# Motorcycle Paramedics getting abused on duty



## High Speed Chaser (Jul 6, 2009)

> [NSW] PARAMEDICS trying to get to injured and sick people in crowded city streets are being abused and attacked by ignorant passers-by.



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Now I have been taught (need some confirmation) that in Sudden Cardiac Arrest, the odds of surviving are 30% if CPR, Defibs and ALS occur very early. Since defibrillators are not available on the street as far as I know (and we are not talking about a stadium or an airport), the chances are decreased to around 10%-20%. If *motorcycle *Paramedics, and these a advanced care paramedics with vehicles designed for a very fast response, need to cut through streets pedestrian to get to an emergency, as long as they are lights and sirens why should people be so selfish and block paramedics and worse attack paramedics with coffee.


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## el Murpharino (Jul 6, 2009)

High Speed Chaser said:


> ...why should people be so selfish and block paramedics and worse attack paramedics with coffee.



Because it's today's "me-oriented" society.  People don't care about others than themselves.


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## emtfarva (Jul 6, 2009)

I see this all the time...

I think the only emergency vehicles they move right away for is a fire truck. because they know that the fire truck could put a world of hurt if they hit them...


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Jul 6, 2009)

el Murpharino said:


> Because it's today's "me-oriented" society.  People don't care about others than themselves.


Agreed!

I do like to point out though that i'm not sure this is the safest wya of doing such.  Paramedics on bikes seems like a risk that might stretch too far.  Going fast on a motorbike is arguable more dangerous than doing so in a car.

Is it a felony there to assault an EMT/Paramedic?  because that coffee and food would count and a couple arrests to make an example out of those people might go a long way.

Finally, its reporting like this that causes people to pull to the left and slam on their brakes instead of slowly pulling to the right!

"Just like cars, pedestrians should move to the left when they see or hear an ambulance. "

What's that you say?  In australia they drive on the wrong side of the road?  Oh, well then, I guess...


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## marineman (Jul 6, 2009)

To hit on the small mention of public AED's we have them here however having them doesn't do a thing unless the public is aware of them and how to use them. The entire area that we cover has "public access AED's" that are strategically placed in high traffic areas, one city has 50 AED's placed in and around various businesses in an alarmed case much like public fire extinguishers. I have worked a cardiac arrest less than 50 yards from one of these AED's however it wasn't used because people didn't know they were out there or how to use it. 

As far as the motorcycle paramedics that's just another senseless what are people thinking moments stopping them and assaulting them. I think their usefulness will be determined by individual area as well as response delays. In my area they would be useless partially because 9 months out of the year you would be crazy to ride a motorcycle but with a decent road network and minimal traffic congestion the ability of a motorcycle to skirt traffic is negated. We do have motorcycle cops here but they're mostly for show and seldom work traffic on the motorcycles.


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## subliminal1284 (Jul 7, 2009)

They should run the defib on the morons assaulting them


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## Sail195 (Jul 7, 2009)

Ya thats nuts, give em a couple sprays of nitro that will take care of em pretty quick lol


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## Summit (Jul 7, 2009)

They should keep Tasmanian Devils in a compartment on the bike. Unleash it as necessary (and create more customers!)


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## Scout (Jul 7, 2009)

They should not be on the footpath, I'd tell them get off it too


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## High Speed Chaser (Jul 7, 2009)

Scout said:


> They should not be on the footpath, I'd tell them get off it too



Specifically these are pedestrian roads that have vehicular access however cars are not allowed to use them unless they are emergency vehicles and I think police can use them without lights and sirens if they are on patrol however correct me if I'm wrong. They are used only, by Intensive care paramedics to cut down on response times.

this was one place mentioned: Martin Place


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## terrible one (Jul 11, 2009)

Scout said:


> They should not be on the footpath, I'd tell them get off it too



and we should not drive on the wrong side of the road, go through red lights, or speed but EMERGENCIES are an exception. if it was your loved one having a life threatening emergency your really going to tell motorcycle EMS workers not to use the footpath? get real


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## SurgeWSE (Jul 11, 2009)

Summit said:


> They should keep Tasmanian Devils in a compartment on the bike. Unleash it as necessary (and create more customers!)



I like that idea.  I also think we should be able to lambaste people over the PA for doing stupid things.


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