While watching Animal Planet...okay my wife was and I was at the computer....there was this dog being transported to an animal in an ambulance with lights and siren. I didn't catch where it was. I've never heard of this being done in Delaware. Does your department do it or would that do it?

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OK the closes I came to hauling a animal in our ambulance. We had a building box alarm and the crew got on the wagon and a driver got on the pumper and other member and myself got on the ambulance. Well one of our members had left his dalmatian who since he was a puppy trained to jump on a pumper. Well the dog jumps on the pumper which was a cab over Ford which has a jump seat area which is a walkway and no doors on the side. Well we went up the street and made the left turn onto the highway and the dog slide off the pumper and on to the shoulder of the highway. Well we had to stop and get the stupid dog and push him into the back of the ambulance and follow the units up the highway. Got on the scene and then back in service and back to the station and let the dog out of the unit. The owner showed up and had to treat the dog's paws for street rash. I am sure we had to clean the ambulance after the dog being in the back.
I hear it happened one time in Marion county, FL. A crew transported a cat "hot" to a vet hospital that was rescued from a fire and the owner tried to make the crew pay the bill. So a valiant effort became a not so good idea......
i knew that DC was no where close to size as LA, been to DC many times. Got rescued out of a stuck elevator by a DCFD rescue (cant remember which one though) during a school trip to DC. I would have thought that there would have been more due to DC being a more violent city and a large visitor population. i was not thinking about 100 abluances...but it was just shocking that only 36. I am originaly from Summit New jersey, and thats a small little town, so i get not a lot of ambulances. it was just a shock to me, i would have expect the Captial of the US to have more due to visitors and populaiton combined.
i knew that DC was no where close to size as LA, been to DC many times. Got rescued out of a stuck elevator by a DCFD rescue (cant remember which one though) during a school trip to DC. I would have thought that there would have been more due to DC being a more violent city and a large visitor population. i was not thinking about 100 abluances...but it was just shocking that only 36. I am originaly from Summit New jersey, and thats a small little town, so i get not a lot of ambulances. it was just a shock to me, i would have expect the Captial of the US to have more due to visitors and populaiton combined.
i am not advocating it....but if the ambulance is already on scene...then why not?

take a look at the videos i posted above. This call was originaly a Swift Water Rescue call. Original call stated a person in the LA river. so as part of the first assignment, 2 rescues/ambulances were dispatched as well as all the other units. There were then immdeiate move-ups of other LAFD resources to the fire stations first-in districts, and alerts to private ambulance companies to be around that area more due to the fact that they would be needed.

Also, in a huge city like LA, there is not a lot of "wasteing" an ambulance...Could this be, that depending on resources, different decisions can be made...again i say this because with over 300 (i would guesstimate) ambualnces in Los Angeles and surrounding communites, there is plenty of coverage.


Most ambulances if they see something do what they can but call animal control, in this case that was not possible.

Now, I am not saying call am ambulance when fluffy doesnt feel well, but if the assignment includes an ambulance and IC has okayed the transport, then why not?
Our dispatch has got 1000's of "help my dog is hurt" calls. We say call animal control or your local vet. We cant waste our time with these calls, but this was a different situation.
i am not advocating it....but if the ambulance is already on scene...then why not?
Now, I am not saying call am ambulance when fluffy doesnt feel well, but if the assignment includes an ambulance and IC has okayed the transport, then why not?


What you say here also equals advocating, so why contrdict yourself?

I already explained "why not". We are not trained in the care and treatment of animals, nor should an emergency vehicle dedicated for the care, treatment, and transport for humans be used for animals. Along with that if such rigs were on the scene for people, then that is their role. If not needed for human, either to standby or be utilized, then they should be released, plain and simple.


Also, in a huge city like LA, there is not a lot of "wasteing" an ambulance...Could this be, that depending on resources, different decisions can be made...again i say this because with over 300 (i would guesstimate) ambualnces in Los Angeles and surrounding communites, there is plenty of coverage

The number is also based upon population and emergency prepardness, because there is a high number doesn't mean there are not the same issues involved as opposed to a smaller community. Have you ever had to call 911 for an actual emergency and WAIT? Those couple minutes a response should take increases exponentially while waiting for the next due. As a medic myself I can attest to several situations awaiting the next due ambulance because the closest is already busy. Now couple that issue moreso because an ambulance was used for an animal. This just appears to be more advocating transporting animals because of the number of ambulances.


Most ambulances if they see something do what they can but call animal control, in this case that was not possible.

Why not? What makes this case so different? What is the difference here than say a dog or cat rescued from a fire and was given O2 by an EMS crew? So why did an ambulance have to transport here? You say if the IC OK's it then WHY NOT, so I will rebutt that if an IC would say that, then they should NOT be in a command role. In the event of a fire, sure maybe there is a chance to assist an animal, but someone can go down at any time, there could be any myriad of events which would mean the EMS resources there are needed......that is why not. There is no reason to utilize an ambulance for an animal. If units responding to the scene are not busy, then go back in service. If there are personnel able to provide some supplement O2 to an animal or some type of care while awaiting animal control, then so be it. If police wish to transport, fine, but no way should an ambulance be used when there are more pressing emergencies involving people.


I am an animal person, I have my dog in my profile pic, I can understand trying to help an animal at an emergency if there are no pt's to care for or in a standby EMS role for the emergency. I however do not believe in any way, shape, or form, an animal should be transported by an ambulance.

Besides the reasons I mentioned, another huge reason is what happens when an animal suddenly gets scared while being transported. Again, there is nothing carried to restrain an animal, nor care for them. The dog in the vid was tired and scared, but doesn't mean it will be. SCARED is the biggest thing....ever see what a scared animal can do? How do explain an EMT getting mauled because an animal became scared while being transported?

Leave the animal transports to the people who KNOW what they are doing and do so professionally.

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