Restocking from Other Units?

[ZombieEMT]

So one of my biggest pet peeves is restocking from other ambulances. This is a big problem that I originally saw at my volly squad, with 7 ambulaces. People would rather just steal from a nother truck then to call a supervisor when out of stock. I currently work full time witha company that provides does EMS and IFT. We run over 24 trucks a day. People restock from units and do not even know if they are in service. I have responded to EMS calls to find an empty oxygen bottle that was full at the beginning of my shift, or missing c-collars that were there an hours prior.

I think it becomes an issue with laziness. People can not call the supervisor (or walk to their office) to stock a truck. It jeopardizes patient care, in my opinion. All ambulance are expected to be ready and in serive at any time, so why would you think that is okay?

Does anyone else have similar gripes or pet peeves?

 

[ITBITB13]

We were having the exact same issue in our company. Luckily, my company's management likes to resolve issues immediately. I would suggest you talk to your management, and try to come up with solutions to the problem.

 

[Mariemt]

Wow, I would hope it would be grounds for termination

 

[ZombieEMT]

It is an issue that has been brought up many times. In my volunteer department, it has for the most part gotten under control. The on duty supervisor contacts the crews at the beginning of the shift and to see if any additional supplies or equipment is needed that is not in stock, assuming it has not already be removed from another unit. This has worked well so far, but occassionally the problem still arises.

In the private with 911/IFT, it has also been taken to management. The issue that they seem to have is how large of a company they operate. It is too hard to manage the supplies for every truck all the time. We currently have a supply technician that works in stock and ensures stock is met Monday thru Friday from 730-5. Out of that time frame, stock becomes and additional responsibility to the on duty supervisor and it is difficult to get everyone to comply and just talk to a supervisor vs stealing from another unit.

 

[SandpitMedic]

Lock your unit?

If that doesn't work- booby traps.
Definitely booby traps.

 

[Medic Tim]

we use a colour coded tagging system on our cabinets and bags. Green is from a deep clean(done weekly, all dates checked and cabinet cleaned), yellow means the cabinet has been opened and the items used replaces, red means missing an item or something is out of stock. If a tag is missing then something from that cabinet of pouch is missing. Once you restock it you put on a new tag with the date and your medic number. This doesn't really help with outer compartments.


I would hope crews notify you or ask if you have spare supplies before taking it.

god forbid people actually work together in EMS.

 

[SandpitMedic]

Yes, God does forbid it.

The 11th commandment if I recall correctly.

 

[medicdan]

So one of my biggest pet peeves is restocking from other ambulances. This is a big problem that I originally saw at my volly squad, with 7 ambulaces. People would rather just steal from a nother truck then to call a supervisor when out of stock. I currently work full time witha company that provides does EMS and IFT. We run over 24 trucks a day. People restock from units and do not even know if they are in service. I have responded to EMS calls to find an empty oxygen bottle that was full at the beginning of my shift, or missing c-collars that were there an hours prior.

I think it becomes an issue with laziness. People can not call the supervisor (or walk to their office) to stock a truck. It jeopardizes patient care, in my opinion. All ambulance are expected to be ready and in serive at any time, so why would you think that is okay?

Does anyone else have similar gripes or pet peeves?

Agreed, it is laziness. But that's what you get with low morale, when all the supplies are locked up and dispatch is pushing you out the door. I'll I've done the before... Taking from out of service trucks at 3am, but I always leave a note on the dash.... "Took ASA out, 1 empty o2 tank, sorry!" For the next crew, or whenever the truck goes back in service.

 

[usalsfyre]

Maybe I'm "that guy"....but whatever happened to checking your truck before the start of your shift?

 

[broken stretcher]

where i work we often times run into BLS first response agencies and lets say we get there and they already have the pt on O's we switch to our oxygen tank and just throw the bls vollies a NRB because we can just restock at receiving they have to restock from their limited supply

 

[chaz90]

Maybe I'm "that guy"....but whatever happened to checking your truck before the start of your shift?

I believe the OP mentioned that supplies could go missing mid shift. As in, truck checked out at shift change, and the vultures descend later to rob you of all your goodies. With crappy EMS luck, I could see this happening right before you go to use the Huber needle from a dark and dusty corner that "never gets used anyway."

