Meethinks someone is lying (At least I hope so)

[Chief1C]

I've always felt that if a patient feels comforted, they just might have a better outcome. I could go on, but that line alone is just personal perception.

[tcripp]

I've always felt that if a patient feels comforted, they just might have a better outcome. I could go on, but that line alone is just personal perception.

My sentiments, exactly.

[Richard B the EMT]

As stated, this is going to be under discussion for some years to come, from legitimate commissions to crackpot theorists. Hell, we had the Warren Commission say a single shooter in the book depository, versus the Grassy Knoll and possible 3rd shooter, from 1963.

Also, with the confusion of a 20 patient shooting Multi Casualty Incident, who is to say why the crews allowed a political aide, who had at one point is supposed to have been an EMT, if I heard correctly, on board during transport?

[fiznat]

Clearly you have never been involved in a high profile case, with tons of media and VIP's around. It quickly becomes a major cluster...

I've done plenty. The fact of the matter is that we are supposed to be professionals, and the rules don't change just because someone "important" gets hurt. It is our job to make sure things don't "become a major cluster," and that includes keeping every tom/dick/harry voyeur out of the back of our ambulances. Especially on critical calls where there is work be done.

When the police arrest celebrities do they allow family and friends in the cruiser? No they do not. When the patient gets to the hospital and goes into the trauma bays, do family members follow? Hell no. Be in charge of your ambulance. Just because a call is "high profile" doesn't mean other people start making decisions for you.

[Richard B the EMT]

You just reminded me of something.

My VAC responded to the US Air Flight 1010 crash. While we were waiting at "staging", off the "compound", some freelancer photographer was going door to door on the row of lined up ambulances, looking for a ride into LaGuardia Airport, the scene of the crash. If he got in, it was with some ambulance from behind where we were in the lineup. I don't recall if I saw the guy again.

Some years later, in a Crips versus Bloods gang related shooting, with 3 juvenile female ambulatory patients being seen on board my ambulance by myself, my partner, and a Paramedic from another ambulance, we had a quick, somewhat heated discussion with a man claiming to be the father of the 3 girls, insistant that he was going with us, in the back with my partner and the Paramedic. On the direction of the Paramedic, he went along in the back (the Paramedic had a daughter the same age as one of the patients, so she probably felt for the man).

(FYI, of the 8 shot with 2 fatalities, nobody was a member of either gang. All, except the fatalities on the scene, were transported to 3 trauma centers nearby, to not back up any one of them.)

Edited January 12, 2011 by Richard B the EMT

[HERBIE1]

I've done plenty. The fact of the matter is that we are supposed to be professionals, and the rules don't change just because someone "important" gets hurt. It is our job to make sure things don't "become a major cluster," and that includes keeping every tom/dick/harry voyeur out of the back of our ambulances. Especially on critical calls where there is work be done.

When the police arrest celebrities do they allow family and friends in the cruiser? No they do not. When the patient gets to the hospital and goes into the trauma bays, do family members follow? Hell no. Be in charge of your ambulance. Just because a call is "high profile" doesn't mean other people start making decisions for you.

Easier said than done. Especially with politicians and other VIP's. These guys usually have current and former LEO's as bodyguards, and too many of these guys become self important political creatures, just like the VIP's they protect.. Are you going to argue with a guy who has a gun and a badge?

Go ahead, take a stand and see how far that gets you.

Civilians vs high profile-like it or not, there is a HUGE difference- not in treatment, but all the associated crap you need to deal with. My policy is to load the PT, lock the doors before anyone else gets in the way, and do what needs to be done. .Nice- in theory, but does not always work out that way/.

[Richard B the EMT]

My policy is to load the PT, lock the doors before anyone else gets in the way, and do what needs to be done. .Nice- in theory, but does not always work out that way/.

I recall in, I think, Teaneck, New Jersey, an incident. The crew loaded a teenage girl, and then started to finish their onscene patient evaluations. The young lady's father jumped in the front of the ambulance, put it in gear, and drove the ambulance to the hospital.The driver was still doing patient care in the back of the truck. During the ride, he kept asking the crew how to turn on the lights and siren, and they refused him that information. Using their portables, the crew contacted their dispatcher during the ride, and the Teaneck PD was waiting at the ER, and arrested the dad.

The man was arrested for Grand Theft Auto (the ambulance), unauthorized use of a vehicle (the obvious), and several counts of kidnapping (the crew, and his own daughter), as well as several moving violations committed during the ride.

[HERBIE1]

I recall in, I think, Teaneck, New Jersey, an incident. The crew loaded a teenage girl, and then started to finish their onscene patient evaluations. The young lady's father jumped in the front of the ambulance, put it in gear, and drove the ambulance to the hospital.The driver was still doing patient care in the back of the truck. During the ride, he kept asking the crew how to turn on the lights and siren, and they refused him that information. Using their portables, the crew contacted their dispatcher during the ride, and the Teaneck PD was waiting at the ER, and arrested the dad.

The man was arrested for Grand Theft Auto (the ambulance), unauthorized use of a vehicle (the obvious), and several counts of kidnapping (the crew, and his own daughter), as well as several moving violations committed during the ride.

It happens- not to mention the occasional drunk or psych pt who decides to take the rig for a joy ride. When in the ghetto, we always made it a practice to lock the doors while we were doing patient care. Don't always do it now, but we should still continue that practice- too many loonies out there.

[NYCEMS9115]

It may have been a paraphrase of the quote; like our chief complaints.

Maybe the police did their part and then allowed EMS to do their's, hence D. Hernandez in the back of the ambulance with Rep. Giffords going to the hospital.

The media provides the cliffnote version of the truth (I hope). The only ones who know the truth, are the ones there.

We can question the heroism of the elderly man who jumped on top of his wife and took the buillets. The 2 guys who MMA'ed the shooter and the heroic woman who Matrix under the gunfire to take away his clip. The little girl's tunnel vision of Political Power. We can all question that. We don't because it was a tragic event which claimed 6 lives. We should be questioning the gun laws in the Sedona State.

[stcommodore]

Ya'll obviously work in a system where family have cars. In my world if you tell family no then the patient will have no one until that mambers finds a bus or walks. I've had little to no issue having one family member sit in the captians chair, or if the patient is unstable they ride in the cab.

What pray tell does your policy say of the sick mother with nobody to watch her three kids? Who cares if this aid is lying or not.