Personal Vehicle

[SSG G-man]

Nothing special onmy vehicle, its illegal in MD unless you are one of the few designated by your department. Our department currently has a policy that in our first due, we are not to stop for accidents, just call 911. I guess they figure it will be one less vehicle around when the folks from the station show up. I have not come across anything, so I have not tested the policy, unless me being a patient in an accident counts. I do carry a bag. IT is an old canvas army medic bag given to me by a SGM I worked for. He had used it on deployments in South America. Sentimental Value. Mostly has gloves, bandages, 4x4s, old fashinoned wood splints, cravts, etc. IT does have a c-collar also.

I am also a Combat Lifesaver in the Army and have grabbed my bag when doing unit picncs, etc and had sprined ankles and the like.

Sarge

Spelling cow not available, so I apologize for any spellign errors

[JonathanGennick]

[Ace844]

[tinman694]

i have checked with my insurance company/corps/local PD and i am covered for responding to an emergency. I dont drive like an ass with the lights on (or with them off). Maybe I am a "wacker" but that is your oppinion. There is nothing in my jump-kit that i am not certified to use. I have never used my lights when not responding to a call. I spend more on education than I do on lights but most of it is covered by the corps. And finally I want to ask why everyone was being such a dick about me asking what you drive, what is on it, and what you carry as a personal med kit...

Do a search on personal vehicles, whacker, whackers, lights, wackers, what do you carry, and others - and you shall recieve your answer.

For the most part, we consider ourselves to be of the professional sort (or somewhat professional)...anyways. If you find that you need to have L&S on a personal vehicle, you need serious professional mental help--The notion that we have a complete 'kit' on board our personal car to 'respond' isn't a rational thing to be doing. People get hurt (read killed) from stupid mistakes people make 'responding'. Leave the response to duly appointed--and recognizible emergency vehicles (Like the big white box, the big red truck etc)

If your community seems to need you to respond by POV to scene, it needs to pony up some money to have full time response capability which would have some forethought to protect said citizens of the community. Volunteer Fire Departments, EMS organizations et al get a bad rap by those who seem to have to 'be there', endangering everyone else on the road by their selfish actions (Your POV is not an emergency vehicle--therefore, other drivers DO NOT have to yield the right of way! This is true in EVERY state)

Oh, and be sure to check the DOT Placard requirements for carrying hazardous materials--(the O2 cylinder is such) you are required to be placarded...do you also have the appropriate placards on your vehicle?

One could go on for several pages on the cons--which has been done (over and over and over and over and over again) when you do your search on the first topics mentioned.

With that said, my affiliation is with a primarily volunteer organization (which would be considered a combination) department, which relies on individuals responding from home to the station (We are a Fire based ALS Transport Service). Normally an ambulance crew mans the station (Which is paid for by tax dollars and billing for services! Wow!) If said crew is out on another call--others respond from home by POV--at the speed limit, without flashing lights, driving normally, to the station to pick up another unit (of which we have 3) and go to the call. At most it takes 6-8 minutes to roll another unit with a full crew(which is better than the 'full time' department in a neighboring large city-whose responses are sometimes more than 15 minutes)

This is true in many other cities and towns which I have lived in the past--none of them needed to have yahoo's running to the scene in their pickup trucks.

If you have a BLS bag in your vehicle with some 4x4's bandaids and gauze with a BP cuff etc. Fine--It probably will come in handy some time--but don't get the idea you can save the world with it.

Or you could be like the the guy one time we had at a large sporting event. About 10 of us (several were Paramedics) went to a ball game-- a drunken fan fell down a couple of steps and gashed his head--nothing bad, just a small cut on the top of the scalp. We checked him out a bit (having no BSI) one of the crew got the attention of the security guard who said that the emergency response crew would be there shortly. The guy had attracted a crowd--but before the stadium crew came to treat him, some yahoo jumped in and yelled--"Stand Back, I'm an EMT Basic! I will begin treatment!"

Finally after about 3 minutes the stadium crew arrived (They were wearing uniforms, with disco patches no less) The guy didn't want to turn over "his" patient to the qualified crew. Needless to say we saw him getting the boot from the security goons in about 30 seconds.

Am I restating the obvious.....YES! Sorry...needed to get that fat worked off my fingers and rant some for mental health.....

Thank you for your attention.

[BEorP]

i have checked with my insurance company/corps/local PD and i am covered for responding to an emergency. I dont drive like an ass with the lights on (or with them off). Maybe I am a "wacker" but that is your oppinion. There is nothing in my jump-kit that i am not certified to use. I have never used my lights when not responding to a call. I spend more on education than I do on lights but most of it is covered by the corps. And finally I want to ask why everyone was being such a dick about me asking what you drive, what is on it, and what you carry as a personal med kit...

