Locking Ambulances

[94H]

So how many of you lock your bus whenever you leave it?

Were supposed to now, but it kind of seems like a bad idea seeing as how we have 1 key for the box. I feel like systems which lock the bus everytime they leave it have keys for both crew members. Am I right?

 

[adamjh3]

Every time... because I have about 2 grand worth of stuff in my backpack.

 

[bigbaldguy]

We're supposed to every time and generally do. Oddly there seems to be no requirement that we lock the exterior compartments.

 

[abckidsmom]

We typically don't. Even when I worked in a city, we didn't. Now I'm in Podunk, Nowhereville, and we really, really don't.

 

[truetiger]

We don't either. Never been an issue.

 

[DesertMedic66]

We have had ambulances stolen and stuff from them stolen. So we have to lock the ambulance every time we are not in it. We are given 2 sets of keys. 1 set is always in the ambulance because the ambulance always has to be running during our shift. And the EMT keeps the 2nd pair clipped to his belt loop. There is also a spare (hide a key) on the ambulance.

 

[truetiger]

You all don't have secure idle?

 

[DesertMedic66]

You all don't have secure idle?

Never heard of that so I'm going to say no...

 

[truetiger]

It's a little red button by the ignition. Once you've parked just apply the break, hold the button and then remove the keys. The rig will continue to idle.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Nope we dont have that.

 

[Handsome Robb]

All of the trucks where I am going to school have a switch hidden on the outside of the rig to unlock it, as well as a kill switch that needs to be depressed anytime you take the truck out of park.

They are locked 95% of the time, and we leave them idling.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Rig is always locked. It is company policy, but my primary motivation is my personal gear that I leave in there. We do keep the outside compartments locked too. We carry two sets of keys and the emt gets a fob.

Btw, I always thought the point of locking the rig (at least here) was to provide a second key for securing narcs, the first being the narc box. Is that even a requirement? Two locks for narcs?

 

[truetiger]

I don't believe so, but then again you're in California....so who knows.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Double lock here. Locked narc box inside of a safe with a numerical code that only the medic has the key and the combination.

 

[truetiger]

Lol oops, ya we have locked box locked inside the safe. But I don't believe its a requirement to lock your rig.

 

[dixie_flatline]

Yeah... none of our outside cabinets are locked. And considering the accessibility of the one, if you were small/bendy enough, you could probably worm your way into the back through that even if the doors were locked.

We used to (and actually many still do) leave the keys in the ambo at all times - parked in front of a patient's house, in the bay at the ER, etc. A few months ago (maybe a year now), someone got in the driver's seat (at the hospital) and apparently was about to drive off when the EMT cleaning up in the back spoke up and politely inquired WTF the person thought they were doing. Since then, a memo went out requiring keys to be removed whenever a crew isn't with the unit (not sure if it also specifies locking though). I'm sure if I worked in Baltimore City it would be a different story.

One key per ambo, stays with the driver if they ever choose to remove it from the ignition. I don't think we have anything called "Secure Idle" although I'm going to go hunt for this now. We do have the hidden unlock button on most of our apparatus though.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Rig is always locked. It is company policy, but my primary motivation is my personal gear that I leave in there. We do keep the outside compartments locked too. We carry two sets of keys and the emt gets a fob.

Btw, I always thought the point of locking the rig (at least here) was to provide a second key for securing narcs, the first being the narc box. Is that even a requirement? Two locks for narcs?

Does the narcs inside a plastic container (no lock) and in the medics pocket count as the requirement? What if the medic is inside of a locked unit? :huh:

 

[truetiger]

I believe it is acceptable to check out the narc's and carry them on one's person. Personally, I would never work anywhere that had that policy.

 

[guttruck]

Well your med box should be locked and everything has a serial number on it these days so it makes if extremely hard to pawn an AED and such. The only time a bus has ever got jacked around here is actually from the bay. Now the SOG is to "lock" your bus when out of service, but when in service not to. In my opinion its up the crew.

 

[mommak90]

we leave our units running everywhere and unlocked. The only time anythings happened would be at the hospital when another unit would move ours down the road, but we would always mess with them and get them back for it