I am not sure whether it's a state or county law, but according to some members in my department it is branded illegal for a volunteer fire department to charge for calls, or stand-bys.
Now, we get a pretty decent amount of calls a year (generally 2,500-3000+), and are an EMS/Fire combination department. Everyone, aside from our first responders, are volunteer.
My question: What's your view on non-emergency and/OR self-inflicted calls?
I am talking about calls such as intox calls. We get tons of these calls, however I don't personally deem them an emergency unless that person is showing signs of alcohol poisoning. A police officer should cuff them and take them to the hospital, but an ambulance shouldn't be wasted unless it's deemed necessary. If anything, only the first responder(s) should show up to make a call as to whether medical transport is essentially needed.
What bothers me the most about these calls is that is wastes volunteers time, as well as the taxpayers money on a self-inflicted, non-emergency call.
Intox calls aren't the only ones. One night we were toned out for a woman who hadn't had any bowel movements. Upon arrival we foudn the woman fine, and her daughter standing there waiting with her. The hospital is down the road, and this clearly wasn't an emergency.
Another time during the day we were toned out for a guy whose electric wheelchair's battery was dying.
Where do we draw the line? And what do you believe we should do?
It's all semantics.
Now, we get a pretty decent amount of calls a year (generally 2,500-3000+), and are an EMS/Fire combination department. Everyone, aside from our first responders, are volunteer.
My question: What's your view on non-emergency and/OR self-inflicted calls?
I am talking about calls such as intox calls. We get tons of these calls, however I don't personally deem them an emergency unless that person is showing signs of alcohol poisoning. A police officer should cuff them and take them to the hospital, but an ambulance shouldn't be wasted unless it's deemed necessary. If anything, only the first responder(s) should show up to make a call as to whether medical transport is essentially needed.
What bothers me the most about these calls is that is wastes volunteers time, as well as the taxpayers money on a self-inflicted, non-emergency call.
Intox calls aren't the only ones. One night we were toned out for a woman who hadn't had any bowel movements. Upon arrival we foudn the woman fine, and her daughter standing there waiting with her. The hospital is down the road, and this clearly wasn't an emergency.
Another time during the day we were toned out for a guy whose electric wheelchair's battery was dying.
Where do we draw the line? And what do you believe we should do?
It's all semantics.
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