pt. is a minor or a female victim of a sexaual assault. It can be distracting to the driver of the ambulance. Constantly turning around trying to see what I'm doing is distracting to the driver and dangerous to them. I gladly advise them they are free to follow us. The main reason is, I'm tired of people sticking their head through the middle asking me what I'm doing, or asking "is she ok?".

[HERBIE1]

I have developed my own policy (not the Counties in which I am employed) that no one rides in the ambulance unless as Herbie stated, the pt. is a minor or a female victim of a sexaual assault. It can be distracting to the driver of the ambulance. Constantly turning around trying to see what I'm doing is distracting to the driver and dangerous to them. I gladly advise them they are free to follow us. The main reason is, I'm tired of people sticking their head through the middle asking me what I'm doing, or asking "is she ok?".

My reasons for not wanting riders in the back are mostly selfish ones.

I'm more worried about distractions to me and my patient care. My partner is a good driver, and can usually ignore a distracting rider. He becomes pretty focused on the task at hand- so much so that sometimes I need to throw things at him from the back to get his attention. LOL(not really)

Simply asking demographic information, much less providing treatment enroute- can be a major hassle with someone else back there. I usually suggest family and friends take their own vehicles and meet us at the hospital- especially when I know the patient will be treated and released- so they have a way to get back home and not need to call for a ride or pay for a taxi.

[Just Plain Ruff]

So why are we automatically jumping to conclusions that this guy is lying? Maybe it happened just as he said it did, or are we too jaded on this site to believe someone like this?

I also think that the shooter had been caught already so I suspect that the medics were ok with this kid riding along.

I of course would not have let him in the back with her but I would have let him ride with me in the front.

But to automatically assume this guy is lying, is a little too far ahead of yourself.

Are you going to question the other stories of bystanders there too? If you question this guy then you have to question the others and call them liars too.

[HERBIE1]

So why are we automatically jumping to conclusions that this guy is lying? Maybe it happened just as he said it did, or are we too jaded on this site to believe someone like this?

Yep. I am guilty as charged.

I also think that the shooter had been caught already so I suspect that the medics were ok with this kid riding along.

Their choice. In high profile and VIP cases, often times there are tons of law enforcement, aides, etc who want to ride along. Sometimes it cannot be helped, but if I had my way, other than the guys with the badges and guns, NOBODY should be back there.

I of course would not have let him in the back with her but I would have let him ride with me in the front.

Agreed.

But to automatically assume this guy is lying, is a little too far ahead of yourself.

Maybe, maybe not.

Are you going to question the other stories of bystanders there too? If you question this guy then you have to question the others and call them liars too.

Unless it's pertinent to my care, it would simply fall into the "nice to know" category. For the purposes of discussion here, anything is possible.

[CBFLATLINE]

Ruffems

I don't believe that the scene was entirely clear (it's a calculated risk IMHO). If you recall, until yesterday the Police were still searching for an accomplice. Yes, they may have one guy but in this day and age when you have a melee shooting, especially of a government, high profile official. I'm going to be thinking about secondary devices (car bombs), other shooters, etc. and my head is going to be on a swivel.

My objective is to help people and then go home at night. Everyone that wasn't in uniform, as far as I'm concerned is a suspect and they don't get in the truck with me until proven otherwise.

[Chief1C]

As a general rule, we only allow one person to ride w/ a patient; and they must be belted, in the cab of the ambulance. There are few reasons why this would change, or unless the patient requested it. If there's a medic getting on, said family member goes back to the front seat.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ruffems

I don't believe that the scene was entirely clear (it's a calculated risk IMHO). If you recall, until yesterday the Police were still searching for an accomplice. Yes, they may have one guy but in this day and age when you have a melee shooting, especially of a government, high profile official. I'm going to be thinking about secondary devices (car bombs), other shooters, etc. and my head is going to be on a swivel.

My objective is to help people and then go home at night. Everyone that wasn't in uniform, as far as I'm concerned is a suspect and they don't get in the truck with me until proven otherwise.

I don't believe the scene was entirely clear either and yes it's a calculated risk. Assumptions are running rampant here on this case.

Would I have let the guy in the back with me - Not with a critical patient.

But he may have had congressional identification that proved he was a intern for this congresswoman. In that case I would bet that the transporting crew were comfortable with him going along.

But to automatically assume this guy is lying in his story that was related to the press, is making a huge leap of judgement IMHO.

But seriously, the scene was chaotic and sometimes you do what you have to do and let someone ride in that you normally would not have.

If the person was identified as the congresswomans intern then that is a whole different scenario apart from an unidentified person. And maybe with the congresswoman being conscious she said to let him come.

There is a whole lot to this story that we don't know. Why jump to conclusions.

I also fall into the jaded category Herbie - I question everything but this is something that doesn't affect me at all so why in all reality do we really care what this intern did?