Responding in Personal Vehicles

In our town we ABSOLUTLY DO NOT transport. And ALS is paged whenever we are. If it comes down to pt refusing transport we can call the ALS in route to 10-22. As for a code there absolutly have been times that has happened, with one person on scene, but like I said we have ALS in route per protocol. But I do understand what you mean. Its a danged if you do danged if you don't.
The standing down of unnecessary personnel would be nice if (i hate to say this) the chief would address it. I have possed the ? before, what if all 6 members show up to "pt feeling ill" call and then a call comes in for something else? It would be much better to have the ones standing around doing it at the station. In town we are known as the calvary. Seeings how once a call goes out there is a convoy of responders. To me that looks kinda tacky.
 
EMTWintz said:
Seeings how once a call goes out there is a convoy of responders. To me that looks kinda tacky.
Click to expand...

It is tacky, and unprofessional. There's no need for a spectator's booth at an EMS call. If we have more than three people on a scene, all but the first two stay outside of the house. They can get the gurney, turn on the O2 in the rig, hang the IV bag, but if they aren't doing something, they get reprimanded.

A standard of care doesn't just happen because someone thinks it might be a good idea, it happens because the expectations are set, communicated to the personnel and substandard care, dress, behavior, attitude is addressed and corrected.
 
FREEWAYS? ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS????? - OK, now that that's out of my system:

POV's don't belong on "Real" limited access highways. The fewer vehicles you have up there, the better... but you should have a fire unit dedicated as a "blocking apparatus" on the scene.

My old volunteer squad covers the Turnpike. Now that the chief's have chief's trucks, they only take official, marked vehicles up there. Everyone gets to go to station to get apparatus out.



If you want to move towards a progressive, professional EMS system... you really should have units staffed 24x7... tradition shouldn't be an excuse for poor coverage. Further - 6 EMT's? what is your call volume? Are you recruiting more members? You seem really close to fading away.



As for an official policy:
Rule #1 - as BossyCow said - NEVER pass the station to go direct. get a rig.

If you are going to be going direct, issue everyone radios and have a departmental operating channel to coordinate who is responding. If everyone else is going... people should be willing to sit calls out. As you said - 6 people on a "minor fall" is likely overkill.

Specify what warning lights the member can use (Color? Minimum coverage? Maximum # of lights?), and what circumstances? (all calls? Some calls? Which calls?)

What calls they CAN go direct for? What calls they can't (Hazmat? Unsafe scene? Highway?)

WHO is in charge? (Chief? In absence of the Chief?)

Emergency lights vs. courtsey lights?

Insurance? Does the station's insurance cover your POV when you are "running hot"?
 
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