# Another stolen ambulance...



## Martyn (Dec 30, 2011)

http://www.baynews9.com/article/new...-says-he-was-driving-himself-to-hospital.html


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## shfd739 (Dec 30, 2011)

It's great that it was stopped so quickly. 

Does anyone else have policies about securing units when unattended?


Sent from my electronic overbearing life controller


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## Martyn (Dec 31, 2011)

Both of us carry a key, in the event we do have to leave the rig on then it is locked with the spare key the 'non driver' carries. Also company policy if a key gets lost then instant dismissal :sad:

(BTW, Transcare is one of my local ambulance companies, I will try to get some insider info if I see any of their guys around)


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## NomadicMedic (Dec 31, 2011)

Medic units stay running any time they are not plugged in. Both medics have a key fob and key to lock/unlock the doors and compartments.


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## shfd739 (Dec 31, 2011)

Those sound similar to us. All of the Chevy chassis have keyed alike door locks and the employees are all issued a key that fits all the Chevys. Sprinters have a hidden button on the outside with a key hidden on the body if the power locks fail. Box unit doors are also all keyed alike with employee issued keys. 

Policy is anytime a unit is unattended it has to be secured. 


Sent from my electronic overbearing life controller


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## medicdan (Dec 31, 2011)

n7lxi said:


> Medic units stay running any time they are not plugged in. Both medics have a key fob and key to lock/unlock the doors and compartments.



Always running on scene? Always running at the hospital? How does the ED feel about that?


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## Chimpie (Dec 31, 2011)

shfd739 said:


> Policy is anytime a unit is unattended it has to be secured.



Define unattended.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 31, 2011)

Units get locked at crews discretion. Which is pretty often. Only issue is our transient and other not so friendly population have a pretty solid knowledge of our hidden unlock button. It's happened more than a few times that crews have come back to find someone in the back of the box even if they locked the doors.



emt.dan said:


> Always running on scene? Always running at the hospital? How does the ED feel about that?



I'm not gonna be that guy who shuts the unit off when it's chilly outside and then have it not turn over when we need to transport or respond to a priority call. Ours stay running all the time unless we are at the ER and it's warm outside.

Speaking of running ambulances, I'm sitting in one right now.


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## Farmer2DO (Dec 31, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> Always running on scene? Always running at the hospital? How does the ED feel about that?



We don't really care how they feel.  Winters here can generate weeks of sub-zero temps.  Not only does that make diesel engines not prone to starting, but you risk freezing your drugs.


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## shfd739 (Dec 31, 2011)

Chimpie said:


> Define unattended.



When the crew is in the hospital, in a house or a facility, at the station, away from it and in a store. 

In practice we lock the cab when on scene and I tend to lock the rear and side box doors. The compartments stay unlocked unless the unit is parked at a station and not being used. Everyone has a key to the cab and box doors so it's easy to get back into the unit. The Sprinters due to their funky central locking system tend to have the back and side doors left unlocked when on scene but the front doors are locked. 

It comes down to if one of our units gets stolen a crew either left it unlocked, someone found the hidden button or they broke into it. The last 2 we cant control and that's how I prefer it.


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## Farmer2DO (Dec 31, 2011)

We had one stolen last week.  Involved a police chase through the city and into the suburbs and back.  They put down tire spikes, he hit 3 cars, 2 police cars and injured 1 officer.


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## WTEngel (Dec 31, 2011)

Our units are locked any time the crew is not in them. Whether we are not inside because we are at the base, in the hospital, transferring a patient, etc. it is a writable offense to leave the unit unlocked.

We even have to leave our units locked when we are parked at the base, which is in the secure area of the airport, behind two access controlled gates. I'm not talking about the typical access control where you just press a button and get in, this is FAA security with federally checked security badges issued. 

We did have an ambulance stolen a few years back while at the hospital, which is why management is a bit gun shy on the issue. I suppose in the scheme of things, while it is a minor inconvenience at first, once you get in the habit, the routine of always securing the unit comes second nature.


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## DownSouthMedic (Jan 1, 2012)

I'm currently a Transcare employee, this is our policy on vehicle security although many crews never really followed it....that is until our unit was stolen the other night..now were keeping them locked down like Ft Knox.

Transcare policy regarding vehicle security:

TRANSCARE VEHICLES ARE TO BE SECURELY LOCKED AT ALL TIMES WHEN UNATTENDED.  THIS INCLUDES AT POST, AT A HOSPITAL OR FACILITY, OR ON THE SCENE OF A INCIDENT.  VEHICLE KEYS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN THE POSSESSION OF THE CREW AT ALL TIMES.

IF THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING ON SCENE, DOORS ARE TO BE LOCKED WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND A KEY IS TO BE WITH THE DRIVER.


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## bigbaldguy (Jan 1, 2012)

emt.dan said:


> Always running on scene? Always running at the hospital? How does the ED feel about that?



All ED's in my area have signs saying to turn off ambulance engines while in the bay but I've never seen a single ambulance do it.


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## exodus (Jan 2, 2012)

We leave our rigs on all the time, even in the ER bay. I can't imagine coming out to a rig turned off for 15 minutes in 115f heat.


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## Farmer2DO (Jan 2, 2012)

exodus said:


> We leave our rigs on all the time, even in the ER bay. I can't imagine coming out to a rig turned off for 15 minutes in 115f heat.



We're the same.  And I can't imagine coming out to a rig turned off for 15 minutes with wind chill factors of 40 below zero.


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## NomadicMedic (Jan 2, 2012)

emt.dan said:


> Always running on scene? Always running at the hospital? How does the ED feel about that?



Always running on scene. Or, if we go out to eat, the squad sits in tbe parking lot, locked and running. Our units don't transport, so they're not in an ambulance bay, so no issue with the ED. Our truck's boxes are temp controlled, so the engine needs to be running to power the module heat or AC and send power to the hypothermia fridge and chargers for the various gear that is plugged in.


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## WolfmanHarris (Jan 2, 2012)

All our vehicles are equipped with an anti-theft device that allows the key to be taken out with the truck left on. If it is put into drive or the pedals are touched it shuts off. 

Our newer vehicles are being equipped with an anti-idle device that will shut off the vehicle while keeping the lights, radio, heat, etc powered. It will restart the truck if the battery drain is too high or the temperature goes outside tolerances. 

We also have a hidden lock-out button. 

Policy is discretionary, though obviously narcs must be secured.


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## exodus (Jan 2, 2012)

WolfmanHarris said:


> All our vehicles are equipped with an anti-theft device that allows the key to be taken out with the truck left on. If it is put into drive or the pedals are touched it shuts off.
> 
> Our newer vehicles are being equipped with an anti-idle device that will shut off the vehicle while keeping the lights, radio, heat, etc powered. It will restart the truck if the battery drain is too high or the temperature goes outside tolerances.
> 
> ...



Ohh, that's cool!


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