MY God

[JOKER]

My goodness, what about heart attack and stroke victims, I assume they just died.

If there was an Emergency Situation
you placed them in your vehicle and
took them to the hospital.
and Good Luck to you.

 

[Railroad]

Good questions. The FD might be the only place where the federal teat hasn't been sucked. And we stand around like cows in the pasture. Always glad when the red vehicles show up, not so much when we need to contribute - all that money went to the State and the Federal Gov't.

 

[Dakota]

I had to call 911 just 10 days ago; they were here with the medic in less than 4 minutes.

 

[frequentflier]

Pri 3- taxi ride or raisin run (elderly) for doctors appointments. No medics required.

 

[ginwoman]

I remember that when I was a younger
there were no rescue squads or medics
in the whole St Marys County.

We had two ambulances that served
the whole County.

One provided by Mattinglys Funeral Home
and one provided by Robinsons Funeral Home, now Brinsfields.

They rotated service between the two.

Sometimes it could be a couple of hours
once they were called.

You called the Control Center
and they called the funeral home that
was on duty to respond.

Most of the time there was no one
on the ambulance with any medical
training at all.

I realize the county has grown so much since then but sometimes I think people call the rescue squad when they don't really need to.

 

[CobbWeb]

What?

Just heard a call in route Pri3 no medic ETA 30 Minutes. MY GOD WITH the taxes that are paid here what does it take?

The statement you heard was an ambulance advising they were in route to the hospital priority 3, which is routine (no lights or siren). No medic means the medic is not needed and not on the ambulance. Estimated time of arrival to hospital is 30 minutes not unheard of from remote areas of any of our counties. Sounds like your upset that it takes so long to get to the hospital. So I guess with the taxes that are paid, maybe they could build another hospital or buy helicopters so it won't take so long to get there.

 

[CobbWeb]

Winner!!

I realize the county has grown so much since then but sometimes I think people call the rescue squad when they don't really need to.

 

[G1G4]

I realize the county has grown so much since then but sometimes I think people call the rescue squad when they don't really need to.

 

[JoeR]

The statement you heard was an ambulance advising they were in route to the hospital priority 3, which is routine (no lights or siren). No medic means the medic is not needed and not on the ambulance. Estimated time of arrival to hospital is 30 minutes not unheard of from remote areas of any of our counties. Sounds like your upset that it takes so long to get to the hospital. So I guess with the taxes that are paid, maybe they could build another hospital or buy helicopters so it won't take so long to get there.

Great explaination. That's what I thought when I first read it. I wonder if OP will reply and accept your explaination.

 

[pearlie369]

A few months ago, my 89 yr. old Grandmother took a fall, backward. She hit her head on a door jamb; wound up with a few stitches.
After Mom made the 911 call, it took 30-40 minutes for the EMT's to arrive to California from L'town. I know that THAT doesn't have anything to do with the price of tea in China but that was MY family's most recent experience with the Volunteer rescue squad.

In the 30-40 mins your mom could have had her mom hold a towel to her head and taken grandma to the hospital for a 'few' stitches and been almost home. This is a classical reason why it takes so long. I'm not sure when ambulances became taxis, but I know when I broke my right ankle and foot I drove myself to the hospital.
In the end it's a volunteer program so be happy they didn't charge her a bunch of money for a ride to get 3 stitches, and thank someone else for taking the time off work or off their families to take your grandmother to the hospital and didn't mind if a little blood got on their vehicle.

 

[Roman]

In the 30-40 mins your mom could have had her mom hold a towel to her head and taken grandma to the hospital for a 'few' stitches and been almost home. This is a classical reason why it takes so long. I'm not sure when ambulances became taxis, but I know when I broke my right ankle and foot I drove myself to the hospital.
In the end it's a volunteer program so be happy they didn't charge her a bunch of money for a ride to get 3 stitches, and thank someone else for taking the time off work or off their families to take your grandmother to the hospital and didn't mind if a little blood got on their vehicle.

If the person that got a bump on the head, also Passed Out..they need the ambulance. As a Medic, I had an elderly lady fall down two Carpeted steps. She was also a tad under the influence. She didn't want to go to the Hospital, but something told me to board & collar her, and convince her she needed to go. Two hours after I dropped her off there, she went on a Ventilator, and a day later...she was dead. She had a C-2 Fracture. No outward signs of Trauma.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

That can't be true. Fireboard automatically dispatches an engine company after ten minutes. And if you're in the California/Lexington Park area, I know for a fact that The Park has no problems getting out, daytime, nighttime, irregardless.

