Briefing Passengers of the Transport

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Permalink Reply by scrambled_egg81 on April 9, 2009 at 7:55pm

I'm not sure this would do any good. If someone is calling for help, then their mind is focused on the issue at hand, not whether or not they're safe in the back of a rig. I'll draw a connection between your idea and the task of telling a family member that their loved one has passed away (to kind of put it in context): it's been proven that upon hearing word that a loved one has died, the remaining family will begin to "tune out" everything going on around them. It's a normal physiological response. To someone that is ill or injured, I would put them in the same boat because the mind is focused on what is happening to them and why, not so much on how to be safe in the back of an ambulance. If the medic/EMT is doing their job, then they will ensure the patient is secured properly and any family members are as well before leaving the scene/facility.

2 cents, etc.

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Permalink Reply by TheCannulator on April 12, 2009 at 6:58am

"Get in, Sit down, Shut-up and hang on. Oh, and don't touch anything."

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Permalink Reply by Michael Hulsizer on April 12, 2009 at 5:42pm

You allow passengers to ride in the back? We have occasionally allowed a mother of a very young child ride in the back, but other than that all passengers must ride in the front of the rig assisted in and seatbelted. Family members or friends of the patient in the back with me and my crew can and have caused problems in the past. problems I dont need or have to deal with....maybe it is just me, but I like them in the front. I think they are safer in the case of an accident as well...

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Permalink Reply by Craig Mc Cown on April 13, 2009 at 10:59am

Michael,

Thanks for the feedback.
My agency does require all passengers to sit in the front on the ambulance unless it is a small child. Recently, one of our ambulances was involved in a MVC were there was very significant damage to the ambulance. The passenger that was in a seat restraint crawled out of the ambulance window and sat along side the guard rail until responding EMS & Fire arrived. This passenger was uninjured but no responding units knew that he was in the ambulance nor did our dispatch center. I am developing a briefing for our employees to use when passengers do ride along as well as briefing for patients. This briefing will also notify our dispatch center of "souls" on board.
Thanks for all that you do for your community.

Craig

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Permalink Reply by Michael Hulsizer on April 13, 2009 at 12:21pm

That is a very good idea... We obviously do that with air medical, but I never gave it a thought for the ground aspect!!

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Permalink Reply by ArcticKat on April 13, 2009 at 2:19pm

Micheal and I have very similar policies. When we call into dispatch to begin our transport we include the number of passengers on board. Something like this:

"1471 is departing scene code 2 with 2" which means that we have 4 people in the ambulance, the crew plus 2. Either 2 patients or a patient and NOK.

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