thatJeffguy
Forum Lieutenant
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A lot of posts about "off-duty" actions; from the decision to carry a (jump kit, backboard, LOX, MICU), the actions one might or might not perform off duty and the legal ramifications of those actions.
What would any of you do in a given situation when you are clearly "off-duty"? Do any of you find that the term "clearly off duty" doesn't apply to you?
If you're on the street and witness a pedestrian/vehicle, what would you do? Would you act differently if you had specific gear with you? What gear and what actions?
What about being in a public place and witnessing a cardiac arrest?
An assault victim?
A wounded FF/EMS/PD?
I used to think that I'd love to grab my "medic" bag, jump into the scene and start fixing everyone up. A few posts on the issue by the more respected forum members changed my mind a bit.
I'd be hesitant to go "hands-on" a patient at a scene I wasn't dispatched to or that didn't involve family or friends. If I noticed a non life threatening injury on a conscious patient I could provide instruction for them to apply pressure. If they were unconscious or unable to provide the basic "ABC's", I'd consider intervening. A gloved hand over a sucking chest wound, CPR, a head-tilt-chin-lift, gauze (gauze, and more gauze) to a life-threatening bleed... I can see myself doing those things.
I doubt I'd act to remove a person from a specific situation. I wouldn't try to drag someone away from a vehicle or out of a compromised situation. Whatever "duty to act" exists I'm bound to act by protocol. The absolute first protocol in my little book is SCENE SAFETY and if the scene ain't safe then I'm in the wrong place and I need to leave post haste.
CPR on a stranger? Ideally I'd be doing compressions, making sure someone was calling 911 and directing a family member or friend of the patient to perform rescue breathing. I'm not sure how likely I'd be to get involved if I wasn't the first bystander "on scene" and other providers were pumping/breathing.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! If you can cite your protocols that'd be even better!
What would any of you do in a given situation when you are clearly "off-duty"? Do any of you find that the term "clearly off duty" doesn't apply to you?
If you're on the street and witness a pedestrian/vehicle, what would you do? Would you act differently if you had specific gear with you? What gear and what actions?
What about being in a public place and witnessing a cardiac arrest?
An assault victim?
A wounded FF/EMS/PD?
I used to think that I'd love to grab my "medic" bag, jump into the scene and start fixing everyone up. A few posts on the issue by the more respected forum members changed my mind a bit.
I'd be hesitant to go "hands-on" a patient at a scene I wasn't dispatched to or that didn't involve family or friends. If I noticed a non life threatening injury on a conscious patient I could provide instruction for them to apply pressure. If they were unconscious or unable to provide the basic "ABC's", I'd consider intervening. A gloved hand over a sucking chest wound, CPR, a head-tilt-chin-lift, gauze (gauze, and more gauze) to a life-threatening bleed... I can see myself doing those things.
I doubt I'd act to remove a person from a specific situation. I wouldn't try to drag someone away from a vehicle or out of a compromised situation. Whatever "duty to act" exists I'm bound to act by protocol. The absolute first protocol in my little book is SCENE SAFETY and if the scene ain't safe then I'm in the wrong place and I need to leave post haste.
CPR on a stranger? Ideally I'd be doing compressions, making sure someone was calling 911 and directing a family member or friend of the patient to perform rescue breathing. I'm not sure how likely I'd be to get involved if I wasn't the first bystander "on scene" and other providers were pumping/breathing.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! If you can cite your protocols that'd be even better!