Trm90 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Is it usually a Paramedic who drives the thing? And are they automatic or standard ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctickat Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) Depends where you are, in some locations the minimum required training for a driver is First Aid/CPR. Most jurisdictions would require EMT minimum. Sometimes the paramedic will get to drive. The majority of ambulances are automatic. There are very few standards. Edited January 12, 2013 by Arctickat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island emt Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 the steering wheel operation is the sole jurisdiction of the basic. along with humping bags and fetching the stretcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trm90 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 I see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwiology Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) This varies greatly by jurisdiction. In some, it is the near sole job of the lower qualified Officer to drive, while in others driving is shared. It is my firm belief driving should be shared by both Ambulance Officers. Anybody who tells they do not really like to drive or that they don't want to do it is majorly full of shit; there is nothing better than driving on the wrong side of the road in the rush hour with lights, siren and air horn screaming. If anybody who tell you different is mental. Having said that, driving is one of the most dangerous parts of the Ambulance Officers' job and while getting to drive the ambulance and make lots of noise and whatnot quite nicely meets some sort of raw primitive instinct you have to be sensible about this sort of thing cos if you are a complete muppet and go to everything on a one willy nilly eventually you're gonna fuck up and waste somebody, perhaps yourself. Down here in New Zed to be able to drive you have had your license for a minimum of 2 or 3 years and have had no tickets or points in a reasonable timeframe and have had no driving convictions like you know, ever. The driving course has an online pre-class component including passing a test, then two days in class, then driving round some cones and around town for a bit with a driving instructor then you get a logbook to fill in as you build up experience that takes a couple weeks to get filled in and signed off then you are qualified to drive urgent. The other ambulance service splits non-urgent and urgent driving out even more, requiring 3 days in class plus a road test for non-urgent driving and 40 hours of experience behind the wheel built up before going back for the class and road test for urgent driving. I much prefer this approach. I would also welcome bringing back the old Class E ambulance endorsement we used to have. Edited January 12, 2013 by Kiwiology Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariB Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Here we have a two volunteers that are policemen. They are also first responders. They are the only ones not either EMTs or emt students that drive. I am an EMT student. After several runs as a student, they were letting me drive home. The training officer out me through drivers training and after that I was good to go. However if I am not on call. If the policemen are not on call, this is how it works. First EMT to arrive unplugs ambulance, pulls out of garage, starts odometer paperwork and makes sure trip odometer is set. Second EMT to respond is the primary care giver. The one who will be doing run report in the end. They get out the jump bag, the defib, traffic vests, KED vests or whatever else needed by what we can gather from the dispatch call and waiting for this to show up. Once third jumps in, driver then radios we are en route and we roll. Once on scene the two EMTs jump and run taking their bags and defib, whatever. Driver notes mileage and radios dispatch, grabs whatever they had out but left, puts on cot and gets cot from ambulance and brings it to them. Once there driver will help load patients on cot, grab anything else needed. Also assist in care ( if an emt) help lift patient to ambulance, radio dispatch enroute to hospital. Etc etc. Ambulance driver also cleans, stocks and fills gas tank. Oh and yes, I agree with Kiwi... Nothing like throwing the switch to the lights, wailing your siren and driving down a highway in the middle Oh, however, if we have an emt who states they are not comfortable driving, or a 10-33 is dispatched and we get there and they jump out and say they can't do it... they don't do it!!! Never force anyone to speed through oncoming traffic at a high speed if they are uncomfortable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island emt Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 An ambulance should never be speeding through traffic with lights and sirens. There are very few patients that will benefits from a speedy ride. Probably less than 5% of all patients need speed over comfortable stable transportation. We can go a week or more without turning the siren on here. It is used to alert traffic ahead of us that we would like to pass by them if they're too busy with the cell phone to pay attention to our lights. I don't care what kiwi says about the adrenaline rush of racing through traffic, I'm not putting myself or my crew in danger to cut 30 seconds off a transport. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctickat Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I'm pretty sure that Kiwi was being facetious. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariB Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I'm pretty sure that Kiwi was being facetious.lol Yeah, to a point. However, I do know some people are a bit nervous about driving in emergent situations. 99% of the time we drive without lights or sirens and then most the time after that it is to get to the scene. Then still you don't want to go to fast or running through red lights. It takes a lot of caution. Yes, I will go through a red light, but I still must stop, look both ways before proceeding. Etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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