How not to drive code 3... lol

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exodus

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Wow, just watched this video. And I have to say.... OMG. Im scared. First off, he's running code on the freeway...WTF! And then he passes a ton of cars on the offramp, ON THE RIGHT. THEN. Goes off roading, it also looks like it was at an angle too, so he could have easily tipped over or gotten stuck. If you get stuck at a light or something and don't have an opticom or similar, and there's no safe way to get through, shut down until the light turns green and traffic starts to move and they can then safely yield...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES673L8Z4Sk&feature=related
 
I know right! I was honestly getting nervous watching him drive xD
 
People actually take their video cameras to work and record this? Wow...
 
1. I honestly don't know what Massachusetts fetish about running code on the freeway is, but it annoys the hell out of me. Yes, I have coworkers who think that I'm insane for shutting down on the freeway and that they somehow save time going code on the freeway.


2. You decide to go off road with me in the back and we'll be downgrading to non-emergent, fast.

3. What the hell is with the driver's fetish for the air horn?
 
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I have done ride alongs with much scarier rides...Trust me. ;)
 
I seriously stopped watching when the rig, RLS behind school busses, went over the curb for some off-roading. It made me nervous.
 
There is another video on youtube showing a volunteer EMT driving at around 90 mph in her own vehicle running lights/sirens. She had her kids in her car, and the call was dispatched as abdominal pain.

Watching this was more than enough to hit my threshold. I now think that any use of lights in a personal vehicle should be banned, no matter the volunteer department's circumstances.
 
I ran lights and sirens going to the hospital for the first time in my life on the freeway the other day (for the arrest) and boy...it felt wierd...


Scary seeing some people trying to actually stop on the freeway
 
The whole issue of time & running lights & sirens needs addressing.

Lets look at this in a practical way.

Lights & sirens are good for high traffic areas where it is necesarry to use alternate routes to get to yr destination. I am talking about speed.

If we consider that a person driving in a residential area may be doing 35mp/h, then they will travel 35 miles in 60 minutes, or, 3.5 miles in 6 minutes.

If the same vehicle, with a lunatic can get to an average of 45 miles per hour, then they will do 45 miles in 60 mins, or 4.5 miles in 6 minutes.

Consider the average distance you go on a call, is it really that significant?

Yes I use Lights & Sirens, yes, when necesarry I use the wrong side of the road, yes, in most cases I will travel above the designated speed limit on the open highway, but in built up areas we need to consider that flashing lights & loud noisy sirens are a magnet for children & you increase the risk of harm to them or their families.

This sort of thing really does deserve to be stamped out & the whackers erased from the industry.
 
I typed up a reply, but...sick. I can't believe that video. And he has more. And we wonder why EMS isn't maturing as a profession.
 
Oh, Yikes!!!! But, I've run code on the freeway. It was for a strike team response. And when we're getting close to a call on the freeway. That's it.
 
Hockey9019 said:
I ran lights and sirens going to the hospital for the first time in my life on the freeway the other day (for the arrest) and boy...it felt wierd...


Scary seeing some people trying to actually stop on the freeway
Click to expand...

How fast was traffic in your lane moving?

How fast were you moving?

My take on freeways is either traffic is moving fast enough to make L/S dangerous (do we really want people merging out of our way at 65+MPH?), or useless (if traffic is backed up, then there really isn't much room to get out of our way anyways).
 
daedalus said:
There is another video on youtube showing a volunteer EMT driving at around 90 mph in her own vehicle running lights/sirens. She had her kids in her car, and the call was dispatched as abdominal pain.

Watching this was more than enough to hit my threshold. I now think that any use of lights in a personal vehicle should be banned, no matter the volunteer department's circumstances.
Click to expand...

That lady gives us volly / paid on call personnel a bad name. Not all of us have lights and sirens in our POV's. I don't. That's because I don't need them because in sept 2010 I plan on entering the paramedic program put on jointly by Centennial College and the University of Toronto leading to a BSc in paramedicine then from there I plan on going full time in EMS.
 
Hal9000 said:
I typed up a reply, but...sick. I can't believe that video. And he has more. And we wonder why EMS isn't maturing as a profession.
Click to expand...

I can't believe there are so many replies on YouTube singing his praises. Definitely more of a demonstration of how not to do things. Passing on the right (way too much) the off road component, blasting the airhorn right behind someone waiting to make a left into oncoming traffic, and who clearly cannot move. And what's with the Ron Popiel Rotisserie Oven "set-it-and-forget-it" use of the siren? Too busy filming to worry about your toggle switches?

Perhaps a dying kid though, that could be the only excuse for this narcissistic display of over exuberance, right? Nope, as the driver's own reply confirms..."the child was ok, nothing major."

Poor example of emergency driving.
 
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JPINFV said:
How fast was traffic in your lane moving?

How fast were you moving?

My take on freeways is either traffic is moving fast enough to make L/S dangerous (do we really want people merging out of our way at 65+MPH?), or useless (if traffic is backed up, then there really isn't much room to get out of our way anyways).
Click to expand...

Around 70 probably

I was exceeding the speed limit but I won't want to scare anyone with how "fast" I was going.


I jumped in the left lane and it honestly helped clear the lane (of course I don't consider any of it being "heavy")


Siren was to tune out my passenger that was hysterical ;)
 
See, where I'm from, 70 in the fast lane is slow. Where I currently am, 70 would be the speed of traffic outside of rush hour.
 
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