DC EMS adding AMR to the Mix

[Tigger]

I would flatly disagree with this statement. It is simply not true that persons with thoughts of self harm also want to hurt other people. Even schizophrenics, who present with auditory hallucinations commanding self harm, admit that they do not also feel compelled to hurt others.

Some do, some don't. I have no way of knowing who does what before I walk through the door. If a person says they are willing to hurt themselves, PD will be going in first. Not everyone who wants to hurt themselves wants to hurt others, sure. But they are much more likely to when compared to the run of the mill medical call. Meanwhile I will be responding non-emergent, so I don't cause accidents on my way to go sit a block away. In the unlikely event that something goes poorly, they can request us emergent and that we will do.

As for psych calls not being psychs, I don't believe that to be a common occurrence and I think that most people who have spent any amount of time working would disagree. When someone calls 911 and says they want to hurt themselves, that's usually what we find on scene. When someone calls to report someone wondering and talking to themselves, they usually aren't making that up.

And still, an emergent response to stage makes no sense. We are just going to sit there anyway, why not just drive normally if the time to patient contact is the same?