Bad SOP's on driving

Here is a question about our local SOP's on driving our ambulance. Right now it says that its the driver and crew's discretion to use light and sirens. In otherwords, it's up to us to decide if traffic condition, patient conditions, road conditions etc... warrant the need for lights and sirens.
The proposed change would state that if there is a patient on board the driver MUST use the emergency warning lights on the vehicle. In other words, we would have no discretion on whether we should use lights and/or sirens at all. And typically it would mean that we would always have lights on and then turn on the siren if we felt we needed it.

What are your thoughts and comments on that?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Karen on March 15, 2008 at 9:12pm

After reading the original post, I couldn't help but wonder, WHY do they want to change the SOP to include lights whenever a pt is on board? Was there some particular incident that led them to this proposal? Doesn't really make sense to run with lights and/or sirens on a non life threatening call.

Regarding the post above mine, I remember when that accident happened, back in September, correct? Sad situation all the way around.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Lewis on March 15, 2008 at 9:31pm

NOT a good idea! Somebody is gonna get sued, or worse , for for an accident cause by you running lights while your patient on board has a toothache. That is DEFINATELY not excercising DUE REGARD.

Good luck!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rahn Abbott on April 9, 2008 at 10:42pm

Well, here is where this all stands. The meeting came and went. I was not able to attend because of work but I did provide about 100 pages of cases, studies, reports, sop's etc... all pointing to why you would not run lights all the time. It was reviewed and voted on. And it was decided to leave it as it was, it's driver and crews discretion to use light/sirens or not. It's not exactly what I wanted but it will do for now. My next step is to take next months training and provide guidelines as to how to apply that sop... when you should use lights and when you shouldn't. It won't be in the SOP but at least those that are willing to listen will have a better idea when to and when not to.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by joe on April 10, 2008 at 10:07pm

wow, it doesn't sound like you are using the brains to think, as person how does both fire and ems i can say that you should leave it up to the condition of the person that is being transported to the hosp. you should look at the way it is dispatched and if als is there , let the als person set the call to lights and siren to the hosp. we do it by the type of the call. trama's and heartattacks get a lights and siren drive, others get no lights and siren please look closely at each call that you do the chance of a crash is more when you run lights and siren when not needed.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wolfy Lang on April 10, 2008 at 10:57pm

Just a follow up with North Carolina's law... which can be searched from http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/statutes/Statutes.asp ...

§ 20‑156. Exceptions to the right‑of‑way rule.

(a) The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from an alley, building entrance, private road, or driveway shall yield the right‑of‑way to all vehicles approaching on the highway to be entered.

(b) The driver of a vehicle upon the highway shall yield the right‑of‑way to police and fire department vehicles and public and private ambulances, vehicles used by an organ procurement organization or agency for the recovery or transportation of human tissues and organs for transplantation or a vehicle operated by a transplant coordinator who is an employee of an organ procurement organization or agency when the transplant coordinator is responding to a call to recover or transport human tissues or organs for transplantation, and to rescue squad emergency service vehicles and vehicles operated by county fire marshals and civil preparedness coordinators when the operators of said vehicles are giving a warning signal by appropriate light and by bell, siren or exhaust whistle audible under normal conditions from a distance not less than 1,000 feet. When appropriate warning signals are being given, as provided in this subsection, an emergency vehicle may proceed through an intersection or other place when the emergency vehicle is facing a stop sign, a yield sign, or a traffic light which is emitting a flashing strobe signal or a beam of steady or flashing red light. This provision shall not operate to relieve the driver of a police or fire department vehicle or public or private ambulance or vehicles used by an organ procurement organization or agency for the recovery or transportation of human tissues and organs for transplantation or a vehicle operated by a transplant coordinator who is an employee of an organ procurement organization or agency when the transplant coordinator is responding to a call to recover or transport human tissues or organs for transplantation, or rescue squad emergency service vehicle or county fire marshals or civil preparedness coordinators from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle or county fire marshal or civil preparedness coordinator from the consequence of any arbitrary exercise of such right‑of‑way. (1937, c. 407, s. 118; 1971, cc. 78, 106; 1973, c. 1330, s. 21; 1977, c. 52, s. 4; c. 438, s. 3; 1985, c. 427; 1989, c. 537, s. 3.)

I read how the meeting turned out... and I agree with one of the other comments about discretion... Just remember, we are in the Public Relations business as well as the Life Saving and Property Conservation business... Dead EMT's and Fire Fighters from vehicle collisions with equipment dont help our image... let alone the half dozen so far THIS YEAR in POV's....

PLEASE... have your folks (and everyone else out there) Be Careful, Be Safe, and Come home alive.....

Wolfy

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rick on April 11, 2008 at 3:49am

I think that your SOP's should mirror your state laws in regards to emergency driving.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erin T. on June 4, 2008 at 10:51am

I totally agree .I was taught that there were to be NO lights or sirens on the highways or when the chances of agitating a patient would be significant. Also, there are calls that do not require a code three response to the scene or to the hospital. Using only lights without your siresn is an accident with litgation waiting to happen. They need to leve that SOP the way it is.