Tow company under fire for booting ambulance

[DrParasite]

Tow company under fire for booting ambulance
Business owner Mark Hale defended ABC Towing, who put a boot on the ambulance after it parked in a private lot

https://www.ems1.com/ambulances-eme...Tow-company-under-fire-for-booting-ambulance/

http://www.good4utah.com/news/local...ng-ambulance-parked-in-private-lot/1191735615

While I do think booting an ambulance is not a good standard practice, I think the blame for this whole fiasco falls solely on the ambulance crew. They were repeatedly warned (with posted signs) that non-customers were not permitted to park there, and they chose to ignore it. It's private property, and the owner is within his rights to enforce the rules.

If there is any disciplinary action taken against the ambulance crew for missing the call, than it is completely justified, as being an ambulance does not mean the rules don't apply to you, despite what this crew seems to think.

 

[luke_31]

Tow company under fire for booting ambulance
Business owner Mark Hale defended ABC Towing, who put a boot on the ambulance after it parked in a private lot

https://www.ems1.com/ambulances-eme...Tow-company-under-fire-for-booting-ambulance/

http://www.good4utah.com/news/local...ng-ambulance-parked-in-private-lot/1191735615

While I do think booting an ambulance is not a good standard practice, I think the blame for this whole fiasco falls solely on the ambulance crew. They were repeatedly warned (with posted signs) that non-customers were not permitted to park there, and they chose to ignore it. It's private property, and the owner is within his rights to enforce the rules.

If there is any disciplinary action taken against the ambulance crew for missing the call, than it is completely justified, as being an ambulance does not mean the rules don't apply to you, despite what this crew seems to think.

Exactly. It boils down to being respectful of the owner of the parking lot. If it's a private lot, don't park there unless you are patronizing the business or they specifically say it's ok and then you park as far away from the business as possible.

 

[CALEMT]

If you're repeatedly warned yet still do it then its your own damn fault when you face the consequences.

 

[BobBarker]

One person in the EMS1 article comment section said the towing company was wrong and that emergency vehicles can park pretty much anywhere they want so they can get to a call quickly. Most states have laws allowing that only in an emergency. Ambulance, fire truck or police can't just park wherever they want to go eat lunch. If they are on a call or in an emergency, sure they can park there. Not for everything else. Unfortunately, I used to see it a lot when I was in Los Angeles. A lot of private ambulances who don't even run emergency calls parking on red, in handicap spaces and in parking lot. I don't understand why you think you are allowed to do that simply because you work in an ambulance.

 

[Seirende]

The first poll question is a bit misleading with "repeatedly parked on private property." As far as I can tell from the article, it happened once.

 

[NPO]

At my previous employer we received periodic memos warning us about parking in fire lanes, and other non-parking spaces when posting or getting food. These memos always came out after a complaint.

Fact is, in most states, an ambulance cannot simply park where ever they want when posting or getting food. You do need to plan your parking for quick egress if you get a call, but most parking lots are private property, and youre at the mercy of the owner of that parking lot, so try not to piss them off.

Now, I've also had my ambulance towed (or attempted, it was too heavy for the tow truck) for illegal parking. I parked in a parking lane that changes to a travel lane during peak hours to reduce congestion. We were on scene picking up a patient from a clinic. We left our secondary lights on, as customary for that company, because it was a high traffic street in Los Angeles with narrow lanes. While we were up in the clinic the lane switched over to the travel lane times and there was an LADOT parking enforcement guy and a fleet of tow trucks lined up ticketing and towing every vehicle as soon as 4pm hit; including my ambulance.

 

[KnightRider]

being an ambulance does not mean the rules don't apply to you, despite what this crew seems to think.

I tell this to my partner all the time and it seems to go over her head. She thinks we are exempt from a bunch of laws and such but shes mixing it up with a public ambulance (like an FD) vs a private ambulance.

 

[BobBarker]

I tell this to my partner all the time and it seems to go over her head. She thinks we are exempt from a bunch of laws and such but shes mixing it up with a public ambulance (like an FD) vs a private ambulance.

I don't know what state you are in, but most states, even if you are a 911 city owned ambulance, you can't disregard the laws unless you are on a call. In CA, that's the case. You can't just park on red blocking a fire hydrant to eat at McDonald's. But who's going to give them a ticket lol?