 

[DesertMedic66]

We do not have to call a supervisor to restock anything. We just go to one of our deployment areas and grab what we need.

I personally have restocked my ALS units from a couple of BLS units. Asked the BLS crew if it was cool with them and let them know exactly what I took. BLS does not respond to 911 calls here (read: vary rarely will the do 911). So there is no issue with them going to the deployment areas for restock.

 

[feldy]

we generally dont have this problem b/c A) we have to check the trucks at the beginning of each shift. B) we submit supply request electronically before we arrive back at the station so everything we used is generally ready to be restocked in the truck. C) we seal everything up and when you so your truck inspection on the computer, you can see the last person that was in the truck so if something is missing its on them.

ALS Sprint cars will restock from our truck on the scene. We carry a lot of everything since we dont post at the station and do not return until the end of the shift.

 

[Mariemt]

Every transport to the hospital gets a rig check, thorough cleaning and restock of supplies from our cabinet at the hospital. Granted we are a small town. Longer transfers we always have 3 of everything on hand and stop to clean the floors and fax after transport. Restock the back supply then. The only thing we have more than 3 of of are c collars, lancets, strips, iv start kits , dressings, bandages, 12 lead stickers and those little things.

 

[Bullets]

So one of my biggest pet peeves is restocking from other ambulances. This is a big problem that I originally saw at my volly squad, with 7 ambulaces. People would rather just steal from a nother truck then to call a supervisor when out of stock. I currently work full time witha company that provides does EMS and IFT. We run over 24 trucks a day. People restock from units and do not even know if they are in service. I have responded to EMS calls to find an empty oxygen bottle that was full at the beginning of my shift, or missing c-collars that were there an hours prior.

I think it becomes an issue with laziness. People can not call the supervisor (or walk to their office) to stock a truck. It jeopardizes patient care, in my opinion. All ambulance are expected to be ready and in serive at any time, so why would you think that is okay?

Does anyone else have similar gripes or pet peeves?

If you did your rig check at the beginning of your shift then there never should be an issue

How are people taking things out of your truck without your knowledge? Dont they need you to unlock the truck from them? OEMS rules state all ambulances are to be locked when personnel are away from it

 

[Moshi]

It could be laziness but it could also be a complicated way of reporting and getting the material. Like for instance calling supervisor/completing a protocol/locked storage room/ etc ... That just asks for many things to go wrong. Supervisor is not present/busy/unwilling, nobody has the key, ...

At my company you fill (on a computer in an ambulance) a special after care report in which you also enter what you used. That report immediately goes to the station when I click "Done". Next time when I get to the station (could be even 5 mins after completing the report) there's the material waiting for me in a special room under my ambulance number shelf while the room is being video recorded.

Simple and easy.

 

[ZombieEMT]

Let me clarify as it appears that some people missed this part. Items are going missing from the truck midshift, after we have completed our righ check. Yes, locking the righ after checking it is a solution (that I have actually resorted to doing) but I do not feel that we should have to lock our trucks in our own, secured bay.

Even leaving a note, as mentioned in one response, would be a great help but people do not go that far. Also, when I say go to a supervisor, it is because of the way our stock systems works at both of my paid companies and volly. There is a main stock for employees, and the master stock which only management/stock personnel have access to.

 

[mycrofft]

Yes, God does forbid it.

The 11th commandment if I recall correctly.

Sorry, that commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Get Caught".

Why not just syphon the gas out of other units when you need it? Rob the drivers when you're short on lunch money? ZERO tolerance, and if the company is sending you out half-stocked, report that upchannel too. Might be a rogue dispatch, or a boss bad enough to quit out from under.

 

[Jambi]

Sorry, that commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Get Caught".

Why not just syphon the gas out of other units when you need it? Rob the drivers when you're short on lunch money? ZERO tolerance, and if the company is sending you out half-stocked, report that upchannel too. Might be a rogue dispatch, or a boss bad enough to quit out from under.

A nasty way to get back at these offenders is to, when their unit is idling during a drop off, crank the heaters up to full blast...