Driving Recklessly on a Code 3 Return

intellectualfish

intellectualfish

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I want to preface this post with a little background on myself. I have been working as an EMT for about a year and a half now doing both high-volume IFT in an urban setting as well as moderate-volume 911 in a rural setting. Recently, I moved to the large urban 911 provider in my city and am currently in my field orientation. As a basic, I have done my fair share of EVO duties and know how to drive code 3 safely and efficiently. That being said...

Yesterday, I work a code towards the end of my shift and we get ROSC. Everyone helps move the patient to the ambulance and we start transporting, with my training medic in the back with a couple of fire medics and his regular EMT partner driving with me in the passenger seat. She insists that she do the code 3 return to the hospital because, "I don't have enough experience." Fine, whatever. I am in orientation, despite my previous experience, so I don't protest. We start transporting and this chick is driving like a bat out of hell--substantially exceeding the speed limit and running up on other vehicles while generally driving unpredictably for an emergency vehicle. I asked her to slow down at least three times unsuccessfully and even threatened to involve management if she was not willing to comply (our company policy is no more than 10 over speed limit, ever). After the call, we have a discussion where my training medic/supervisor basically says he didn't see it, so it was subjective argument vs. subjective argument and that I was somehow in the wrong for saying something and "distracting" the EVO!!!

So, what do you guys think? I have enough experience to know when someone is driving unsafely and too fast while going code. I feel like I got brushed off because the medic was trying to protect his partner. I was legitimately concerned for my safety and didn't feel like anyone gave a crap. I think I'm going to start using the Google MyTracks app to log and monitor our code 3 returns when she's driving so I have some tangible evidence.
 
Leaving aside the issue of code 3 s/p ROSC, which will come up, and acknowledging that I don't really know what happened, on either side:

If I didn't see it, I will absolutely take the word of my partner over the word of my third riding orientee. I know how they drive, I don't know what the FNG considers to be extreme. Moreover, I trust the driving abilities of various partners to varying degrees. What I consider to be driving without due caution in one person, I'm fine with in another.

Don't take any of that to indicate that I won't chew the ever-loving hell out of a partner that I see do something stupid...once the fact that I'm doing so isn't likely to make the odds catch up to them. It sounds to me like you were pretty vocal, and there's a legitimate complaint to be made that distracting someone who's driving right to the edge is more than likely to push them over that edge. Saying something once while you've got some empty road in front of you is one thing, but continually talking while they're driving is something else entirely.

Finally, having said all that, if the medic left you feeling like your complaints were dismissed out of hand, he handled it badly. I may very well have reached the same conclusion he did, but I would have at least talked it out some more.
 
For the record, I wasn't chattering mindlessly the whole transport, as I know how distracting that is. I just said something like, "Hey, you need to slow it down," a couple times during the 10 minute transport. I guess my issue was that this person was driving without due regard and took a very cavalier attitude towards a very reasonable request for behavior modification. The fact that the medic chose to side with his partner did not surprise me at all, as they have worked together for awhile and I am new to this organization. When it comes down to brass tacks, I just want to get home in one piece to see my family at night. I honestly don't get paid enough to ride in a truck with someone who drives like a methed-out Jeff Gordon to save maybe a minute on a 10 minute transport.
 
I agree with the brush off feeling and based on what you've written that's how it appears to me.

Had this happened on my truck I would've addressed my partner myself. I've been doing this long enough that I can feel how fast we're going and know our speed without looking. If she's being that aggressive it's gonna be a rough ride as well.

Id let this go for now. If she drives aggressive like that again then I'd bring it to the supervisors.
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