Just Plain Ruff Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 You are the only ambulance in a rural area of about 1500 square miles. You get a call of a man who has fallen over 200 feet down a cliff and hill. The scene is supposedly 4 miles into rough terrain and it's 11pm at night There is one person who meets you where he called you which is a convenience store about 4 miles from the scene but this person does not remember how he got to the store due to alcohol being involved. What do you do? I'll check back on this later today, I've got shopping to do with my wife (OH JOY) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJZ Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I have a lot more questions Do I know the area? How is the 4 miles being determined? Is there any police help? Did I take the call or was it dispatch? I ask these because if it were an area I know I could make good guesses as to where they were drinking before he fell etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaramedic Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 You are the only ambulance in a rural area of about 1500 square miles. First question. What the hell am I doing in Texas? I'll check back on this later today, I've got shopping to do with my wife (OH JOY) Whipped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 , I've got shopping to do with my wife (OH JOY) In this scenario are you just the package carrier? Is it your credit cards being used? Are you on any type of sedation? OK to real scenario. My area , call in deputy, border patrol, and park service rescue, to help locate. Someone with intimate knowledge of area may be able to question drunk for clues as to location. Does drunk know if guy was still talking when he left? If not this may be a recovery. Are we sure friend is real and not imaginary? Has there been a recent movie or TV show where someone fell that this guy in drunken state has imagined really happened? Probably will have to wait for day light for rescue if can locate victim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERDoc Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I would start by finding someone who knows the area well and then try to find a helicopter with FLIR. Otherwise, put the ME on standby because cliff+drunk friend=bad outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 ok, I have not gone shopping yet - but leaving is imminent You know the area very very well you know that there is a quarry about 4 1/3 miles from the convenience store that has taken more lives in your short ems career than you can remember The drunk guy only said that after the bouncing and grinding down the hill and over the cliff ended, that he heard what he distinctively thought was "Ouch that hurt" come from the bottom There is an old service road that is sometimes passable and sometimes not leading up to the quarry but there is no way you will get the ambulance or any type of fire truck in where you want because the service road is about as wide as an old covered wagon is wide. You have a helicopter on standby but it's 45 minutes away at a outlying hospital. What else you all want to know. As for being whipped - yep I am. But it's a small price to pay for what my wife did for me last night -(get your heads out of the gutter guys - it's not anything like that)_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyM83 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I would start by finding someone who knows the area well and then try to find a helicopter with FLIR. Otherwise, put the ME on standby because cliff+drunk friend=bad outcome.I second the FLIR. You can't go just driving around every cliff and peaking your head over to see if you see something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC64 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 What time of year is it? If it is getting into the 40s or below, wait until daylight and call out local search and rescue. And the ME; he's probably dead. However, if weather permits a higher probability of survival, immediate call out of local SAR. The store is approximately 4 miles from the victim; use topographical maps of the area to create a list of probable areas for the guy, send out canine teams with some basic medical equipment and radios to do a hasty search of those areas. If he's found, awesome, get him stabilized on scene to the best of the responders' ability, carry him to a place where he can be picked up by helicopter and flown to a hospital. (Military or civilian, doesn't matter.) By the time that all the teams report back in, there will not only be more people at the store - use it as the incident command post - but it'll probably be getting close to daylight. Assign teams search areas, send 'em out. If he isn't found that day, then there is a reduced chance of his survival and you'd be looking at a search and recovery, instead of search and rescue. Good to know that the drunk friend remembered hearing the guy talk. Since ambulances are not able to get down the road to the quarry, then find people with ATVs. If you're really in the back of nowhere, then by the time the helicopter is to your location and you've found the guy, done initial treatment, packaged him, and gotten him to the LZ, the helicopter will be there or a few minutes out. For the TL;DR portions, call out local Search and Rescue, put the helicopter on standby, and sit back and watch the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Being that it's rural and I had something similar happen, here is what happens. You and your partner are it other than maybe a deputy or 2. Knowing the area you probably have access to like a Honda Mule, John Deere gator, or similar. You will ride in using spot lights. Helicopter in area will not have heat camera, So basically it's you on the ground going into most likely areas. Before heading in you will have dispatch contact area law and any first responders, (just like you they are as close to SAR as rural areas have), but probably will not be any help till sometime in the morning. On your mule you will search areas where this happens the most but will not put yourself into danger. If locate you will radio or sat phone location and if safe take and board patient and what other your allowed to do, if alive, otherwise sheet over them and stay nearby to keep wildlife from gnawing on the remains. Am I in ball park for your scenario? That is how search and rescue works in my part of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief1C Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 We carry basic rope rescue and rigging equipment on the ambulances. We also have a rugged terrain rescue vehicle, that can be towed by the ambulance. Prolly bring a Thermal Imager w/ us to locate the victim should they be unconscious. If they are so cold that the imager cannot make out anything.. Grid search it till dawn, but by then, it will prolly be a recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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