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What would you do?????????????
Its Saturday afternoon and you get called out for a 2 car P.I. unknown injuries. Its on a very busy highway just over a hill, you get on scene and find no injuries and both cars are still in the roadway. Your the only person there and cars are coming over the hill @ 60 mph and have to either slam on their brakes or go screaming bye you. What do you do? I call for law but their 10 minutes out. Do you have them move their vehicles off to the shoulder of the road? Do you get the people out of the vehicles and to the shoulder of the road and hope no one hits the cars?
Well I did one of these steps and I'll tell you on Friday what all happened. I want to see what your answers are before I tell you the outcome.
You'll be suprised, I'm sure! So check back in on this coming Friday.
Well here is the rest of the story, I ask the 2 drivers to pull their vehicles off to the side of the road, and they did but one of the drivers decide to pull their vehiclesway off the shoulder and go up over the curb and parks on the grass. I ran up and asked him if he lost his brakes, he said no just getting off the roadway. Now we've got our rescue on seen an ambulance and law. The passenger then states she's got a lot of pain in her back, so we KED board her and remove her from her vehicle. Law was not mad that I asked for the vehicles to be moved. My Assistant Chief was mad that we moved the vehicles when a patient was injured. I told him that they were not complaining of any injuries at the time, and I thought it was to everyones best interests to get the vehicles to the side of the roadway. He was fine then, but still advised me of the risks when I do something like that. I agreed with him. I guess I'm writing this so that everyone else can think of this when they are going to move vehicles to the side of the roadway. Also the passenger that we KED boarded was fine later on, Thank God!
Well I did one of these steps and I'll tell you on Friday what all happened. I want to see what your answers are before I tell you the outcome.
You'll be suprised, I'm sure! So check back in on this coming Friday.
Well here is the rest of the story, I ask the 2 drivers to pull their vehicles off to the side of the road, and they did but one of the drivers decide to pull their vehiclesway off the shoulder and go up over the curb and parks on the grass. I ran up and asked him if he lost his brakes, he said no just getting off the roadway. Now we've got our rescue on seen an ambulance and law. The passenger then states she's got a lot of pain in her back, so we KED board her and remove her from her vehicle. Law was not mad that I asked for the vehicles to be moved. My Assistant Chief was mad that we moved the vehicles when a patient was injured. I told him that they were not complaining of any injuries at the time, and I thought it was to everyones best interests to get the vehicles to the side of the roadway. He was fine then, but still advised me of the risks when I do something like that. I agreed with him. I guess I'm writing this so that everyone else can think of this when they are going to move vehicles to the side of the roadway. Also the passenger that we KED boarded was fine later on, Thank God!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kyle on
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id do the same thing but i would have tried to get a picture even if it was just with my phone to show to the LEO's
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Permalink Reply by jeff beall on
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You know your area better than any of us, but here we are in a rural area with mostly 2 lane roads bisected by a 4 lane highway, our s.o.g. it to block effected lanes with the engine or heavy rescue. Moving cars involved in an accident in this state is a BIG no-no, any accident causing over $1000 {considered reportable} or resulting in injury the vehicles involved must stay in place. I've even seen local ff's get a stern talking to for clearing the roadway of debris before the State Police arrives, something to do with figuring speed of impact and the debris field. 2 of the pic's on my profile show what I mean.
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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Good move TI, when in doubt get everyone out of the way. Always error on the safe side. You did good.
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Id definatly have to agree that the saftey of the victims and your personal saftey outweigh the vehical location, when the rescuers become the rescuee's then we are nolonger effective.
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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Like several of the others if there are no injuries and the vehicles are drivable then they are required to be moved out of the lane of traffic.
As for the all of a sudden onset of back pain from the passenger it sounds a lot like "Allstate Syndrome" to me.
I bet if you asked her what her back pain felt like she probably would have said "A new Lexus"
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Permalink Reply by Paul Everson on
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I agree getting the cars out of traffic, but be very, very careful for your own safety. We had a call once where a guy stopped at a car crash on the highway and when he got out of his car he was struck by a passing car at highway speed. State Troopers used to get agrevated with us blocking traffic, but after a few of them getting hit and several near misses, they finally agree with blocking traffic lanes.
As far as leaving the cars where they hit due to he said, she said confrontations....Not my problem...your safety, thier safety and the safety of other drivers on the road is more important. When PD gets there you can explain what you observed when you arrived and why they were moved. If he doesn't like it, he will have to get over it!
I do not agree with Firefighters or EMS directing traffic, that is how we get killed. It is a law enforcement duty and if the Police Officer needs help he can ask dispatch to send another squad. This may not be fesible for rural fire services with limited police officers on duty, but be extra careful if you end up performing traffic control.
Paul
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Permalink Reply by Ron King (Fire Chief) on
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Hey T.J. In VA. the first firefighter at the sene is the officer in charge. Til a line officer gets there. You did what you thought best. We learn more at each call. ITs always easy to look back and say I should have done that are this. You done what you thought best at the time.
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Permalink Reply by Kyle on
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Its a tough call. Personally i probably wouldnt of move the vehicles. You dont know if any of the patients are in shock. Ive seen it happen before where the pt says there are ok an then 5min or less they go into seizures. Then u gotta take into consideration is it a crime scene? I personally would have sent a bystander to the top of the hill to warn traffic, but you live an learn from your mistakes
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