Be honest. Do you wear your seat belt in the back of the ambulance?

firefite said:
When in the driver seat or passenger seat yes.

When in the back with a patient usually not because I'm doing patient care (very short transport times).
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Oo Cmon. Alot of your ift are out of county. Don't lie LOL
 
In the cab, both departments I am on require use 100% of the time. No exceptions.

In the back:

Responding to the scene I wear mine almost 100% of the time. I take it off for short periods if I need to get something out of my pocket or put something back. (On longer responses I might read through the protocols while listening to some tunes on my ipod. I have a partner that will play angry birds or some other games.) There's just no reason not to here.

Running to a hospital, I will try to as much as possible. On a stable patient, if I'm behind the pt and just doing paperwork then I'm always belted in. Some planing ahead helps with this. Usually I'll set the monitor up and face it toward me so I can see all the VS's. Set the NIBP to 10 minutes, and it beeps everytime I need to keep an eye on things. If I'm sitting on the bench seat or CPR chair (which I prefer to the bench seat since it's in closer proximity to our hospital radios) so I can talk to the patient to keep them engaged I'm also belted in.

On a patient that needs more interventions/critical (bleeding control, etc) if I can't get the CPR seat, I might not belt in. But CPR and bleeding control in the lower extremities or head aside, usually I find I can still reach from the bench seat by using a neat little trick I came up with:

Pull out a lap belt all the way but instead of hooking it into the lap clip, hook it around your thigh and into the clips designed for a bench seat backboard patient. Usually I hook my left thigh in. Why does this work? When you are getting thrown, most of the time, it's not a catastrophic crash scenario, but it's hard enough to cause you to lose balance and fall or toss you into something. With this anchor, I found that it gives you some added stability, and more importantly, time to grab something to help steady yourself. Even if you don't grab something, it's just a bit tight and uncomfortable for a few seconds--much better than your head slamming into the side of the medic or falling on the patient. I have yet to find any disadvantages with this method, a some of the others on my department are starting to use this technique in the last year or so since seeing me do it.
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
Pull out a lap belt all the way but instead of hooking it into the lap clip, hook it around your thigh and into the clips designed for a bench seat backboard patient. Usually I hook my left thigh in. Why does this work? When you are getting thrown, most of the time, it's not a catastrophic crash scenario, but it's hard enough to cause you to lose balance and fall or toss you into something. With this anchor, I found that it gives you some added stability, and more importantly, time to grab something to help steady yourself. Even if you don't grab something, it's just a bit tight and uncomfortable for a few seconds--much better than your head slamming into the side of the medic or falling on the patient. I have yet to find any disadvantages with this method, a some of the others on my department are starting to use this technique in the last year or so since seeing me do it.
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Until it IS a catastrophic crash scenario, at which point you are not staying put. I don't wear my seatbelt because I don't want to get thrown during a hard stop, I wear it because if we get into a serious crash I need to be kept in one place. Wearing one's seatbelt also has the added bonus of keeping you put during a hard stop, but again, that's not the primary reason I am wearing it.
 
Tigger said:
Until it IS a catastrophic crash scenario, at which point you are not staying put. I don't wear my seatbelt because I don't want to get thrown during a hard stop, I wear it because if we get into a serious crash I need to be kept in one place. Wearing one's seatbelt also has the added bonus of keeping you put during a hard stop, but again, that's not the primary reason I am wearing it.
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Well, that's why I use it as a last resort. If you read the paragraph before it, I always try to wear a seatbelt when possible, but there are times it just can't be done. This I feel is a good solution that provides at least some protection.

What *I think* you are saying is that it's not good enough. That's the equivalent of saying well the ballistic vest is not stab resistant. Sure, it's not as good as it could be, but it's still better than nothing right?
 
When Im in the cab or POV....I wear it! I usually dont in the back of the truck although I should. Im very rarely still back there and I just dont think about putting it on cause as soon as I did it would just have to come back off. I really should rethink how I do things cause Ive taken some pretty hard hits in the back before!
 
shfd739 said:
I try to remember to wear mine.

In my normal box unit if I wear it on the bench I cant provide care as I cant reach that far. For chatting and no hands on it is fine to wear and I try to make an effort to wear it.

I got to work in one of our new Sprinters the other day and the benches on those have an H style harness that buckles across the chest and lower abd/hip area. I wore it and was able to do everything while buckled. It was pretty cool to be able to move around.

The drawback is that if Im away from the wall and the inertia locks the belt there is still some room to be tossed between the belt and the wall. Its less than a couple feet though and beats winding up on my head or against the cabinets. The wall has lots of padding though.

Something else overlooked is securing the equipment.
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What direction do the seats in your sprinters face?

The ones here fold out and face rear. (the best position in the even of a crash)

for the OP, I cannot remember one instance when I was belted in the back.
 
As much as possible.

Our sprinters have an airway seat (behind the head of the stretcher, facing the rear) and a main seat sitting to the left of the stretcher, facing forward)
 
Veneficus said:
What direction do the seats in your sprinters face?

The ones here fold out and face rear. (the best position in the even of a crash)

for the OP, I cannot remember one instance when I was belted in the back.
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Sadly sideways.

All rear facing would be a little too progressive for the Green
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
Well, that's why I use it as a last resort. If you read the paragraph before it, I always try to wear a seatbelt when possible, but there are times it just can't be done. This I feel is a good solution that provides at least some protection.

