Duty to act?

ethomas9449

ethomas9449

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Just a quick question to see if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I work at a private ambulance service in Cleveland, Ohio. I've stopped at numerous car accidents on busy highways and roads to try and help and intervene with the traffic, and to do patient care before city EMS shows up. I was approached with the idea that if I stop and try to help (being a private ambulance service) that I am doing more bad than good. I was told I could lose my license and be prosecuted. I was under the mindset that being an EMT means helping anyone despite the name on the side of the ambulance. Anyone have any insight or comments to this subject?
 
ethomas9449 said:
Just a quick question to see if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I work at a private ambulance service in Cleveland, Ohio. I've stopped at numerous car accidents on busy highways and roads to try and help and intervene with the traffic, and to do patient care before city EMS shows up. I was approached with the idea that if I stop and try to help (being a private ambulance service) that I am doing more bad than good. I was told I could lose my license and be prosecuted. I was under the mindset that being an EMT means helping anyone despite the name on the side of the ambulance. Anyone have any insight or comments to this subject?
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Show me any EMT/Medic in Ohio from a private ambulance that lost their license and was prosecuted for simply stopping at accident on duty. When you come back with none, let me know.
 
ethomas9449 said:
Just a quick question to see if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I work at a private ambulance service in Cleveland, Ohio. I've stopped at numerous car accidents on busy highways and roads to try and help and intervene with the traffic, and to do patient care before city EMS shows up. I was approached with the idea that if I stop and try to help (being a private ambulance service) that I am doing more bad than good. I was told I could lose my license and be prosecuted. I was under the mindset that being an EMT means helping anyone despite the name on the side of the ambulance. Anyone have any insight or comments to this subject?
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Who told you such a lie?
 
I always thought that it was implied you stop to assist until EMS shows up. I have always stopped at accidents when I witness one. You never know, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Then again, I don't know how the scope of practice is in the states...especially where you are...so you can probably only do basic care until EMS shows up.
 
My EMS Captain at my fire station told me that based on different city protocols that it was unwise to stop at any accidents and to preform patient care,to help do crowd control, or to even stop. I thought it was total BS (sorry), to not help someone. I'm not saying he's right or wrong. I just wanted some insight on the subject to make a decision for myself. My heart will always say to help anyone, but he has me on the fence with this.
 
It basically works like this-

If you are on duty and you see an accident you are legally required to stop. If you are going to your shift or headed back home and you are in uniform you are generally expected to stop. If you are off-duty and your state has no legal requirement for you to act and your car isn't decked out in 35 EMS stickers then you don't have to stop.

However, you have a moral and ethical obligation to stop and help because you are trained. At least that's what the book says.
 
ethomas9449 said:
My EMS Captain at my fire station told me that based on different city protocols that it was unwise to stop at any accidents and to preform patient care,to help do crowd control, or to even stop. I thought it was total BS (sorry), to not help someone. I'm not saying he's right or wrong. I just wanted some insight on the subject to make a decision for myself. My heart will always say to help anyone, but he has me on the fence with this.
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He is wrong. Plain and simple. If you pass by an accident in an ambulance, you look like a jack a-s-s. Again have your EMS Captain show you a list of people who lost their card and prosecuted because he is spouting complete nonsense.
 
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Who provides the 911 ambulance service for the area?
 
If you don't stop you should lose your cert. You are trained and have the equipment to help, there should be no question. Your supervisor may have issues because if you are stopped for that you aren't making money for them. But if I was in a car accident and I saw an ambulance roll past with both crew members up front, even with no injuries, you can be sure that the agency will get a call. In the long run what is the harm in stopping? You are 5 minutes delayed getting to a dialysis pick up? You could have saved a life
 
I agree with the general consensus that if you're on duty, even if you're out of your first due area, you should at least stop to help. Now off duty in your POV is another matter.
 
With out getting into if you should stop when your off duty, if you stop while on duty and are in fact rendering care and operating in a ems capacity you need to be generating paperwork.

Your considered and ambulance on scene so it needs to be documented.
 
To the OP, honestly I wouldn't take what everyone has said as gospel. We know nothing about the service you work for, and what kind of operation license it has, the contracts in place in the area, etc. There is also a difference between stopping when you are on an assigned run (either to or from) and when you are not.

Now, you said you work for a private ambulance, but it was your fire dept Captain who told you that. Does that Captain have anything to do with your place of employment? If not, you should talk to your place of employment and find out directly from them what the policy is.
 
Seems like backwards logic that if you assisted you'd get chewed out.
 
Aidey said:
To the OP, honestly I wouldn't take what everyone has said as gospel. .
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You haven't read the gospel of firecoins?
 
What do your protocols say?

Ours state that words to the effect that if we are not in our geographical response area, we are not cleared to perform ALS interventions (unless life threats) unless it is mutual-aid or the responding units clear you to do so once they arrive on scene.
 
I stopped for a single car accident last night after my shift. Pt had gotten out of vehicle and hopped in to stay warm with a passerby, outside of the normal traffic pattern (a very safe spot). Went over to check with them, she denied any pain or injury, was completely alert and only worried about the stuff in her car, so I said goodnight and left. Only advice I gave was that she not attempt to cross two lanes of traffic to get back to her car, fire would be able to get her stuff.
 
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