Driving Emergency

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jaksasquatch

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Just got my first EMT job with Sumter County EMS (run by Rural Metro) here in FL. I'm 18 yrs. old (almost 19) so my driving experience is minimal. What are some keys for my safety out there on the road? Specifically in regards to emergency I have a few "specific" questions ;)

1) When clearing traffic at a red light does that mean I can count a lane cleared if vehicles are say 1/4 mile off in the distance while I venture to the end of the lane and clear the next one? Typically you can't see that far and it makes sense to prefer eye contact and a stopped vehicle vs making a judgment call. Any thoughts?
 
1) Don't hit anything.
2) Keep the shiny side up.
3) Don't drive like an A-hole.
 
It is in your best interest to take an ambulance or emergency vehicle operators course if you have t already. You company will also have policies and procedures.

Ex. Where I work we have to obey all stop signs and red lights. Every time no matter what. Our stop and go policy. We have to clear each individual lane.

Driving lights and siren is by far the most dangerous part of our job. While It can be fun and exciting at first make sure you keep safety in mind.

Also you may face some peer pressure to do dumb things or encouraged to drive faster than you feel safe because of dispatch info or some other reason. Do what you know is safe and are comfortable doing.
 
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Keep in mind that at eighteen you have not had the time to experience a lot of the idiocies which occur on the road and you have an enviable yet unfortunate unconscious conviction that you are invincible. These are indispensable to learning, but must be tempered by experience and rules; if you try to get all the experience firsthand, without learning it from others, you won't survive.

Follow department policies. Get training. Stay frosty behind the wheel.
 
Go SLOW around corners. Ambulances are top-heavy, if you couldn't tell.

Stop at all stop signs and red lights even with lights/sirens. You learn to roll up to these while looking for traffic and slowly getting past the sign/light so people can see you, then you can go back to a safe normal speed.

Don't be an a-hole is the best advice, as already given. Drive like one and people will call the company and complain. Could lose your job.
 
1. Yes and no. If the rest of the intersection is clear and you can obviously get through with a safe margin then yes, that's clear, if it's a big intersection with multiple lanes you need to pay close attention to this driver, because those are the ones that we collide with.

2. Wait...there's only one question you listed.
 
Robb said:
1. Yes and no. If the rest of the intersection is clear and you can obviously get through with a safe margin then yes, that's clear, if it's a big intersection with multiple lanes you need to pay close attention to this driver, because those are the ones that we collide with.

2. Wait...there's only one question you listed.
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I see what you did there...

1) Don't drive like an idiot.
2) Assume other drivers are idiots while driving.
3) If a vehicle won't pull over for you do not ride his bumper.
4) Carefully clear intersections.
5) Don't assume everyone can hear your sirens.
6) Realize at times you may have an unrestrained EMS person in the back.
7) Don't assume all cars will pull over to the right.
8) If you have to make a hard stop inform the EMS person in back.
9) Always leave yourself escape routes while driving.
10) Learn to gently come to a complete stop (not many people do).
11) Make your #1 goal to go home safely at the end of your shift.
 
CODE 3 advice: if you don't see it happening, it ain't happening (in regards to traffic lights changing, people seeing or hearing you and pulling over, people pulling over in the right direction, people continuing through an intersection to let you through, etc). Never drive based on expectations.
 
Lights and Sirens are a REQUEST for the right-of-way.
good code3 driving is SAFE and SMOOTH.
expect other drivers to act like IDIOTS.

*caps for emphasis
 
My main piece of advice is use lights and siren only when truly needed and not just because you can, second piece of advice, whatever you think the driver in front of you is going to do they will probably do the exact opposite.
 
Or, better yet, use your warning devices as your company SOP dictates.
 
Just finished by company's CEVO course. Overall I did fairly well. Didn't really struggle anywhere other than parallel parking on my driver's side (I typically parallel park on the right side of the road not the left). During the narrative driving portion I did perform one unsafe maneuver on the highway but since I retained control and remained in my lane (in order to miss road debris) my preceptor didn't think it was a failure but just something that needs to be coached. After going over company policy I've found that the following are a no-go:

1) Driving opposite of traffic flow
2) Forcing vehicles into a red light intersection in congested traffic
3) Passing on the right

We also have drive cams on every vehicle which record all activities in which the accelerometer is tripped.
 
That's pretty standard. You force someone into an intersection and they get hit it's on you.

