Hurricanes/Motorcycles

nibbles

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Theoretically, If in the aftermath of a hurricane, could an EMT take their personal jump bag to a scene on a dualsport motorcycle, knowing that it could take an ambulance much longer to respond due to downed trees and flooding?
 

usalsfyre

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Theoretically, If in the aftermath of a hurricane, could an EMT take their personal jump bag to a scene on a dualsport motorcycle, knowing that it could take an ambulance much longer to respond due to downed trees and flooding?

Sure....but considering the most valuable thing an EMT Basic offers is transport, what exactly is the point besides making the EMT feel like "moto-rescue hero"?
 

CFal

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Theoretically, If in the aftermath of a hurricane, could an EMT take their personal jump bag to a scene on a dualsport motorcycle, knowing that it could take an ambulance much longer to respond due to downed trees and flooding?

Some places use motorcycles as fly cars, not sure about any in the us though, volunteers that respond from home could probably do it
 

Medic Tim

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Theoretically, If in the aftermath of a hurricane, could an EMT take their personal jump bag to a scene on a dualsport motorcycle, knowing that it could take an ambulance much longer to respond due to downed trees and flooding?

If you want to help out join a response team or cert or volunteer. Do not just show up. If you already belong to a group and are activated you will be sent to some sort of staging area/check in. I doubt they would need or want someone on a motorbike but that is something to bring up to a supervisor well before anything happens. They already have plans and back up plans for most everything (at least they should)

If you are not an employee of an affected service or group do not self respond. If you do , and it is approved, make sure their insurance covers you as your own might not.
Personally there is no way I would use a personal motorcycle or hell my own vehicle to respond to a call. Your service should have enough ambulances or alternate plans in case an ambulance can't respond.
 
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nibbles

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My thought was at least They could get a patient history, a few sets of vitals, and maybe administer basic care. And mostly to circumnavigate what an ambulance couldn't get around. This is assuming The person responding is part of an agency, and would be responding from home, which a lot of people do in the ambulance squad I am part of.
 
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TransportJockey

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Some places use motorcycles as fly cars, not sure about any in the us though, volunteers that respond from home could probably do it

Yea, but those are staffed with Paramedics or ALS care. There are a few places in the US that have them
 

TransportJockey

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My thought was at least They could get a patient history, a few sets of vitals, and maybe administer basic care.

A history that the responders will repeat and ask, and they'll redo your vitals.
 
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nibbles

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Do they usually distrust history from people responding from home? or is it just a manner of procedure.
 

TransportJockey

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Do they usually distrust history from people responding from home? or is it just a manner of procedure.
Do you volunteer with any local dept? Do the crews running know you? If the answer to either one is no, then I wouldn't trust it if i got on scene and found you there.
 

Medic Tim

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I noticed that your info changed from emt to student. Is this some sort of class assignment or are you considering self deployment to a disaster area?

There are agencies in the us (few but they still exist) and several other countries use them. Some use side by sides, golf carts, atvs, etc. Some use cars or trucks or even boats. It all depends on your area and what resources are at your disposal. Every area/agency should have plans in place for such deployment if needed.

It is a bad idea to self respond it is an even worse idea to do so when you have not even made it through a basic class (assuming this is the case). Playing ricky rescue in situations like this can be very dangerous.
 
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nibbles

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This is just me theorizing about what i could do If I was an EMT (i'm enrolled in a class at a community college starting in the spring) mostly because of the conditions of the roadways in NY after hurricane Irene last year. I would only respond if it was allowed by the agency I volunteer at.
 

Milla3P

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I'm a big fan of the gators with the medbeds, fun to drive

I like sitting on the 3rd seat on the back. Buckle up and lean off the back.... WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!


On the topic of taking your super sweet dirt bike into the homes of strangers with need of medical aid just to sit there and take 4 blood pressures before the go-fast-blinky-woo-woo-truck gets there?

Yeah. Don't do that crap.

If my partner and I get there, we MIGHT politely ignore you. We're currently facing a 96 hour week with mandated 24s followed by our regular 40. If we're at hour 70, you'll know where you can go real quick.
 

Milla3P

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Does your area have that much of a surplus of mid level providers that you can just plop one on every ambulance or first response vehicle?

There are a few PAs and NPs I work with that I'd LOVE to roll up on a "Well the hospital admitted me last year because of the hurricane" calls.
 

EMT2PAC

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Does your area have that much of a surplus of mid level providers that you can just plop one on every ambulance or first response vehicle?

There are a few PAs and NPs I work with that I'd LOVE to roll up on a "Well the hospital admitted me last year because of the hurricane" calls.

Totally not. Not many PAs and NPs in general, certainly not enough to put one on every ambulance. Maybe at a staging area or something.
 

silver

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Any agency with an intelligent management would see the increased liability of a person using a motorbike to respond in the conditions when an ambulance can't. The main impeding thing is standing water, electrical wires, large trees (not tiny stuff as a responding crew can just get out an move branches especially if with FD) which isn't something a bike can just get around.

good luck, wear a helmet...
 

mycrofft

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Medic Tim is right, Nibbles, but maybe you could raise the motorcycle idea with local response organizations?

BSTONE can tell you much much more about the disadvantages of waiting for FEMA et al, but generally people freelancing around in a disaster area will be shown out by law enforcement or the Guard.

Besides maybe triaging then calling for help by radio, or basic first aid, what exactly can one or two person(s) on motorcycle(s) do anyway except try to show up looking heroic despite riding through mud, backed-up sewage, etc?:cool: Maybe bring in supplies for local people to do first aid on themselves.
 
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