New Partners!

[Emergency Laughter]

Has anyone had a similar experience with a new partner? It doesn't have to be someone new to EMS (FNG) but just someone you haven't worked with before. You know how it takes a little while to get used to each other....

Here's my "New Partner Experience."

We had just finished up at the ER when a new guy relieved my regular partner. I didn’t know this guy from Adam. So New Guy asks, “Can I drive?”

I was tired so I said, “Yea sure.”

Just out of the parking lot and we get a call, so we take off lights and siren wailing…..and I notice he’s driving a little fast. I figure, hey, everyone’s different, right?

We’re coming up to this intersection, red light to us, and he isn’t slowing down. My feet involuntarily start pressing on the passenger side brake pedal. This intersection is coming up really fast and he is definitely not slowing down.

I tell him, “Hey man…you’re going to stop aren’t you?”

Now my feet are stomping on the floor board and I’m quick scanning the traffic, calculating if we have a chance of not hitting anybody.

I look over at him and he’s got a death grip on the steering wheel and this wild look in his eyes. I start screaming, “SLOW DOWN….STOP….F***ING STOP GOD DAMMIT...STOOOOOOOP!”

He looks at me, says, “Huh?” and then slams on the breaks. We come to a stop in the middle of the intersection and my pucker factor is way off the scale.

After relieving a little stress yelling every four letter word I knew at him, I ask, “Where the hell did you learn to drive. You HAVE driven hot before haven’t you?”

He says, “Hot?”

I say, “Yea lights and siren on dickhead!”

“No.”

My face starts twitching, “What do mean NO?”

He looks over at me and says, “I mean no. This is the first time I’ve driven an ambulance.”

I grabbed my head so it didn’t explode all over the inside of the cab, and said in a calm, albeit venomous tone, “Get out…now!”

Better than a pot of coffee!

[Just Plain Ruff]

He would have been in the passenger set so quick that his head would have spun. Then a call into the sup would have been made to come get him and a replacement for him on the truck.

I would have then spent some quality time with this guy off time teaching him the finer points of driving.

[Richard B the EMT]

Well, that's one great thing about the FDNY's EMS Command: NOBODY even gets out of the academy until they pass EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course).

[MikeEMT]

I'm not calling BS or anything but this story pops up time from time almost word for word. Always a new guy showing up at the Hospital to relieve your partner. Always taking off Hot. And always slammng brakes on at last minute.

What agency would swap out providers at a hospital without a supervisor being present to begin with.

[Emergency Laughter]

I'm not calling BS or anything but this story pops up time from time almost word for word. Always a new guy showing up at the Hospital to relieve your partner. Always taking off Hot. And always slammng brakes on at last minute.

What agency would swap out providers at a hospital without a supervisor being present to begin with.

WTF? We didn't have any supervisors! WTF is a supervisor? And WTF is a supervisor going to do? "OK get in the truck now, fasten your safety belt, did you adjust your mirrors? OK now you two be good boys out there ok? Mommy loves you! Bye Bye." You're kidding me right? Supervisor? Listen supervisor, I just worked a 24, I'm butt ass tired. Get my relief to the ER now. Have him drive an ambulance down and we'll swap out there...I don't know MikeEMT maybe it was just a different time in the 80's & 90's. As far as the story goes...Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, Hawaii, leaving Kaiser Perm. Couldn't stick a pin up my ass....or a supervisor for that matter.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I'm not calling BS or anything but this story pops up time from time almost word for word. Always a new guy showing up at the Hospital to relieve your partner. Always taking off Hot. And always slammng brakes on at last minute.

What agency would swap out providers at a hospital without a supervisor being present to begin with.

Actually, I overslept as a newby one day, I was dropped off at the hospital to meet my crew. I was a trainee with a FTO and their partner. I had never drove the ambulance before other than in orientation driving(not with a patient).

I got in the ambulance after my pre-shift check and off we went. First call was emergency. I did pretty well. Not freaked out like that guy in the original post but my first driving hot so I was sort of the new guy.

I related to that incident because I was scared shitless. Thank goodness for a understanding FTO.

[Happiness]

When I started all I had to have was a class 4 license. I had no training in driving, no orientation, or advise in how to do so. My experience was just driving big fords on the beach . And yes I did slam on the brakes a little hard a few times...........................................

[Just Plain Ruff]

We had one driver go over a speed bump at about 45 miles per hour and knocked out his partner. The patient had seat belt marks from where they nearly came off the cot. The partner was unconscious when the other ambulance got there. The patient was really really pissed.

The management decided in their infinite wisdom to issue everyone "NATO UN Blue helmets" to wear while driving and attending in the back from this incident.

They were never worn.

Common over-reaction by management to a isolated stupid driver incident.

[Btalon]

We have to fob in to drive and it monitors everything we do, the bad thing is even when we complain about a person driving badly it hasn't pulled a review of the fob yet. The sneaky ones use the fire fob that we keep in the rigs to let them drive if needed.

[Richard B the EMT]

You talking one of those "computers" tells time, speed, distance,L&S engaged, brakes on/off, engine on/off, to interested supervisors, indicating how the vehicle was driven, and when? They can be your worst enemy, or best friend.