E. V. O. C.

smart kid

smart kid

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Emergency Vehicle Operations Course. Has anyone else had to do anything similar? Today we had to take a road test to drive the ambulance. It consisted of driving the truck through an obstacle course and then an actual road test.

We had to go through the course in forward and then in reverse. Then take it to the street to see how we did in traffic. Overall the day was kinda fun, but was stressful at the same time. The Instructor in the passenger side had his coffee on the dash. He said that if we spill the coffee we fail!! Luckily I made it.
 
I've done EVOC and EVAP (Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention). As a matter of fact, we are required to recertify every year by driving the obstacle course.

The key to both of these courses is "Don't be in a hurry". Slow is fast when dealing with obstacles, and the lessons learned there carry over very well into everyday driving.
 
Most agencies are required by their insurance carriers to provide some form of driver training.

I have had several versions of EVOC. All have been a lot of fun.
 
I just did another EVOC class in July when I started my new job. It was a pretty fun day. Once we got done with the course, they put the engine through it to show us just how much "extra room" you are given on the driving course.
 
Florida requires EVOC or CEVO (Certified Emergency Vehicle Operators). My EVOC class was a dang joke. First day in the classroom we listened to our instructor tell us about all the accidents he's had and other people in the service have had.

A week later he put me in the ambulance, said drive through those cones then back it between those.

I did.

I passed. Got the certificate for 16 hours in my file.

2 weeks later I ran smack into a Fire Truck. First thing out the Shift Commanders mouth was, "You've had your 16 hours of EVOC right?"
 
I've had the opportunity to take EVOC and EVDT (Emergency Vehicle Driver's Training) and would submit that they are the bare bones minimum for driving an emergency vehicle. A van type unit will drive different than a box unit, a Ford will drive differently than a Chevy. I could go on, but you get the idea. Driving safely is a combination of road surface, weather, time of day, vehicle type, and physics. The most overlooked ingredient is slowing down a little. I'm often called the "little old lady driver", but almost everyone who has ridden in the back while I'm up front has admitted that it was the smoothest ride they have had. I'm not afraid to put it to the floor when it's necessary, but I'd rather spend an additional 60 seconds on a transport and arrive safely, or put it in the ditch and not arrive at all. In addition, I have been thrown wall to wall on a routine transport with drivers who couldn't comprehend that an accelerator pedal is a control, not a switch. Just some food for thought, and my .02.
 
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EVOC you bet!!

I have been to several, the best one so far is up in Santa Rosa Ca. at Santa Rosa College. Does it all including driving in wet conditions. I learned alot and met some really great people that taught me even more about being street smart with an ambulance. The collage also has a great EMS program!:) :) :) :)
 
EVOC= Evaluating vehicles or crashes...at least in these parts. Driver training consists of verifying the validity of your license and watching a silly 20 minute video call streets of danger or something corny like that...I got all the driver training I needed when I got my CDL.
 
Mine consisted of the same corny video, workbook and driving around town and picking up the supervisor's weed whacker from his house and returning to base....
 
Hey smart kid, did you do the high speed course? Hope so, it's a blast. We take our amb.s to the course and push them as hard as we can.....try to roll it they tell us. Much fun.

Egg
 
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