hypothetical medical emergency

[dankyyz]

Only took 3 posts before it happened. LOL.

Yea!!!....RUN!!!!....

You would stop?

[dankyyz]

So you'd prefer a panicked, untrained driver, taking someone to the hospital in the back of a car, than ....say... a person in a fully equipped medical vehicle, with a warning ssytem for other cars...and a presumably well trained driver behind the wheel?

Lets all be grateful that our lovely laws are not created for you my friend. LOL.

the scenario happened a couple times in the last year, one with the actual person in the vehicle that needed help, the cops issued tickets in both cases and it made the news and their words were along the lines of " it doesnt matter, you cannot break the law" thats why theres emergency vehicles to call.


its another one of our lovely government rulings, but if a cop was to issue a ticket on a legitimate emergency well then id hope karma would take care of that.

[Squadz]

So you'd prefer a panicked, untrained driver, taking someone to the hospital in the back of a car, than ....say... a person in a fully equipped medical vehicle, with a warning ssytem for other cars...and a presumably well trained driver behind the wheel?

Lets all be grateful that our lovely laws are not created for you my friend. LOL.

Okay, you can stop and wait the 5 minutes for the ambulance to come. Than for the ambulance to drive towards the hospital. Wasting time while somebody could be seriously hurt or dying.

Or you could drive your *** off rushing to the hospital, calling 911 as your driving and letting them know that you are not stopping until you get to the hospital.

[me]

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/572736

When my dad was having a heart attack in Alliston (in the 80's), we called an ambulance. When it didn't arrive after 5 mins, my uncle threw my dad into a car and drove him to the hospital. Good thing he did, as the ambulance showed up 20 mins later! The driver got a wicked tongue lashing from about 20 Indian aunties

[cycling]

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/572736

When my dad was having a heart attack in Alliston (in the 80's), we called an ambulance. When it didn't arrive after 5 mins, my uncle threw my dad into a car and drove him to the hospital. Good thing he did, as the ambulance showed up 20 mins later! The driver got a wicked tongue lashing from about 20 Indian aunties

Wow,sorry to hear that.
Glad i was not there for the tongue lashing,phew.
It was not until 1985 that Toronto turned from Ambulance drivers to Paramedics.
Things have changed a lot since then.

Paramedics come in 4 levels,P1,P2,P3 and Critical care.(Not forgetting the Student Paramedics)
Most calls that are "Delta" or "Echo" calls should be on scene within 4-6 minutes.
Is it possible?
MMmmm,very debateable.
The fire department is nearly always there first.
For every Ambulance station,there are 4 Fire stations.
Therefore,Firefighters are usually first on scene.
Cut backs did not help the Paramedics.
They are overworked and ,personally,i think do not get enough credit/pay for what they do.
Critical Care Paramedics do surgery in the field.
Hence,myself,i would wait for the Paramedics to arrive as they can work on me prior to transport to the hospital.

I know there are a few current Paramedics on this site,please correct me if things have changed much in the last 2-3 years.

[CruisnGrrl]

i'm out in the boonies, it would take about 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from the time it rolled out the door. then 15 min back to the hospital. we do have first responders who have a basic kit bag and the last time i called 911 it was about 3 minutes for one to show, about 20 for the paramedics. I'd drive straight to the hospital.

[Grimmy]

So you'd prefer a panicked, untrained driver, taking someone to the hospital in the back of a car, than ....say... a person in a fully equipped medical vehicle, with a warning ssytem for other cars...and a presumably well trained driver behind the wheel?

Lets all be grateful that our lovely laws are not created for you my friend. LOL.

Sorry, I can drive more quickly then the E wagon. Heck, fact is, I can get to the hospital faster then the E wagon can get to my house.

Fire Department? Nah, I'd be lucky to be out of my driveway before they arrived. But Paramedics or cops? Get out the stop watch and start waiting. Then wait, and some more.

[rmemedic]

Sorry, I can drive more quickly then the E wagon. Heck, fact is, I can get to the hospital faster then the E wagon can get to my house.

Fire Department? Nah, I'd be lucky to be out of my driveway before they arrived. But Paramedics or cops? Get out the stop watch and start waiting. Then wait, and some more.

Reffering to the cop wait times: My step dad was run off the road by a pick up while he was at work driving his 18 wheeler. This was on the gretzky pkwy in brantford. The pickup driver stopped, got out of his truck and tried to get into the cab of the rig, pulled the handle right off and was hammering the glass to get in. My step dad was on the phone with 911 and it was about 10 minutes before a cop showed up... Without lights and sirens. By then, the guy was long gone. What if the freak had a gun or a bat or a knife?

[dankyyz]

Ok Night Rider. Just saying that i sincerely hope you have the ability to transport someone so critically ill, and not make things worse.

