Distracted Driving

[Arctickat]

I think I'll stop here before it gets carried away.

[island emt]

Purposefully driving while doing something else like texting or eating food or wanking is unacceptable and totally unprofessional; it is not tolerated here by management or indeed by other ambulance officers

The cops new cars' have the siren controls built into the steering wheel; alas ambo doesn't have such luxury yet but I concede it is not overly difficult to steer with one hand and work the siren control with the other just set it to "RUN" and it cycles as appropriate you only have to select hi-low and hit the air horn at intersections or to get people to pull out of your way

You kiwi's need to get out of the dark ages.

Our ambulance's have had the on the wheel siren/horn control for twenty years.

Here we tend not to use the siren as it cranks everyone up and can cause needless stress and pandemonium for all.

Either just put the lights on to let folks know we are working , or shut everything off and just go with the flow of traffic.

CKA: I was trying not to go down that road , so as to not offend a few members here, who work for THAT firm and stoutly defend the honor of that sweatshop.

Edited April 18, 2012 by island emt

[Richard B the EMT]

Cell phones were first coming on the market at the same time I first started working municipal EMS, in 1985. At that time, NYPD and NYC*EMS personnel were not even supposed to have a cell phone with them while at work. Later, they figured out that it was beneficial that members have one, as making "call your base/call your dispatcher" responses were faster than looking for a working street corner pay phone.

Clark Kent has a problem even looking for a street corner pay phone, to attire himself into his Superman persona, as nowadays, we have so few pay phone booths, let alone pay phones.

When I used to get mandated for overtime, onto the midnight to 8 tour, almost all of the crews would keep in touch with each other using their cell phones. If a crew didn't answer the Dispatcher calling them, they'd be called by one, or more, of the other crews, telling them to pick up the radio.

What disturbed me was, more than occasionally, I'd hear a crew acknowledge a call, and then my partner's cell phone would ring, and be the driving EMT of the assigned ambulance, telling us they were doing a call. This meant they were using the cell phone while driving. I don't want to think of potential accidents, or explaining to EMS Lieutenants, Captains, Chiefs, and Division of Safety Fire personnel, both rank and file and their supervisors, as to contributing factors to the accident.

By the way, pre-merger, no matter what, municipal EMS crews were always in the wrong, in-house, for any company vehicle accidents. As a scenario: "Joe" would park the spare ambulance, when the regular unit became available, back in the row of spare ambulances in the street. 2 weeks later, a drunk driver, traveling at extreme high speed being pursued by the NYPD, would roll the car, which would hit the parked ambulance. "Joe" would be charged with the accident, as he parked it where the car hit it, even if he had gone on vacation immediately after parking the spare truck.

I also mention that, in the ambulance company I worked in prior to EMS, I was singing along to the AM/FM radio, monitoring my portable Citizens Band 2 way and Police Scanner radios, while communicating with my base on the company 2 way radio, while traveling at full emergency status to an assignment.

[Kiwiology]

Here we tend not to use the siren as it cranks everyone up and can cause needless stress and pandemonium for all.

Either just put the lights on to let folks know we are working , or shut everything off and just go with the flow of traffic.

Pretty much how it works here most of the time

[a_shane2_go]

Here in Alberta we just had our distracted law put into effect this year. In rural AB with long transport times texting still happens. Pisses me off. We are exempt for calls if they are directly EMS related.... the public doesnt know it and always gives us a sour look.

Its getting better. I just hope it gets A LOT better before someone gets hurt, or they put camera's into our units.

[Richard B the EMT]

No one here has made mention of using the on board computer assisted dispatch system for sending messages, such as, along with status change from onscene to enroute to hospital, the hospital notification of patient vitals, ETA, and such.

addendum: This might be more for agencies where hospital contact is through the dispatchers, not directly with the field crews.