JonTullos
Forum Captain
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(note: this is mostly copied and pasted from an IM conversation I've been having)
Friday night/Saturday morning we had two trucks out on calls then we received a LifeAlert activation (we only run two trucks from 1600-0800). My truck would have been next out so as we're leaving our first call I call dispatch to let them know we're enroute to the ER with our patient and we would adv when we were en route to the LifeAlert call. At the direction of my medic, I also asked that EMRs (that's what we call them around here - most others probably still call them First Responders) be paged to go and do what they can until we got there. Ee clear the ER from our first call and go enroute to the LifeAlert activation. Dispatch calls and tells us to cancel that everything was ok. Found out when we got back to base that it was a lift assist but the EMRs were refusing to even help her up until we got there... something about insurance saying they can't do anything until we're on scene. The deputy who was there helped the lady up himself and that's all she needed so she said to cancel us because she was ok.
I've never heard of them not being able to do anything until we get there. Using that logic, it's pointless to even have them in the first place. Has anyone ever heard of this? How does your county/jurisdiction utilize EMRs/First Responders if at all? For those that use them, do you have restrictions saying they're pretty much not to do anything until EMS arrives? Again, if that's the case then it's pretty much pointless to even send them unless you need lifting assistance or something along those lines.
Jon T.
Friday night/Saturday morning we had two trucks out on calls then we received a LifeAlert activation (we only run two trucks from 1600-0800). My truck would have been next out so as we're leaving our first call I call dispatch to let them know we're enroute to the ER with our patient and we would adv when we were en route to the LifeAlert call. At the direction of my medic, I also asked that EMRs (that's what we call them around here - most others probably still call them First Responders) be paged to go and do what they can until we got there. Ee clear the ER from our first call and go enroute to the LifeAlert activation. Dispatch calls and tells us to cancel that everything was ok. Found out when we got back to base that it was a lift assist but the EMRs were refusing to even help her up until we got there... something about insurance saying they can't do anything until we're on scene. The deputy who was there helped the lady up himself and that's all she needed so she said to cancel us because she was ok.
I've never heard of them not being able to do anything until we get there. Using that logic, it's pointless to even have them in the first place. Has anyone ever heard of this? How does your county/jurisdiction utilize EMRs/First Responders if at all? For those that use them, do you have restrictions saying they're pretty much not to do anything until EMS arrives? Again, if that's the case then it's pretty much pointless to even send them unless you need lifting assistance or something along those lines.
Jon T.