Slight Safety Problem

[lightsandsirens5]

Ok, me thinks the scene is NOT safe. What say you? C'mon how stupid can you get? Did anyone ever teach these crews about "scene safe"?

"While attempting to rescue the occupants of an overturned vehicle that struck a power pole, rescue workers look up at wires that are exploding above them. on Oct. 28. The accident occoured along Ohio State Route 68 in Champaign County, near Urbana, Ohio. Part of the pole broke when it was struck, causing the electrically charged wires to arc and catch fire. The driver was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital."

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

LOL... That is why the Fire Department exists, so that EMS always has a canary to send into the mine to retrieve the patient. Anytime something is "exploding" above me... I will wait... That is an MCI waiting to happen. The newspaper headlines should have read, "City Losses Entire Fire Department to Electrocution!" :glare: Mind you, we all take some calculated risks in the various avenues of Emergency Services, but this would not have been tolerated in my area.

 

[guardian528]

well, it looks like scene safety changed.... probably wasn't exploding when they first approached

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Seemed to me, based on the info I saw, that they had been arcing ror a while and are now on fire. But me could be wrong.....

 

[JPINFV]

Is it safe? Not completely, but how many scenes are ever truely safe? I think that when working on this patient, a few questions need to be considered including what needs to be done to remove the patient (i.e. can this be a simple rapid extrication?), how much damage is done to the pole, and how critical the patient is. If the patient can just chill for the amount of time it would take to shut down the lines with out concern of deteriorating, then it would be wise to wait it out. However, if the patient warrants rapid treatment and transport (and, no, HEMS in this case doesn't mean anything since it looks like this would be considered an extended extracation which could be used as an indication for HEMS), then an educated risk assessment needs to be made.

 

[rescuepoppy]

well, it looks like scene safety changed.... probably wasn't exploding when they first approached

It may have changed, But what good are they going to be if they make an ash out of themselves?

 

[emtfarva]

it looks like fire was trying to remove the Pt from the car.... It doesn't look like a EMS is working the Pt.

 

[atropine]

LOL... That is why the Fire Department exists, so that EMS always has a canary to send into the mine to retrieve the patient. Anytime something is "exploding" above me... I will wait... That is an MCI waiting to happen. The newspaper headlines should have read, "City Losses Entire Fire Department to Electrocution!" :glare: Mind you, we all take some calculated risks in the various avenues of Emergency Services, but this would not have been tolerated in my area.

This is true you have to send in the hero's first, and then if the hero's also do ems, well its win win for the public and tax payers.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

This is true you have to send in the hero's first, and then if the hero's also do ems, well its win win for the public and tax payers.

Ummm... no thanks. I DO NOT want heros trying to provide medical care to me or my family. I want Medical Professionals. We are like penguins in that we send in a few test subjects first to see if the waters are clear. But rather than having to push them in, we as humans are "fortunate" enough to have those that like to swim in the shallow end of the gene pool and are easily trained to run towards unsafe situations... ^_^

To quote Cyril Bench from Vertical (who i assume was speaking about Firefighters, "One hundred thousand sperm and you were the fastest?" j/k... I am professional enough to not bash those I would call brothers, despite the fact that the sentiment is not often returned...

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Just noticed that there appears to be smoke at the base of the pole. Can't tell if it is coming from the rig or the ground wire on the pole.

Why all the hate for us firefighters?

 

[FF2EMT]

Such hate lol.. To me the scene is not safe, unless absolute dire that the pt be removed matter of life or death, need to get out unit the scene can be deemed safe by somebody who knows electricity/power company

 

[RESQ_5_1]

It looks to me like a transformer blew. If that is the case, it is possible the lines were (and look to still be) intact with no immediate danger to rescue personnel. If the transformer blows, there isn't much warning prior to the event. In the photo, it appears that rescue personnel were assessing the vehicle to appropriately start an extrication when a transformer blew. Since it is in the process of exploding during the photo, I'm sure that the rescue workers were still reacting and just about to head to safety.

Again, the scene appears that it would have seemed safe prior to the exploding transformer.

 

[RESQ_5_1]

After further assessing the photo in more detail, I add the following addendum: Why was power still going to those lines? Was the power co. called? Although there are lines down, they are a bit of a distance form the vehicle. However, that doesn't mean they will remain that way.

We would have sent in the FF's first also. But, ours have more sense than to get close to that.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

We would have sent in the FF's first also. But, ours have more sense than to get close to that.

As do our local FFs (at least in some areas, like Downed Power Lines)... but as I state so often "Common sense ain't so common anymore." Remember when your mom told you not to put your fingers in electrical sockets? My mom told me not to put my head under live power lines... then again, my mom might be smarter than most Emergency Responders… ^_^

It amazes me how many people sleep through the "Scene Safety" portion of their classes... makes me wonder how much of the other vital information they slept through... Although it would explain a lot!!!

 

[fbsemssocial]

scene safe

I agree they looked surprised that it is sparking its not safe at that points and I would think about retreating until the scene became safe again. Cause if that power line dropped and hurt the EMS professionals there then they became part of the problem and not part of the solution.

 

[Seaglass]

Anything involving power lines or transformer boxes=phone call to the lovely folks at the power company. Especially since I know nothing about it, and can't tell whether the power's off or not.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Anything involving power lines or transformer boxes=phone call to the lovely folks at the power company. Especially since I know nothing about it, and can't tell whether the power's off or not.

Amen! And NEVER trust a Border Patrol officer. Even if they say they have talked to the power company......trust me.