Out of Zone Response

I was reading the thread about scanners and a reply saying that the person would never respond to someone else's call. Scenarios started coming to mind and I was wondering what others have to say about this.

For example: You are driving down the road and you have your mobile scanner with you and you catch a call for something like 60 yr old with chest pains and you just happen to be driving through that particular neighborhood at the time. I know that if I actually witness someone in trouble, I will help however I can, but to respond to a location out of your district...I dunno. What about if it's a fire that you are driving by and see that there MIGHT be a shortage or people. Do you stop and see if they need extra help? Would this be concidered "freelancing"? Or would you wait for a MA call?

I suppose this question will be geared more toward volly dept's, but I would like to hear voices from different angles.

I should say that I do not own a scanner, and the pager is set to our own districts calls. This is just a question that came to mind, and I couldn't come up with an informative response to myself.

Thanks in advance

KSHF

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Morgan on April 11, 2010 at 11:23am

I have to drive 80 miles each way to school twice a week. I carry my fire radio and keep it on scan in the counties that I go through. If there was a call and it was near me, as few and far as communities are where I live, I would respond it able. I carry my BSL bag and my turn out gear with me all the time. Comes down to saving a life no question.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Seth Yahraes on April 11, 2010 at 10:04pm

If I were to be driving down that street and say a 70 y/o person in cardiac arrest in the front yard, I'd stop and help untill EMS gets there. However i would NEVER go into the persons house, to me thats just pushing the limits. Same with an MVA if im on the highway and it was a mile infront of me and no emergency services were on scene yet, I would stop and check on injuries and wait untill PD or Fire/EMS got there. I wont go out of my way if its not my district.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Derek R. on April 11, 2010 at 10:26pm

Have you responded often to calls in your travels to and from school? If so, what was the reaction you received from responders of that area?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on April 11, 2010 at 10:58pm

A squirrel is still a squirrel regardless of who brings the acorns.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chris Morgan on April 11, 2010 at 11:35pm

Positive, it is a rual area and everyone is a vol. Part of life in Western Kansas.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Derek R. on April 12, 2010 at 5:02pm

I'm glad that it works for you. Others aren't so fortunate. It was mentioned before about recognizing members from neighboring dept's, so I guess that if you are training and responding together, you will get to know the other people on each dept.
Have you had unrecognized responders show up anbd ask if they can help? How do you deal with that?
Western Kansas? Not familiar with the area, but is Pretty Prairie in that area? Very rural area.
Or Wichita?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott Baublitz on April 12, 2010 at 5:03pm

I am with a county volunteer department. I have a Radio from my department that has the ability to scan preprogramed channels that my department has set. So I can hear calls for my department plus three cities located within the county. I do not and will not go to a fire or mva that is out of my district without a MA call. However if I pull up on an mva I will call it in and do what I can until first due arrives then I leave. I don't train with them. So, I don't need to be in there way.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin on May 7, 2010 at 7:43pm

In some cases I think your idea would be very beneficial for the people in need, but you would run into the problem of "oh I was on the area and heard the call so I went" when really they were at home being bored. Once again, just likes lights, sirens, etc. you would have people who abuse it. Don't get me wrong, it would be helpful if like someone said they heard a cardiac arrest or something major and were in the area to try and help. I know in my area already there are people who creep around on others people calls and sometimes go to the extent of trying to stop and help when there is plenty of personnel on scene. All in all, it would unfortunately be abused by a small crowd ruining it for other people.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by stan ware on May 7, 2010 at 9:43pm

call district and get people to the scean you can always give the call over to responding units when they arive .

If you hear on a scanner of a call you are passing than call dispatch and first respond no sense delaying care .