kohlerrf Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I have been driving ambulances for some time now for paid 911, Volunteer 911 and CC transports. I am amazed at the never ending incorrect assumptions that we ambulance drivers make. To start off, nowhere have I found any law, regulation, ordinance or company policy that states, during my emergency response "REQUIRES" me to disobey the vehicle traffic law. For example I am not required to exceed the posted speed limit. I am not required to pass through a red traffic signal. Providing I am not disobeying any traffic regulation, I am not required to have an audible warning sound or siren consistently sounding from the time I put the vehicle in drive to the time I put the vehicle in park at the scene. If all this is true, and we know it is so dangerous, why do so many of us do it? and don't tell me its to get to the pt faster, I've been around that block... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwiology Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 40 years of perpetuated misconception and Type A personalities who like to drive fast with flashy things going. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPINFV Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I would argue that, in general, if you have the lights on you should have the sirens on regardless of if you are using an exemption to normal traffic laws or not. This isn't to say "always" (it's understandable with extremely light traffic conditions, late at night, etc to not have both on) have the siren on, however just the presence of the lights being on is going to change the driving environment and can cause other drivers to operate their vehicles differently. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief1C Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I follow one principal. Drive so that you get there alive. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I follow one principal. Drive so that you get there alive. Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Instructor Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I follow one principal. Drive so that you get there alive. Well stated, also if and while driving in emergency response, do it safely, and be extra cautious of the 'other driver'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwiology Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) I firmly believe the driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do; so I label it a necessary evil. Personally I have zero tolerance for siren freaks and speed junkies the ten seconds we might have going p1 to a job is not clinically significant and in my time I've seen two patients go into hospital p1 - a seizure and an inferior STEMI. Now I don't have a problem with somebody using the lights and siren to clear traffic and request right of way if it's necessary but these speed freaks who run red lights, weave in and out of traffic and live with their fist on the air horn and the other pounding the dash in frustration because they can't clear gridlock going 100k an hour to a job are just idiots. Edit: Whoot, 500 posts, .... man I need a life eh? lol Edited December 8, 2009 by kiwimedic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohlerrf Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) 40 years of perpetuated misconception and Type A personalities who like to drive fast with flashy things going. Right on Brother! Lets take this situation for you gotta get there nubes still out there. You are 2 cars back behind a car stopped at a red light of a busy intersection. Mommy and baby are belted in waiting for the light to turn green. Your truck is over hanging their rear bumper blasting your air horn lights and sirens! Terrified and distracted by you, mommy wants to get her baby away from you and sees the car in front of her went through the intersection and made it. Mommy, being distracted by you a screaming baby and cross traffic in the intersection creeps into the busy intersection to get her terrified and screaming child away from you and SLAM, is broadsided by an 18year old blasting snoop dog on his base woofer in his low rider. What happens now? Edited December 8, 2009 by kohlerrf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B the EMT Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Right on Brother! Lets take this situation for you gotta get there nubes still out there. ... What happens now? Nobody ever said that it was a perfect world (whoever did was lying, or didn't understand the situation). As for the perfect world, as I have stated in other strings, as nobody would be getting sick or injured, we wouldn't be needed in a perfect world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwiology Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Right on Brother! Lets take this situation for you gotta get there nubes still out there. You are 2 cars back behind a car stopped at a red light of a busy intersection. Mommy and baby are belted in waiting for the light to turn green. Your truck is over hanging their rear bumper blasting your air horn lights and sirens! Terrified and distracted by you, mommy wants to get her baby away from you and sees the car in front of her went through the intersection and made it. Mommy, being distracted by you a screaming baby and cross traffic in the intersection creeps into the busy intersection to get her terrified and screaming child away from you and SLAM, is broadsided by an 18year old blasting snoop dog on his base woofer in his low rider. What happens now? Man dont be up in here dissin my ride n snoop dog oughta put a cap in yo wanksta ass .... eh, whatever, I drive an 80s Mitsi like friggin Nana styles. A very good point, our driver training manual points out exactly this situation and advises if you're in gridlock to turn off the siren for this very reason as it freaks other people out and makes you look like a dick sitting there going whoop-whoop-wail-phazer-ice cream or whatever funky siren they are up to now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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