Crewmember in Distress

IsraelEMS

IsraelEMS

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Do you have a code for crewmember in distress? Something you can give on the phone or radio or say to let others know you are in distress and need help?
 
Code Three Cover.
Send Help.
Medic Down.
MOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
 
But what about a situation where the crew is held hostage or for some other reason you cant clearly explain why you need help?
 
We have an easy button that makes everyone and their mother show up guns drawn. We also have a "10 code" but I don't even think dispatch would know what to do if I used it.
 
IsraelEMS said:
But what about a situation where the crew is held hostage or for some other reason you cant clearly explain why you need help?
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Do you realistically think if they were being "held hostsge" they'd be allowed to communicate at all?
 
Yes. This has happened here before. A crew arrived on sceen and the pt was way past dead. They didnt start CPR as he was in rigor. The family refused to let the team leave or call dispatch. Finally the crew told the family that in order to help the guy that they needed someone to bring a special machine called a "mda 1000" (our distress call). The family called and asked for the machine and dispatch sent police.
 
Even assuming a 2 man ambulance crew vs 4 or 5 man Engine crew, there's a good chance that one person is able to call for help, and if they're holding you hostage to where you can't phone dispatch/911/999 whatever... a fancy code word available isn't going to change that
 
I think it's a pretty good idea. I should tell my son the medic to call me about a bretylium nebulizer if he really needs the cops.
 
Code 20 here for fire, police, and law. The emergency button on the radios works but dispatch will call you three times asking if you’re code 4 (ok) and only then will they send help if you don’t answer.

We also have “dog in the road” which the attendant yells if they’re getting beat on, hearing that the driver will give you a hard stop and hopefully that upsets the dynamic.
 
Tigger said:
Code 20 here for fire, police, and law. The emergency button on the radios works but dispatch will call you three times asking if you’re code 4 (ok) and only then will they send help if you don’t answer.

We also have “dog in the road” which the attendant yells if they’re getting beat on, hearing that the driver will give you a hard stop and hopefully that upsets the dynamic.
Click to expand...
I have used the same code - MDA 1000 - (it's shorter to say in Hebrew than in English) to let my driver know a pt was trying to assult me. He was able to understand and pullover to help me right away. I didn't want to straight say I needed help since I didn't know if the pt had a propensity for violence or not and didn't want it to escalate.
 
Jim37F said:
Even assuming a 2 man ambulance crew vs 4 or 5 man Engine crew, there's a good chance that one person is able to call for help, and if they're holding you hostage to where you can't phone dispatch/911/999 whatever... a fancy code word available isn't going to change that
Click to expand...
We are often 2 people and usually way outnumbered by the family members. Esp in certain sectors that tend more towards violence than others. Two crew members surrounded by 10 family members who are all in an emotional state is generally not the best odds.
 
IsraelEMS said:
But what about a situation where the crew is held hostage or for some other reason you cant clearly explain why you need help?
Click to expand...
yes, we start communicating with dispatch using our first names.
 
IsraelEMS said:
I have used the same code - MDA 1000 - (it's shorter to say in Hebrew than in English) to let my driver know a pt was trying to assult me. He was able to understand and pullover to help me right away. I didn't want to straight say I needed help since I didn't know if the pt had a propensity for violence or not and didn't want it to escalate.
Click to expand...
if I'm in the ambulance and the patient is trying to assault me, I shout to my driver to pull over. he can usually see what is going on too, but looking in the rear view mirror.

if the patient is assaulting me, the situation is has already escalate.
Tigger said:
Code 20 here for fire, police, and law. The emergency button on the radios works but dispatch will call you three times asking if you’re code 4 (ok) and only then will they send help if you don’t answer.
Click to expand...
as a dispatcher, I would ask once... after that, you get an emergent response from law enforcement and EMS for assistance. easier to cancel them if it's a false alarm.
Tigger said:
We also have “dog in the road” which the attendant yells if they’re getting beat on, hearing that the driver will give you a hard stop and hopefully that upsets the dynamic.
Click to expand...
hahahaha
 
My agency does not have a distress code. Some agencies in my area
use the term "Purple Bag" for a distress or crew retreat code.
 
For those of you with a button can dispatch see which unit you are when you push it?
 
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