Either or, the dispatch procedure is like this. Fireboard takes your call. They ask you pertinent questions pertaining to the patient to give to the ambulance crew. After asking the questions, an ambulance company is dispatched. If that ambulance company is or already has been dispatched on a call, they automatically add a second or third ambulance company. From this time, they have a five minute response window. This accounts for personnel coming from home, work, or other areas to get the ambulance out. If the ambulance fails to get out within those five minutes, the next one or two ambulance companies are dispatched. They, like the others, get a five minute response time window. If they then fail to respond, an engine company is dispatched with the next set of ambulances.

Usually, it doesn't go much further past this. Within those ten minutes, an ambulance will usually respond. Just sayin.

Well, like letsgosailing eluded to; it was probably just a perception problem due to panic and the bleeding head wound. Criticism of the VRS not intended.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

If the person that got a bump on the head, also Passed Out..they need the ambulance. As a Medic, I had an elderly lady fall down two Carpeted steps. She was also a tad under the influence. She didn't want to go to the Hospital, but something told me to board & collar her, and convince her she needed to go. Two hours after I dropped her off there, she went on a Ventilator, and a day later...she was dead. She had a C-2 Fracture. No outward signs of Trauma.

I know that you folks have superiors and counsellors (sp?) to talk to; but doesn't stuff like that mess with your head?
To me, it takes a special type of person to be a medic/EMT. I don't have what it takes. I know that. Kinda wish I did.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

In the 30-40 mins your mom could have had her mom hold a towel to her head and taken grandma to the hospital for a 'few' stitches and been almost home. This is a classical reason why it takes so long. I'm not sure when ambulances became taxis, but I know when I broke my right ankle and foot I drove myself to the hospital.
In the end it's a volunteer program so be happy they didn't charge her a bunch of money for a ride to get 3 stitches, and thank someone else for taking the time off work or off their families to take your grandmother to the hospital and didn't mind if a little blood got on their vehicle.

Lemme clarify for ya.....
Grandma is Dad's Mom. Age 89. Alzheimer's. Dementia. Osteoperosis SO bad that she no longer has a left hip joint; but refuses to use a cane/walker OR get a hip replacement. A laundry list of meds from everything from a headache to hiccups.

When she fell over backward she took two or three steps, stopped and that was it. BANG!!!!! Followed by pooling blood drops on the floor.
Don't know if it was a blackout or just a loss of balance. At the time, didn't know if any of the "C vertebra" were compromised; or nerves pinched. So, panicked better judgement called for calling the ambulance.

 

[Railroad]

Chilluns. Knock it off. Go home. Start over. So sorry for the bereaved, but look to the better day and get over it.

 

[Roman]

I know that you folks have superiors and counsellors (sp?) to talk to; but doesn't stuff like that mess with your head?
To me, it takes a special type of person to be a medic/EMT. I don't have what it takes. I know that. Kinda wish I did.

Yes..if you are Human, things do bother you at times. Sometimes..it's cumlative, and other times it gets to you right after a Call. There is a Critical Stress Debreifing Team that REALLY helps, but most of the time, you just talk to other's in the Departments. I didn't think I had what it takes either, until I actually did it. I gave 38 years of my time doing it, and am very proud of that. I've been out of it now close to 3 years, and I really don't miss it anymore. Thanks for asking about that.!!

 

[SoMDGirl42]

I know that you folks have superiors and counsellors (sp?) to talk to; but doesn't stuff like that mess with your head?
To me, it takes a special type of person to be a medic/EMT. I don't have what it takes. I know that. Kinda wish I did.

Do you have a licence? Someone needs to drove those medics to the scene and to the hospital.

There aren't many excuses that I can accept for why people DON'T volunteer with their local rescue squads/fire departments. If you are able bodied, and of sound mind, what's your excuse now?

How about the auxliaries? Someone needs to help with all the fund raisers to buy that equipment that so many take for granted when they call 911.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Do you have a licence? Someone needs to drove those medics to the scene and to the hospital.

There aren't many excuses that I can accept for why people DON'T volunteer with their local rescue squads/fire departments. If you are able bodied, and of sound mind, what's your excuse now?

How about the auxliaries? Someone needs to help with all the fund raisers to buy that equipment that so many take for granted when they call 911.

Uuuummm.....yeah, I have a license. Point taken.

My excuse now is, I don't have the consitution to be first-hand witness to the aftermath of a chance D/D with fatalities; and one of those fatalities be a child.

What about the auxiliaries?? Well, ya kinda got me there. But it still takes out of pocket money even to donate time, if you really think about it; and I ain't got a whole lotta scratch to begin with.

 

[G1G4]

I understand that people don't volunteer. What I don't understand is how people can bash a volunteer system. If it's that much of a problem to those people, feel free to take time out of your schedule and come volunteer with us. Then, when someone says that your system is sub-par and you don't think the people in place you can do it, after you invest thousands of hours a year in training, both practical and book work, you can tell me how you feel.

 

[itsbob]

My goodness, what about heart attack and stroke victims, I assume they just died.

Why do you. think the funeral homes ran the service? Duh!