daveb@reed.UUCP (David Billstrom) (05/06/85)
Uh... I don't really want to add fuel to the fire, and prolong the already too-long discussion about self-appointed speedsters in emergencies. But, I can't resist. The argument about it being faster to transport a patient yourself rather than by ambulance is a myth. With small exception, ambulances aren't stationed at hospitals any more. Each EMS (Emergency Medical System) must conform to minimium response times, typically 6 to 8 minutes in your community. Transport times to hospitals are in the same range. AND, most importantly, those personnel can activate helicopter transport, and other high-seed solutions. So, the 2x vs. x argument really doesn't hold water. And, transport won't be the only consideration of the ambulance folk -- there are life saving measures for burn victims that can be initiated in the field. Note: you will get a ticket, and probable conviction with possible jail sentance when caught driving recklessly, through lights, at an unsafe speed -- even in an "emergency" in most states. Professional "lights and siren" drivers don't tolerate poorly equipped and trained amatuers at all. For good reason. You and your patient, to speak nothing of the others on the road, really are better off calling for an ambulance. There are exceptions: when you're in front of a hospital, in a rural area, on a freeway miles from phones, and in disasters when all ambulances are busy. Maybe this happened in a remote part of Texas. (Aren't all parts of Texas remote?)
rastaman@ihdev.UUCP (Biding my time) (05/07/85)
> ... Each EMS (Emergency Medical System) must conform to minimium > response times, typically 6 to 8 minutes in your community. Transport > times to hospitals are in the same range. ... Interesting that this should be mentioned. There was just a (sadly) minor brouhaha here in Chicago about CFD ambulances being used to go to paramedics' training classes and such. Emergency calls were being handled by ambulance crews in the next nearest precinct/whatever. In one case a cardiac arrest victim allegedly died because of the long response time. ihnp4!ihdev!rastaman