Vehicle #1

First big snow of the season shows the rust we all have in our winter driving skills. Safety is only secondary in this installment. What do I want to know enroute to a vehicle accident? What is the most useless fact that I have to sift through trying to mentally prepare for my arrival? The dispatch information is a given in this discussion. Good or bad you have what you have. Obviously unknown vehicles, unknown injuries near the college is not number one on the hit parade. But what can we do to fill in the details for all of the responders as they begin "The Charge of the Light Brigade" to the scene?

My most useless fact that seems to be transmitted at every accident is "roadway blocked or partially blocked." Guess what...as soon as I get there I'm shutting down the whole road anyway for safety until we sort things out. The dispatch has given us a black and white line drawing of the scene and the first arriving unit should do their best to color in the drawing for us. Tell me if there is fire, entrapment, confinement, occupants out of vehicles, multiple ALS injuries and for God Sakes set up incident command.

Vehicle #2

Yes, it takes time to do this and maybe the on scene report takes a minute before it can be verbalized. But tell me something additional to the dispatch. Two vehicles 40 feet apart with ejection is vivid in my mind. Scene is not safe will also set off my under used neurons.

By the way if Incident Command has taken the time to paint us a three D image with detail I would not expect to hear "Eng 1 approaching do you have orders?" We are paid well, we are trained better, and as consumate professionals (paid or unpaid) we should understand the unmet need and of course accept any orders. Review your SOPs, or whatever we are calling them this year, play mental "what if" when you are in your first due area, and participate in training.