Opposing...really? We oppose a lot. A lot. When done correctly it's not as dangerous as many make it out to be, with that said there are definitely places where I WILL NOT oppose. Particularly big intersection with more than 2-3 lanes in any one direction.

Passing on the right...you can try to never pass on the right but inevitably people will pull to the left and you'll have to pass on the right. Don't go blasting past someone who's not yielding on the right though..

Know your SOPs about when you have to and do not have to use RLS. For us it's dispatch dictated, any priority 1 or 2 call or any priority 99 designated "with " or "without". However if we are within a few blocks or are staging and close we can use our discretion. Transporting RLS is medic discretion but you better have a damn good reason.

I'd love to go back to DriveCam and the accelerometer only trigger. Now we've got iDrives and they go off when we turn the code lights on, off, open a door to the front seats, g-forces, button triggered by us and I believe there are a few more triggers in there...Basically, the thing is always flashing at you recording you.
 
Robb said:
That's pretty standard. You force someone into an intersection and they get hit it's on you.

Opposing...really? We oppose a lot. A lot. When done correctly it's not as dangerous as many make it out to be, with that said there are definitely places where I WILL NOT oppose. Particularly big intersection with more than 2-3 lanes in any one direction.

Passing on the right...you can try to never pass on the right but inevitably people will pull to the left and you'll have to pass on the right. Don't go blasting past someone who's not yielding on the right though..

Know your SOPs about when you have to and do not have to use RLS. For us it's dispatch dictated, any priority 1 or 2 call or any priority 99 designated "with " or "without". However if we are within a few blocks or are staging and close we can use our discretion. Transporting RLS is medic discretion but you better have a damn good reason.

I'd love to go back to DriveCam and the accelerometer only trigger. Now we've got iDrives and they go off when we turn the code lights on, off, open a door to the front seats, g-forces, button triggered by us and I believe there are a few more triggers in there...Basically, the thing is always flashing at you recording you.
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Dang, we would never oppose here if we followed that guideline. Though, all our opticoms work well so I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to do it.

And why did you get dinged for performing a necessary emergency maneuver? Did you wait too long and jerk or something?
 
exodus said:
Dang, we would never oppose here if we followed that guideline. Though, all our opticoms work well so I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to do it.

And why did you get dinged for performing a necessary emergency maneuver? Did you wait too long and jerk or something?
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I've lost count how many times I've had to go opposing. I seem to always get the units with broken opticoms. One of the worst intersections to go opposing at is Washington St X Fred Waring Dr
 
DesertEMT66 said:
I've lost count how many times I've had to go opposing. I seem to always get the units with broken opticoms. One of the worst intersections to go opposing at is Washington St X Fred Waring Dr
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Our unit is freaking AMAZING (24240). Everything works, ice cold AC, growler, hyper(ish) yelp. I loveeee itttt.
 
exodus said:
Our unit is freaking AMAZING (24240). Everything works, ice cold AC, growler, hyper(ish) yelp. I loveeee itttt.
Click to expand...

I tried to use the growler on the last unit I was in. Thing sounded like a dying whale. I turned it off as soon as I turned it on.
 
exodus said:
Dang, we would never oppose here if we followed that guideline. Though, all our opticoms work well so I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to do it.

And why did you get dinged for performing a necessary emergency maneuver? Did you wait too long and jerk or something?
Click to expand...

Get dinged for what? Oh nvm I get it. I'm interested as well. I'm assuming abrupt or jerking movements of the steering wheel. Smooth is key :)

Our SOPs for emergent driving really aren't all that detailed. Drive with due-regard 85 MPH speed limit (maybe it's 80, I can't remember. Oh yea! That triggers the iDrive too), complete stop at all intersections, avoid passing on the right if possible, don't force people into intersections, if you're popping a curb do it slowly. Mostly common sense stuff.

We have a really dumb SOP about parking on scene though...We're not allowed to block with our rigs. Yea right...I'll gladly trade my job for my life and an ambulance. I'm sure the local media would love to hear that a Paramedic got canned because he used his rig to protect the scene before fire got there and it saved the crews' lives and the patients' lives.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
I tried to use the growler on the last unit I was in. Thing sounded like a dying whale. I turned it off as soon as I turned it on.
Click to expand...

Hahahha, I'm not surprised. Our units get beaten to hell.
 
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