If the issue is who can get there faster, you win rockstar. If the argument is what is the best way to get the best care for someone in an medical emergency, you loose.

Just trying to stay on track is all.

Sorry, I can drive more quickly then the E wagon. Heck, fact is, I can get to the hospital faster then the E wagon can get to my house.

Fire Department? Nah, I'd be lucky to be out of my driveway before they arrived. But Paramedics or cops? Get out the stop watch and start waiting. Then wait, and some more.

[Rob MacLennan]

Dankyyz, the post could have been made without the snide asides. Do I break out the infraction stamp again?

[dankyyz]

I was responding to the Luke Duke esque reply Rob. The term rockstar might mean more for you than it does for me.

[Rob MacLennan]

I was responding to the Luke Duke esque reply Rob. The term rockstar might mean more for you than it does for me.

I suggest that you curb your obnoxious enthusiasm. An insult is an insult and my tolerance of it where you are concerned is at an end.

[Grimmy]

Ok Night Rider. Just saying that i sincerely hope you have the ability to transport someone so critically ill, and not make things worse.

If the issue is who can get there faster, you win rockstar. If the argument is what is the best way to get the best care for someone in an medical emergency, you loose.

Just trying to stay on track is all.

Thanks for the gratuitous poke Danky. In my case, the best care as well as the fastest response - by my driving to the hospital myself - are both served by my driving the person. You see, what you do not know is that I reside less than 2 minutes from a hospital, and that is if I do not take short cuts and avoid the 2 light standards that are on the way. Lets see... 10 seconds, left turn, 20 seconds right turn, 30 seconds, arrive.

But, I do appreciate your negative enthusiasm. One of our finest I assume?

[dankyyz]

I think you all might need an adavan or something. That was NOT a poke of record. Sheesh.

Living 2 minutes from a hospital may be empowering, but i thought we were talking in generalizations. Not on a case by case basis.

My bad. I was trying to convey the idea that critical injuries and such are better dealt with by a para and a rolling hospital tirage department, than unkle Rob's 98 Cutlass Supreme.

I obviously got lost in there somewhere.

Thanks for the gratuitous poke Danky. In my case, the best care as well as the fastest response - by my driving to the hospital myself - are both served by my driving the person. You see, what you do not know is that I reside less than 2 minutes from a hospital, and that is if I do not take short cuts and avoid the 2 light standards that are on the way. Lets see... 10 seconds, left turn, 20 seconds right turn, 30 seconds, arrive.

But, I do appreciate your negative enthusiasm. One of our finest I assume?

[Grimmy]

I think you all might need an adavan or something. That was NOT a poke of record. Sheesh.

Living 2 minutes from a hospital may be empowering, but i thought we were talking in generalizations. Not on a case by case basis.

My bad. I was trying to convey the idea that critical injuries and such are better dealt with by a para and a rolling hospital tirage department, than unkle Rob's 98 Cutlass Supreme.

I obviously got lost in there somewhere.

Surely you must have. I'm sure it happens often.

I clearly used the letter I, as in myself, as in singular, or me, in my posts.

You are correct, if one was in a major urban city, in most instances, calling an E wagon is smarter than attempting transport yourself. However, just as there are statistical averages, there are those closer to the hospital than those that are farther away. For those that are very close, it is clear in certain circumstances that it makes sense to drive ones self.

Not to mention, some of us have better or equal training then the emergency services, save for the Ambulance guys who've got a fair bit.

[hindustani420]

the only excuse that works with officer with breaking law is, if your wife is in labor.
any other hospital emergancy does not work.

[koukla]

If it a true emergency - you can call ahead to the local police station, tell them the nature of the emergency - and your route...they may then have a cruiser meet you enroute and escort you.

I have had several friends do this - one actually had the officer follow up a couple of days later to make sure all was well.

[Griffin]

If it a true emergency - you can call ahead to the local police station, tell them the nature of the emergency - and your route...they may then have a cruiser meet you enroute and escort you.

I have had several friends do this - one actually had the officer follow up a couple of days later to make sure all was well.

Most police services will no longer provide an escort. The liability they accept for your driving if they escort you prohibits it.

There is NEVER any legal excuse for exceeding the speed limit in a non-emergency vehicle.

That being said, knowing that the average response time for an ambulance in the GTA is about 12-15 minutes and that I live 5 minutes from an emerg room, I'll be driving my loved ones, at a high rate of speed, to the hospital, once I've phoned 911 to let 'em know what's going on. I have done this before and met the ambulance on the way and transferred the patient on the side of the road once.

[mat2312]

I think it all depends on your location. If I'm in the boonies, I'm flooring it.

The best thing for the patient is to get an ambulance. Those things are hospitals on wheels and the paramedics can be just as qualified as doctors for 99% of things.