It's my opinion? Well yes it is, but it's also yours and you don't care:

http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph...ighlight=#74833

I am what some would call a "wacker" but I dont care.

Would you mind sharing what your current occupation is that provides you with enough money to have a 2006 Saturn SUV?

And also, how much are you spending on education if you spend more educating yourself then buying EMT toys?

[AZCEP]

This knuckle head isn't spending a dime on education! :x

He says he is spending the money, then tells us the department picks up the tab for most of it. I read that as, "I find every high-dollar course I can so the chief will pay to get me out of town for a few days." Oh, and, "real soon I will be signing up for a paramedic class so that I can spout useless knowledge when someone asks me a medical question when I am off duty, and wearing my full paramedic garb. You know, hat, glasses, belt buckle, jacket, name tag, patches. I am so cool, maybe I can convince someone that I am the hottest thing since the rotating flashing light."

Stay in school and learn some humility, you will need both.

[Ridryder 911]

Ever notice the higher level of education... the lower number of whacker identities...?

R/r 911

[weasel 108]

Yep,here we go again. :roll: I think I will have the age correct this time. (17 year old talking to his friends.... No s*#t,there I was ... etc,etc)

Anyway I drive a 4 door Blazer with headlights. and yes I do have first aid equipment in my truck, it consists of 2 bandaids (Damn paper cut)

druidman, does your Saturn look like the vehicle used in Ghost Busters ?

AZCEP. your last post I have to agree with your last sentence.

[DwayneEMTP]

I've read the posts about lights and sirens on POVs not helping you get where you're going...but saw it yesterday...

I was the third or fourth car back at an intersection that has two lanes going each direction, just as the lights are about to change.

Suddenly there is an ambulance right on top of me! Siren blaring! So I'm trying to find it, so I can get out of the way....but it's not in any of my mirrors....but..he's somewhere!

The traffic that was turning in the intersection mostly comes to a stop, some people facing the red light attempt to go through to try and clear the road. Of course this puts them in the way of the people going through the green light trying to clear the road....

I'm still sitting still like an idiot...because I still can't find the ambulance! Finally the intersection is a mess (It's still amazing to me that no one was hurt)....People are backing up, going forward, sitting still....just trying to figure out who needs to do what to clear the road...

Then I notice a little brown, muddy Toyota pickup with a camper shell threading it's way through the traffic...one little flashing light just visible through the tinting on his camper shell window.....That Little Prick!!! He goes on his way while the rest of us continue to try and get untangled....

He was only one or two cars back at the light that was going to turn green....He easily caused himself 2 minutes delay by turning on the siren....Pretty crazy...

druidman227, When others here tell you you don't want to be this guy....It's not because they have nothing better to do than beat up on people....They've been there...done that....This is the first time I've seen it firsthand (though I didn't doubt those that have posted in the past) and I'll have a hard time not beating up "what kind of lights do you use" posters in the future....(Ok...well that's not my way...but I may be thinking it)

You're 17....try not to be offended, but instead by grateful you were given opinions by a caliber of people you are not likely to be fortunate enough to meet by chance elsewhere....

Good luck to you....don't get mad and go away....We're happy to have you here!!!

Dwayne

[Dustdevil]

i have checked with my insurance company/corps/local PD and i am covered for responding to an emergency.

I, and most every other adult here, call BS on that lie.

I dont drive like an ass with the lights on (or with them off).

Simply having them qualifies as driving like an ass. You don't even have to turn them on.

Maybe I am a "wacker" but that is your oppinion.

Opinions from those who can actually spell "opinion" are more valid than yours.

There is nothing in my jump-kit that i am not certified to use.

And there is nothing in your jump-kit that will not expire or turn to dust before you ever use it too.

I have never used my lights when not responding to a call.

Doesn't matter. Just having them still makes you a laughing stock among EMS professionals. Look around you. How many true, experienced professionals do you see with all that crap on their POV? None. Thirty years in this business and I have honestly known none.

I spend more on education than I do on lights but most of it is covered by the corps.

You just contradicted yourself. Who pays for your education, you or the corps? Or your mom? I'm guessing your mom and the corps pay for everything except your lights. Maybe even the lights too.

And finally I want to ask why everyone was being such a dick about me asking what you drive, what is on it, and what you carry as a personal med kit...

Because you FAILED to read the forum rules before posting. You are the weakest link. Goodbye.