What *I think* you are saying is that it's not good enough. That's the equivalent of saying well the ballistic vest is not stab resistant. Sure, it's not as good as it could be, but it's still better than nothing right?
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My point is that seatbelts are not designed to be used in a single way that is not a last resort. They are designed to be used all the time in the proper manner, and that's how they save you in a crash. It seems to me that if you're sitting on the bench you should be able to have your seatbelt properly secured. Our bench seats have either three lap belts or two H harnesses so you can sit where you need to and stay belted, you just have to switch belts. Your trucks could certainly be different of course.

Obviously there are times when it's just not possible, but as I have instructed new employees if you are sitting you should be belted properly.
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
Pull out a lap belt all the way but instead of hooking it into the lap clip, hook it around your thigh and into the clips designed for a bench seat backboard patient. Usually I hook my left thigh in. Why does this work? When you are getting thrown, most of the time, it's not a catastrophic crash scenario, but it's hard enough to cause you to lose balance and fall or toss you into something. With this anchor, I found that it gives you some added stability, and more importantly, time to grab something to help steady yourself. Even if you don't grab something, it's just a bit tight and uncomfortable for a few seconds--much better than your head slamming into the side of the medic or falling on the patient. I have yet to find any disadvantages with this method, a some of the others on my department are starting to use this technique in the last year or so since seeing me do it.
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The trouble with this is the strength of the cot bracket. This trick adds a significant pulling force on the cot bracket, and I have seen it break free. No need to add another load to push the bracket even further beyond its intended limit.
 
TRSpeed said:
Oo Cmon. Alot of your ift are out of county. Don't lie LOL
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Not anymore. I got moved up to an ALS unit. We stay in our main city (we are pretty much a dedicated unit). The only time we do IFTs that are out of town are emergent code 3 transports.
 
in the front on the truck, always. in my POV, always.

in the back of the truck, almost never. I have found it inhibits my movements too much on sick patients. if we have a not sick patient, and are just M+Ting, the patient than I might. but still, usually never
 
abckidsmom said:
I hopped on a random ambulance to be the medic assist for a BLS crew last night. When we were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital, the driver (whose face I never even saw) locked up the brakes and threw me across the back of the ambulance. The attendant in the back with me was standing by the drug box compartment, and I hit him battering ram style with my head and upper back, right in his abdomen/side. I guess it was better than hitting the cabinets.

This was the worst I've been thrown around ever, which makes me really lucky when I think about how much time I've spent sitting back there. The fact is, though, that I usually only wear my seat belt when I'm sitting in the captain's chair in the back, and lately I've been spending most of the transports sitting on the bench and chatting.

It was a real wake up call, and I plan to change my behavior and actually use those seatbelts. It's a PITA, and I can't see actually being able to use them when I'm actively providing care, but I think I actually qualify as irresponsible if I don't make a strong effort to strap in.

What's your general take on this? And what's the worst you've ever been thrown around in the box?

I sorta take it for granted that everyone wears seatbelts when sitting up front, but what's your story if you don't?
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First day on the job I got thrown forward when my driver locked up the brakes due to some moron cutting us off. Unlike you, I did hit the shelves that house our jump bag and AED. Fortunately I wasn't hurt and neither was my patient.

We run older type II's (like mid 90's) and they only have lap belts on the bench and captains chair. While I am pro seat belt, I have to be honest that I doubt a lap only belt would do much to restrain an occupant when occupant is experiencing excessive lateral G's. Had I been wearing the lap belt I truly believe I would have been injured due to the lateral movement. A medic catcher would have helped me.

As a cop I have investigated hundreds of accidents. I have to be honest that those wearing lap only belts did not fair as well as those wearing lap / shoulder belts.
 
abckidsmom said:
The trouble with this is the strength of the cot bracket. This trick adds a significant pulling force on the cot bracket, and I have seen it break free. No need to add another load to push the bracket even further beyond its intended limit.
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Wait, how does me strapping my thigh in affect the cot bracket? The cot bracket isn't involved in my contraption at all (at least I don't think...). I'm mounted on the side bench, well my thigh, and the cot is still mounted to the floor...
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
Wait, how does me strapping my thigh in affect the cot bracket? The cot bracket isn't involved in my contraption at all (at least I don't think...). I'm mounted on the side bench, well my thigh, and the cot is still mounted to the floor...
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When you are thrown, you pull on the cot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2laHq56AYcQ

The cot breaks free in almost all high-impact wrecks. You cannot trust the cot bracket, it's just a suggestion to that up-to-400-lb (or more) projectile to stay put.

I want to do everything I can to minimize additional weight or force applied to any part of the stretcher assembly.

But tomorrow's my first shift back at work since I started this thread...we'll see if I even put my seat belt on.
 
Up front & in my POV I always put it on. As much as I hate to say it I cant remember the last time I wore it in the box.....or the engine for that matter.
 
abckidsmom said:
When you are thrown, you pull on the cot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2laHq56AYcQ

The cot breaks free in almost all high-impact wrecks. You cannot trust the cot bracket, it's just a suggestion to that up-to-400-lb (or more) projectile to stay put.

I want to do everything I can to minimize additional weight or force applied to any part of the stretcher assembly.

But tomorrow's my first shift back at work since I started this thread...we'll see if I even put my seat belt on.
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So you're saying that if I grab the cot to help stabilize myself then that extra force from my hand may increase the force on the cot thereby breaking it loose?
 
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