Time delay before going in service

[Guest DADAY]

I was recently told that it was in one VAC's SOP's that even with a full crew, (EMT, Driver, and crew)

, that said ambulance should wait 6 mins before rolling.

Now with that said,...

I think that whoever wrote this SOP is completly insane and looking for a lawsuit. This is the worst thing I have ever heard and to have someone say this to me in a non-joking situation made me almost fall down.

If anyone in this VAC is reading this, please stand up and make a change!!!

[NYMedic37 22]

Is there a reason for waiting 6 minutes? I can't think of any. I guess if its a cardiac arrest call then you shouldn't even bother going.....just send the undertaker.

[calhobs 110]

Maybe they have to wait six minutes after eating?

[NYMedic37 22]

Maybe we should watch the guy who wrote the stupid "6 minute wait" rule bleed for 6 minutes before applying direct pressure. "I'm sorry sir but according to my VAC's standard operating procedures, you MUST bleed for 6 minutes before we administer any type of treatment".

[Danger 160]

That has gotta be a joke.

[RC2389 0]

Maybe the SOP was oddly worded or it was miscommunicated? Maybe (hopefully!) what was meant is that after 6 minutes, if a full crew doesn't show up, it goes mutual aid and thus the mutual aid ambulance waits 6 minutes before leaving. I can't believe that any VAC would purposely add 6 minutes to their response time.

[ailc307 1]

6 minutes WHAT,

At my service 45 seconds 800hrs - 2200hrs 3 minutes after 2200 hrs.

Now take it were paid, but here in Kentucky KRS states that you have to be in service within 10 minutes.

[Guest DADAY]

I was told this was because, some people forget to call in, or foget thier phone and cant call on the way. So when a crew of 3 leaves someone behind they are mad. Who cares?

So what you get left, now stand by with the second ambulance in case there is a second call, quit crying that the ambulance didn't wait for you and deal with it.

[ny10570 745]

I've never heard of a vac having that SOP, but I have heard plenty of members comment that they were early or that they could take their time because we were all ready in the bus when the call came in.

[helicopper 1,050]

Completely absurd. If there's a crew there is NO reason to wait and only liability waiting if you do delay your response. I hope this is just misinformation.

I've been criticized over the years for leaving with "just" an EMT and a driver and not waiting for a "full crew" but I stand by my position that two people is a full crew. If you respond with a medic, FD, or PD you'll always have extra hands on scene if you need them.

[Goose 188]

I dunno about any particular SOP, but i have heard vollie trucks waiting 2 and 3 minutes after they have a driver and EMT, waiting for an attendant. Kinda silly if you ask me :X

[DOC22 1]

As I've stated in prior threads, we have an excellent setup with our VAC. Even though we do not run the ambulance, but we have close to 30 EMTs so the ambulance can respond driver only, since we respond to almost every call the VAC does.

[RC2389 0]

I was told this was because, some people forget to call in, or foget thier phone and cant call on the way. So when a crew of 3 leaves someone behind they are mad. Who cares?

Now that is ridiculous. I've missed plenty of calls because I didn't get to the station fast enough, but I'm not going to demand that patient care is delayed so I can ride along. If anything, its my fault for not getting out the door fast enough. What we do, though, is put the people who showed up but missed the ambulance on the attendance sheet so they still get credit for coming out.

[Danger 160]

I was told this was because, some people forget to call in, or foget thier phone and cant call on the way. So when a crew of 3 leaves someone behind they are mad. Who cares?

Mindblowing. Completely mindblowing. Two people is a crew. You don't make it, tough, take your car to the scene if you want to tag along that bad. Get out the door ASAP. Just another terrifying Westechester-ism about putting your own play over the public.

[Guest DADAY]

Glad to see I am not alone on the way I was thinking!

[Goose 188]

Mindblowing. Completely mindblowing. Two people is a crew. You don't make it, tough, take your car to the scene if you want to tag along that bad. Get out the door ASAP. Just another terrifying Westechester-ism about putting your own play over the public.

The same thing happens in Dutchess...

...and probably across the entire great State of New York

so, lets not play pretend here, i think its more of a "volunteer-isim" issue than a so called "Westchester-isim"

Edited July 22, 2007 by Goose

[Guest alsfirefighter]

A wise man once told me:

You can't make this $hit up.

and

You can't fix stupid.

If you don't make the rig then boohoo. Stand by in the event there is another call. If that is true I'd really like to know where that is. I'm sure that if someone found that out and there was an unfavorable outcome that the argument for a lawsuit could be made that is no where near the standard of care.

[Guest DADAY]

My point exactly, I posted this in the hope that maybe one or more of this agency may read it. Also for the hope that if this is the case any where else it is CHANGED!!

[Danger 160]

Okay, I'll settle for stupidity-ism. It's not a John-ism, because I've left people standing on the apparatus floor watching me leave, because I already have another EMT.

We have a private radio channel dedicated to EMS. When a call goes out, people get on the horn, if it's closer to my side of the area, I'll take my POV or the BLS fly car straight to the scene and my rostered partner gets the ambulance. And vice versa. At the end of the day it's quality of care and response time. Not how many vollys you can fit in to one clown car.